Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

[Yannick]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Very nice built.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Thanks NC man, I appreciate the props. The lighting really sets the oven off at night time and gives it a whole new look, I highly recommend installing permanent lighting if it is a option for you.

For my guests this weekend I am going to make a version of a calzone that I found and have been messing with for a few weeks. I wish it had been my idea "Via Tribunali of Seattle" you take and stretch your dough as normal for pizza with the exception of forming the outer crust. Lay it flat and put sauce and whatever fillings you want "i've been adding ricotta" in a cross pattern on top the dough. Once filled you bring edges together and seal where they meet. It ends up looking like a huge star fish, kinda.

Cook in your WFO at pizza temps, turn like normal and pull out once good and browned the cut into four wedges. The beauty of it is, you end up with four beautiful pockets of goodness that you serve four guests at once. I serve it with our pizza sauce on the side to dip in and it is amazing! My fav is- sauce, ricotta, sausage, onions, banana peppers and cheese.

I'm going to repost this calzone concept in the appropriate part of the forum.

[NCMan]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Chris......looking good!! I really like the lights and plan to use some on my WFO when done. I'm going to look into some solar powered ones to see if they are a viable option. Have a good time w/your company this weekend.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

I've finished the scratch coat of mortar and will begin to set veneer stone this week. It was a little time consuming due to only mixing in a 5 gallon pail so it seemed like I spent more time mixing mortar than amplifying it.

I also finished up wiring the soffit lights seen in the picture below. I was very happy how it looked all lit up, my wife's comment was that I should have waited to turn them on until I was 100% complete and I told her that may have been too long a wait!. A forum member "Boylanta" gave me the lighting idea which I loved on his WFO, thanks Todd!

This coming weekend we have out of town company coming in so it maybe a slow progress weekend.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Here is what I came up with to make the stainless entrance cap more eye appealing . Both my wife and I are happy how it turned out especially when it was on hand and only took an hour or so to complete.

I just started last night putting up lath for veneer stone application that I hope to get started on this weekend.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Thanks for all the input so far, I should have added to my earlier post that the granite has not been permanently fix to the concrete slab and is easily removed. If pouring a concrete cap would look good and be feasible for me to do, I could cut the counter top to go around what ever configuration of a cap I would build. The idea of a stone landing I like also but what I've priced around where I live has been very expensive because of the thickness 4". They are quoting me $300 USD for limestone cap with a chiseled edge, I said to myself it was not terrible but my wife said Huh! Are other materials other than limestone that can be cut 4" thick?

Also, the concern of taking up work space has been eliminated with the addition of the penninsula I added last week.
Thanks again all.

[jeeppiper]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

I have to agree...Keep it as is; looks great!

I was originally thinking you might put a half-circle "landing" (the thickness of your step) in front of your entranceway. However, I think you would just lose valuable work-space.

and I think pouring concrete on top of granite is a bad idea...

[hubert_s]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Another vote for keeping the stainless. It looks great to me.

[stonecutter]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

I'm with Russ on this, I think less is more. The height transition looks right where it is now...if you pour on top of the granite you will have to deal with finishing the edge. I don't think a counter top looks good with a layered effect, especially with two different materials. And, you won't achieve a bond...not that you want to anyway.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Hod,

IMHO, the SS cap looks fine to me, your friend did a nice job fitting and bending. It covers the CaSi and nice entry transition but that's up to you. I do think you will not achieve a good bond between the granite and a poured deck and might be a issue for problems later but I will defer to others on this, maybe StoneCutter or Tscar or Gulf. Not sure you really need something even with your oven floor with all that granite adjacent to your oven.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Russell, Gulf and all 5,400+ viewers

Thanks for your continued interest in my build, this form has been invaluable to me. I would be WFO-less without it. Sorry it's been a slow go but hopefully I'll get it finished by the end of July.

One thing that has made me drag my feet on putting stone on the enclosure is how to properly cap my entrance to my oven. I see most people pour a counter to match the height of the entrance. Because I cantilevered my base over my retaining wall it would have made my counter 10" thick and I didn't like the look of such mass.

Can I build a form and pour just a decorative cap to entrance? One that has a cool look? Colored? Curved? Exposed aggregate? Cool edge? IDK? I've got no experience at all but any suggestion/techniques would be appreciated. I'm going to attach a picture of the area of concern, I had a friend bend me a stainless cap but I hate the look....... Then I thought maybe copper would help but not sure?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Shaping up very nicely.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

The last two weeks here in NW PA have been challenging to get work done due to some pretty crappy weather "again", wet and cool. None the less I have been able to put some finishing touches on the counter/bar area I installed last week. I built a wood/kindling storage area underneath the counter. Also, made a 2" hole in the counter to receive a crank up umbrella.

This weekend when it wasn't raining, a friend of mine who's a contractor helped me install the copper soffit and fascia. I hadn't ever tackled doing either before, I am so glad I waited for his help. What he did in two or three hours would've taken me double that and I'm sure his work was better seeing's he does it for a living. I am hoping to start this weekend on installing stone on the exterior, hope the weather improves, we had a frost Sunday morning here.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Thanks Russel for the kind words. We were very proud of the outcome especially since we had done it ourselves. Believe me, I obey my helper!

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Nice work on the granite. Nothing like saying "We did it ourselves" gotta give the SWMBO credit too.