My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

[sarah h]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Ken, it looks absolutely wonderful!
I can't help noticing a certain similarity, colour-wise, between the oven and the kid's playhouse ... is that by coincidence or design?
And now ... what's cooking??

[dbhansen]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Can't argue with that; your wife has good taste!

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Ken, it looks absolutely wonderful!
I can't help noticing a certain similarity, colour-wise, between the oven and the kid's playhouse ... is that by coincidence or design?
And now ... what's cooking??

Thanks! Similarity with the playhouse is purely coincidental.

I'm dying to get the oven fired up. It's been cold for several weeks while I've been doing stucco work. I didn't want to put any stress on the stucco, tile cement or grout until it had ample time to cure.

We should have some pizza this weekend!

[mfiore]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

We knew you couldn't be done yet! It still looks great. I like that color.

[bolex16mm]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Ken:
I have a question. When looking through your photos, I saw that you used vermiculite mixed with portland cement for insulation on top of the blanket. In the oven plans it said you could just use dry vermiculite if you are enclosing the dome. I was wondering why you did not just use dry vermiculite since your oven is enclosed.

Thanks for all of the information and photos you have posted. The oven looks great.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

I was wondering why you did not just use dry vermiculite since your oven is enclosed.

Good question. My walls are pretty short and my roof is low. From the pictures you might be able to see that the insulated dome protrudes above the top of the walls.

It would have been difficult to heap the dry vermiculite over the dome without it flowing over the walls.

I also didn't want to fill the whole structure with vermiculite. It would have taken a LOT more vermiculite.

[christo]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

LOL on the Vermiculite fill. I went with the loose fill.

I bought more than I thought I would need (was going to use it for planters, garden, etc and a bag for my Mom) and I kept pouring bag after bag and wondered where it all went. At the end I used up everything I had.

Stopping all those small leaks afterwards - I felt like the little Dutch boy in the story.

Christo

[toddj]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Christo... How many 4cf bags??

[Breven]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

That's funny. Because of Cristo's comments about springing vermiculite leaks- I payed close attention to all the joints. I'm filling my enclosure up tonight. It looks like it will take around 8-10 bags- which means it will probably take 12-15. The bags I can get here at HD are 3.5cf and run $20 each. Similar to Ken, my dome is just about the same height as my walls. I think I can pile up a nice mound without going over. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Breven]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Bolex & Todd-

I filled my enclosure last night with loose Vermiculite & Perlite. I bought everything I could from the two HD's here in town- came up with 10 bags total. I ended up using 9 - 3.5cf bags. Filled every nook and cranny. Here's some pics:

[toddj]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

Cool Breven! That looks really good! Thanks for the fill data...

buying out all the perlite/vermiculite in town and living in Ca, surprised you did not get a visit from the local DEA lol....

[Breven]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

That's funny. You know, when I was pouring my insulated foundation, they had pallets of Perlite & Vermiculite. Now that I need 10 bags, all they had was a few here and a few there. Most had holes all over the bags. You should have seen me taping up holes like a madman. I did get a couple of strange looks, even asked what is all that for? Then got high 5's when I explained its for a WFO!

[toddj]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

WFO? weed fired oven?

I got the same thing when I told the local garden center that I needed 15 bags of vermiculite... got a lot of "whcha growin?"

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

WFO? weed fired oven?

I got the same thing when I told the local garden center that I needed 15 bags of vermiculite... got a lot of "whcha growin?"

hahah

Did you order some 400w HPS lights too?

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome Enclosure

So everyone doesn't think I've gone sedentary now that the oven is done, here's a picture of our arbor construction.

I'm over-engineering it so it will withstand the weight of 2 ceiling fans and a wisteria cover - using 6x6 posts and lots of concrete .