Flying Saucer

[Boogie-D]

Really like your stand design Neil... I want to do something similar with 4 cinder blocks acting as my sonotubes.... how did this stand hold up and I would appreciate any feed back in my build thread.. thank you

[cobblerdave]

Re: Flying Saucer

Gudday Niel

Congrats Neil....that makes your oven???....quik look back through the posts....5 years old and going strong Well done

Regards Dave

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

This is what my oven looks like now, after five years of use;

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

The counter top slab has a couple of 3/8 rebar running the length. This was poured (and finished) separately. It sits on the oven slab and is level with the hearth bricks. The other end sits on the pier and is tied down with inserts that were cast into the slab to an angle iron cross bar that was anchored into the top of the pier.

[ggoose]

Re: Flying Saucer

Neil2,
Great build. Did you put any steel in the coutertop slab? Also, did you pour it in place or attach it after you fabricated it?
Beautiful work.
gene

[lobo_nz]

Re: Flying Saucer

Cool oven, very different.

[Ken524]

Re: Flying Saucer

I used a Porter-Cable 5in angle grinder. It is a single speed 11,000 rpm. ..

Do get a 5 in grinder. The smaller 4 in ones are for different purpose/lighter tasks and won't stand up the amount of grinding.

Thanks Neil!
That is most helpful.

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

Ken

"Thanks for the info!! What kind of angle grinder? Does it matter? The websites I've been looking at are talking about variable speed $400 wet grinders."

I used a Porter-Cable 5in angle grinder. It is a single speed 11,000 rpm. I think it was about $150 or so five years ago. I've built 5 concrete counter tops and three tables so far and it has performed well.

Do get a 5 in grinder. The smaller 4 in ones are for different purpose/lighter tasks and won't stand up the amount of grinding.

(Once you have an angle grinder in your tool box you will be amazed at how many things it can be used for.)

[Ken524]

Re: Flying Saucer

Use a 5 in angle grinder with a diamond cup grinder. Do this all wet...

(the 4 in pads will work fine on your 5 in angle grinder).

Thanks for the info!! What kind of angle grinder? Does it matter? The websites I've been looking at are talking about variable speed $400 wet grinders.

Is this necessary or can this be done with a Black & Decker or Harbor Freight cheapo grinder?

Thanks again for the informative posts!

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

fb66


"What is the process of polishing the concrete? That looks really good. I would like to give it a try."


This could take a whole thread by itself. Concrete countertops are suprisingly easy to make - they just take a lot of hours grinding and polishing. Very simply:
-Pour concrete. 1 1/2 inch thick. Use the bags of pre mix - they tend to have a more vairied stone colour than crush. Add some concrete dye if you want. Put in some inserts for tie downs and pot hangers.
- Let set 3 days. Shape edge and grind off surface layer exposing and cutting into the aggregate. Use a 5 in angle grinder with a diamond cup grinder. Do this all wet.
- Keep wet and let set another 20 days. Now sart in on the wet polishing. You can get a set of 4 in diamond pollish pads (the 4 in pads will work fine on your 5 in angle grinder). A 50 grit-100-200-500-1000-3000 grit set will work. Note this is very messy. You can get almost a mirror shine without any coating or covering. Totally food safe and heat resistant.

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

Paul


"I’ve been thinking about pouring some buttressing like this, but using an insulating castable refractory as I don’t want to add any more thermal mass to my oven."

Try it. One thing about pouring (and then grinding) is that you can get pretty much any shape you want.

I did two pours for the opening. The first was a vermiculite/perlite/portland cement mix. Although this is not a refractory (because of the use of portland cement) it is fully contained by the second pour and the shell so that when it breaks down it will stay in place. Here are a few more photos - I hope they help.

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

Fullback66

Here are some pictures of the door. It started out as a damaged aluminum road sign. By pure luck it was exactly the right height to fit the inside lintel. Since my door opening is tapered, I simply bent back "wings" to match the taper. Forms a failrly tight opening. The bent wings also also it to stand up so I don't have to prop it against something when it is not in the door. The second photo is looking down on the top edge. I used some leftover aluminum channel from my soffit redo, pop riveted these top and bottom. The insulation is the type that is used to insulate electric ovens. A heating supply place will probably carry it or you can stop by your local dump/recyclers and fish out a piece from an old stove. The temperature gauge is from an old barbecue . It only goes to 700 f but is useful when you are baking bread or slow cooking a roast. The handle is a Marshaltown trowel handle - this is not connected directly to the face ( it burned when I did this). I formed a sort of "stand off" bracket out of plumbers strapping.

[Hendo]

Re: Flying Saucer

The first photo is of the 2 in poured reinforced concrete "belt" that holds it all together. This extends up to the height of the first soldier course.

Neil,

Do you have any photos of the detail? I?m interested in the reinforcing & formwork etc.

I?ve been thinking about pouring some buttressing like this, but using an insulating castable refractory as I don?t want to add any more thermal mass to my oven. Johnrbek (offline since May) went down this route for his ?true Neopolitan Pizza Oven? ? see http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/f...oven-1453.html and Low Dome Neapolitan Oven Update - Dome Construction. Photo Gallery by John Bek at pbase.com

Nice looking oven!

Cheers, Paul.

[fullback66]

Re: Flying Saucer

neil,
What is the process of polishing the concrete? That looks really good. I would like to give it a try.
fb66

p.s. do you have a door?

[Neil2]

Re: Flying Saucer

The first photo is of the 2 in poured reinforced concrete "belt" that holds it all together. This extends up to the height of the first soldier course. The second photo shows the screeding frame for the 5 in thick vermiculite/perlite/cement insulation layer. The final finish is two coatings of acrylic stucco painted on. The third photo is the concrete table. I set the height of this level with the hearth floor at 43 1/2 inches. My wife wanted it high enough so she would not need to bend down to see in. (I have a 5ft 4in wife - if you were issued a different size one you may need to adjust the height.) The table is 1- 1 /2 inch concrete, poured with a little green conc dye added. It was then ground smooth and polished. I set it tangent to the oven at about a 45 degree angle to the door. This allows you to get near the opening without reaching over a table and still provides a convenient working surface. The last photo is a shot of inside of the brickwork (before cleanup and firing).