WFO In South Georgia

[bturton]

We got started last week and I took some pictures but have just now located the cable to download the photos from the camera to my computer. Hope that's not an indication of my technical skills.
As a test I'm starting with some of the shots of the site prep. We're adding on to the deck and trying to save all the trees.
Lets see how this works! Feel free to let me know if the photos need to be done differently.
We ordered the board and insulating blanket from FB last week. SUPER FAST on getting the order out. BIG THANKS!

Woohoo!


Bonita

[Les]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

Bonita,

You nailed it. They load a little slow(on my system) but great quality. Keep them coming!
Les...

[Breven]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

Looks great Bonita! I like the site, anxious to follow your progress. Keep the pics coming and don't forget to post any questions you have- you'll find the answers here for sure!
Have fun...

[RTflorida]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

No issues with the photos on my end...1.5 seconds from my click to the photo appearing.

Nice location, that is exactly how I envision my ideal oven...under and surrounded by a canopy of trees; not really possible here in suburbia.

RT

[bturton]

Re: WFO In South Georgia - Updated through 11/23

Fortunately the weather has warmed up enough that we were able to get outside. We got the slab and block work done. If everything goes well we'll get the table poured and the dome started this week. Next year I hope to be able to cook the Thanksgiving turkey in the WFO. My family is exicited about it but mostly everyone who asks about the project glazes over when we tell them about the oven. sigh...
As the pictures show, we've got the stand for the oven and then a good deal of counter space and some additional patio area. The rest of the plan...after the oven is operational would be an outdoor fireplace and some built in seating.
As always, any feedback is welcome.
Thanks

Bonita

[Modthyrth]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

Wow, nice space! What are you planning in the base? I notice more blocks in the interior than I typically see.

[bturton]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

We made the footprint a little bigger and then went back in and reinforced the interior. Hopefully one day the facade of the oven and the fireplace (that's still on the drawing board) will be similar.

[bturton]

WFO South Georgia - 11/27/08

Made some progress over the last week. We got the table poured and started trying to lay out the floor. Got the Habor Freight 10" saw last Saturday. Just barely made it under the wire. We walked into the store at 6:55 and they close at 7:00. They must have all had some place to go because they MEANT "closing at 7". Its not like we were browsing... just wanted to get the saw and get out. And as many have already mentioned the instructions are a joke, but the saw itself is very nice.
The family worked on the laying the floor after our Thanksgiving lunch. We've got a long way to go but its been a lot of fun to plan it and then for the family to get on board with it.

Love visiting the forum. Lurk around a lot. Bunches of good information. I've reached the place in my life when I don't feel like I have to make absolutely every mistake. If someone wiser can help me dodge a bullet or two then, great!

[staestc]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

Very nice Bonita, and what a beautiful piece of property!

I too am at the point where I don't want to learn from "MY" mistakes, and prefer to learn from "Others"!

Travis

[bturton]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

The floor got done on Thanksgiving Day. Since then its been kind of hit or miss. We're making some progress. Didn't realize I was such a slob. Planning on covering a lot of this up. The weather has been a little sketchy lately so it hasn't gone as quickly as I had hoped. I agree with the others who have said its addicting. Is it too optimistic to hope for a New Year's pizza? Found a 20 qt Hobart Mixer from a bakery that had closed. The dough hook is in good shape and it seems to run really well. It needs a new bowl but that will be my only cost in it. I think I can pick up one on Ebay.

[Breven]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

I love the fact that the whole family is helping...I can't get my kids to clean their room, nevermind actually helping with construction.

You guys are making quick work- New Years Pizza could happen!

[egalecki]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

Breven, I figure kid's rooms are why doors were invented!

bturton, it's looking good. Don't worry about the mess! It gets covered up, and no one will ever see it. Mine was so lumpy on the outside it was sort of funny. But with 2 layers of blanket on it and vermicrete on that, and then stucco, well, no one can see!

[bturton]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

WooHoo!
We put the last couple rows on last night and couldn't wait to see if it was really going to stand. It did and it was still there this morning! Can world peace be far behind? I'm so psyched! (too many exclaimation points?) The whole process was a lot more fun than I anticipated.

I feel like I should send out birth announcements.

[bturton]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

Okay, a couple more shots and then I'll quit.
We made the forms out of the pink insulation board. When the curve started getting intimidating we put sand in to fill in up. It gave great support and was forgiving enough to let us make adjustments as we went. My husband was great about cutting the bricks. Couldn't have done the beveling and tapering without the Harbor Freight saw. As best we could tell, each row seemed to bear its own weight independent of the internal support, which was what we were hoping for. Having the sand let us dry fit them and then push it back a little to see if the fit was as good as we wanted.
I realize that compared to the works of art that are frequently found in this forum our oven seems a little primative - sort of like trying to enter a mutt at Westminster but I'm really proud.
As an optimistic attempt at immortality, I chiseled a "T" into the keystone.
So we probably won't have New Year's pizza, but I resolve to eat/make way more pizza in 2009...
You guys rock,
Thanks

[Frances]

Re: WFO In South Georgia

too many exclaimation points?

No way!! If anything in life deserves exclamation marks, the birth of a new oven dome does!! Congratulations, it looks great!!

And no way is that a mutt either! Its a beautiful example of its kind, coming from a long lineage of perfectly respectable oven domes.

I love the bit about world peace, too. Feels pretty unreal when the dome all locks into place, doesn't it?