The Morgan's WFO build

[mfiore]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Morgan's,

Absolutely gorgeous. The small details really make the oven. Great job!

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

It's been a little on the wetter side here lately, but we've managed to find time to work on the oven each day the rain has backed-off. We have all but finished the stucco. We put a thinner coat over the original coat and waited until it nearly set, then rubbed it in circular motions with wet rags. This exposed the sand and gravel in the mix and was the easiest way to get a good, fairly even texture throughout the structure. Here's a couple pics;





We added a "buff" colorant to the stucco mix as we went, but will paint over it. We added the color so if it were to get chipped, we wouldn't feel compelled to fix it right away since it won't contrast too bad. We added acrylic fortifer to the final coat too.

We attached the lights and a plaque we bought earler this summer to display over the front arch. We worried that it may be a bit too much, but we think it adds a little something without getting too gawdy. We're going to put some tile on the top and front edge of the landing, but that will be the extent of the bling. What do you guys think of the plaque?...



We repainted the light fixtures. We decided that all metal work in our patio will follow a satin black look.

Although the roof is sealed (concrete and stucco), we want to add a gabled-roof with a slight pitch, say 10 - 15 degrees. Then we need to deal with some details around the perimeter of the base and fabricate some door. Of course the chimney needs attention too, but we'll work on that concurrent with the roof.

Take care,

The Morgans

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Hey Morgans,
That was one of the reasons i built the igloo as I couldnt make up my mind how to finish it.. now i have the option..

I mixed my SBC in a small Harbor freight mixer I bought.. It was much easier as it has all the fiberglass strands in it.. the stuf you got sounds good as you really dont need the structural strength...

good idea adding the base color in...

Cheers
Mark

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Mark- I was at a different area Home Depot and found another Quickrete mortar product that is a sort of "patch-all" type of stuff. It advertises itself as a a "one coat stucco" as well. It's like $13 per 55 lb. bag and is really tough stuff to mix, hardens very quickly, and is generally a pain, but it seems to stick good and hard.

This Saturday, all the news reports were that we were in for rain of biblical-proportions, and so we didn't do anything on Saturday. 'Turns-out the front just missed us by literally by a couple of miles and it would have been an optimal weather condition for applying stucco. Today (Sunday) we managed to get an entire coat on the oven. We plan on adding a second coat with acrylic fortifier and will ultimately paint the entire thing also. We are adding a light tan (buff) colorant to the stucco so if it gets chipped it will have a base color.

So, weather and daylight permitting, we hope to get the final coat on by the end of next weekend and then turn our attention to finishing the roof. I did cap the top with some concrete and will stucco over that (with the acrylic), but we have been beginning to ponder a simple gabeled structure now...

The Morgans

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

if you go to QUIKRETE? - Cement and Concrete Products they have a ton of info there about all the products and proper use... I know more stuff to read and think about :-)

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Good tip on the acrylic fortifier Mark...thanks. We want to stucco (or use that other stuff) over the top of the concrete. We may just protect the concrete from rain and add an adhesion promoter to facilitate a bond with the final coating. Argggggh! So much to think about!...

'Morgans

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

hey ken,
I think that sounds fine, just add the acrylic fortifier and you will shed water, and of course slope it slightly.... you wouldnt want a puddle up there,,,

Cheers
Mark

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

After stacking brick to the top, now I'm thinking the lights don't look so bad where they are. Really changed the perspective, plus the lights will serve their purpose better where they are. I'll power them up and see before they are comitted.

I filled the ficade with perlcrete and am now wondering the best way to seal the top. I am contemplating laying down some mesh and putting a 1 or 2 inch layer of concrete over it. It would then get some stucco to match the rest of the structure.

So, what do you guys think? Does this sound reasonable? Any concerns in doing so?

Thanks in advance,

The Morgans

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Hey, thanks Mark. That helps confirm that the lights look better centered on those blocks. Thanks! I'll get right on it.

Darius - You're quite right. These oven's are awesome tools that will take some time to obtain any level of mastery. We're looking forward to our journey learning how to use it and incorporate it into our everyday lives.

Ken Morgan

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

sorry morgans,, that is vintagemix's oven

Okay vintage I fixed your lights for you....

Mark

No problem king.. send me a pic

[KINGRIUS]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Hey Mark, while you're at it, I would like an outer arch over my oven entry arch, an overhanging ledge in the front for food handling, an a-frame roof over the front slab...

Morgans- looking really sweet! Hey, even if you didn't cook with it, it would be really nice to just look at!

I am prepared to have to learn how to use my oven. I am not expecting perfection right away (but later definitely!). You now hold in your power the potential to make the best pizza and food in the world. Just like any great tool, it's going to take some practice to learn how to use it and master it. It looks like you have begun your journey...

Enjoy!
Darius

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

hey Morgans,,

Lookin good, I took the libertyy of moving the lights for you so you could see what it will look like,, (photoshop)

Enjoy
Mark

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Well, I bought some mortar and some other supplies today, but I didn't get any work done. Perhaps tomorrow I'll finish that front brick work and do some more perlcrete on top. Here's a photo of what the oven looks like right now...



I think those lights need to be moved outward to be centered-up with the cinder block columns. Tonight we cooked a bunch of pizzas. We made our own dough with Caputo flour using James recipe. We adjusted it for a 62.5% hydration, which was very easy to work with. Oh Man! It was very good. Everyone commented on how good the crust was and we were very happy with it. We'll experimaent with wetter doughs and see if we can find pizza nirvana. Here's a photo of the first pizza out of the oven tonight...



We cooked eight pizzas and got stuffed, but let the oven cool off for a short while and then assembled a skillet full of apples with butter, brown sugar, and oats. It cooked for about 30 minutes and was a real treat...



Our second encounter with using the oven has really sparked a re-newed interest in it's use. We're going to be using tis thing a lot.

The crust from this dough recipe was really outstanding. I'm really encouraged to use it from now on, because it was our first time and I'm sure we have not optimized it. Leads me to think we can't go wrong.

Ciao e presto!

The Morgans

[vintagemx0]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

Thanks Mark! You're the man! I'm going to talk to the HD guys and get some of that material to button this thing up. Is it a pre-mix in buckets, or a dry mix?

We decided to brick above our outer arch all the way up to the top of the enclosure. We'll do that today. We'd planned on cooking pizza tonight because we have a sister coming over to visit, and from the temperatures I was seeing around the front of the chimney bricks last week, we're not worried about the new brick work getting hot while it's curing. The arch support columns are the only parts that may get hot due to radiation and they have been curing since Monday. I'll try to get some photos tonight because the final look is beginning to be realized.

'Morgans

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: The Morgan's WFO build

hey Dino,
I called Quikrete (Help Line at 1-800-282-5828) they said no problem to apply directly to the durorock or cement board.. No lath or wire needed...