BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

[Ken524]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Looks just great, Jim!!

[SpringJim]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Used every insulating firebrick I could find...that pile is gone!
only a few of the very ugly firebricks leftover from where we started!

time to cleanup the rest of the messes!

[SpringJim]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Took the cardboard out ... pretty clean!

.... it sure has a nice feel to that (pear, egg, teardrop) hearth/dome shape!

Can't wait to see flames in there!

patience......

[SpringJim]

The Benjamia Monster

This thing sure grew with it's insulation layer!

[SpringJim]

Perlcrete Insulation Stucco

I used Craigs mixing method with some twists.

2.5 gallons of water in a 5 gal bucket
1 48 oz can of portland
1/2 can of fireclay
mix with a large paint mixer on a drill

pour water mixture in a wheel barrow
add 1/3 bag perlite
start with drill mixture folding the perlite into the water mix
finish by folding the mixture by hand
keep spraying water over mixture until wet and workable.

I actually had a watery layer that I kept folding into the mixture to refreshen.
Since the insulating firebrick was so porous and dry, I used a very wet mixture and it stuccoed on very well.

Jim

[SpringJim]

Thermocouple tubes

A couple of the used firebricks had holes in them so I attached a tube for a thermocouple tunnel.....(reminded me I buried the last tubes under the firebrick ring on the base....have to fix that!)

[SpringJim]

Insulating Firebricks

stacked a bunch of insulating firebrick on the dome

[Modthyrth]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Wow! You should go into the business, my friend. Beautiful work, and done in record time. Local builders around here charge 15k-18k for a traditional brick oven!

[CanuckJim]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Well done in record time, SJ. So, when's the first annual Michigan Pizza/Bread Bash. I'll make the baguette.

CJ

[SpringJim]

Dome done!

Finished the dome..... oh yeah!!!

started placing the insulation bricks around the oven before a perlite stucco is applied......then stucco on the outside.....

Thinking about the long slow cure method

SJ

[Ken524]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

BenjaMia are cute as buttons! Thanks for the pics!

[SpringJim]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Nice weather Christo...so I'm taking the weekend off.

I've burned through two diamond saws so I need a new blade to be able to trim the last few bricks and finish the project.

Had a nice fire though!

Twins too!

[christo]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Jim!

It's beautiful up here in Northern Michigan - I hope you're getting the same weather. Looks like you can make some good progress this weekend!

Chris

[mfiore]

Re: BenjaMia Bakehouse Project

Glad you had it covered!

[SpringJim]

rain delay

lot's of storms and rain this week...

we had 87 MPH winds in Grand Haven on the Mishegame Lakeshore.

The oven is now a birdbath!

Happy 4th everyone!