Structural Slab for new WFO

[stonecutter]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

People talk about waterproofing WFO's.... there is special hydraulic cement used for stopping leaks in masonry foundations.... What is your take on something like that?

Mine will just be plastered, several times and covered with a heavy rubber sheet when not in use. Later, there must be a roof over the oven.. Waterproofing the dome only still leaves the landing open to water infiltration... Roofs and overhangs keep water away!

Do you mean what do I think of using hydraulic cement on a WFO? It would not be a good idea idea...primarily because anything that traps moisture inside masonry and prevents it from breathing is bad....period.


Any pictures of your build?....sounds like you are moving right along!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

No, I am not planning on using hydraulic cement. but there was a lot of discussion on waterproofing--someone posted about a Henry product somewhere ...guess it is some type of waterproof paint. Paint must also be a no - no... stops water from coming in.....traps water from escaping!

Nothing really happening with my build. last time, I put 5:1 pericrete around chimney. That was a couple of weeks ago. With spring break coming up this week, maybe I can borrow the forklift from my neighbor. His business should be closed for several days---so maybe I can keep the forklift at my place for Golden Week.

That would give me a chance to fire it and put it indoors overnight if it looks like rain or SNOW!

I have some thoughts for oven #2. A lighter variety than #1... and maybe just a sheetmetal shell cover with loosefill vermiculite. That would be a very quick build. have to see what this oven does--"like looking how the smoke flows out of the oven"---can easily make modifications to the molds for a second try.

I saw that Northern Minnesota just got another 8" of snow in Duluth! I miss the people but not the snow!

[stonecutter]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Thoroseal is a cementitous breathable paint which works well on masonry.

Yeah, I don't miss the snow that much either. It was great watching it fall, but it meant a lot of extra work for me...it got old after four or five months

[Gulf]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Thoroseal is a cementitous breathable paint which works well on masonry.

Yeah, I don't miss the snow that much either. It was great watching it fall, but it meant a lot of extra work for me...it got old after four or five months

Was it as bad as this? A Southerner Moves North? Rated PG .

[stonecutter]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Was it as bad as this? A Southerner Moves North? Rated PG .

It was worse...those patterns lasted all winter sometimes.

I noticed it only took a week to break that wuss down though!!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

When you live in a cold climate area, you get used to the inconveniences and try to enjoy the beauty around you. Northern Minnesota has ice fishing, skiing both downhill and X-Country, snowmobiling, hunting, trapping...all sorts of things to do. The winter months are when the loggers can really get into some of the remote areas because they make winter roads and are able to drive into areas that are usually swampland. Other winter sports like hockey, events like Pepse Challenge Races, World Cup X-Country, Luskiainen (Finnish snow festival) at Loon Lake..They have the whip sled and lots of good finish food and music. All these things are great! But if you move away for a little while and experience say...a month of winter instead of 6 months. A couple of inches of frost at best compared to several feet! Working outdoors with a jumper instead of parkas and sorel boots... Then...the winter becomes less desirable!
I never thought about the cold for 45 years, that is where I lived. Did not think twice about needing 2 batteries on my truck or the need to keep it plugged in to start OR keep it in a heated garage....That was Life in the beautiful Northland.
Now, I see snow maybe three to four times during a winter...cold temperatures are zero instead of -60F. I love the Northland but cannot take the cold anymore!
There is nothing that stops the wind from the Artic Circle chilling you to the bone...No mountains to block these icy winds. I moved back to the USA after 8 years in Japan only to find that my blood was too thin to survive the cold of home!

If you live there...you love it! I still do, but I cannot take the cold anymore! It is true about the snowplows...but they have a lot of roads to clear---hundreds of miles every day and they cannot worry about each persons' driveway. Got to be thankful that they work all hours to have the roads open to get to work in the early morning hours!

That is my speech on cold winters, and now I'm finished!

[mrchipster]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

It is normally 60F here this time of year for the daily high but last Friday I awoke to this and we had a similar event the week before.

Welcome to Minnesota Spring, On the up side we may see our first 60F degree day today.

Second photo is of what is should look like this time of year.

Chip

[stonecutter]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Very nice oven and surroundings Mr.Chipster!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Really nice set up!
When I lived in Aurora, you could drive around in your car (with outdoor temp sensor) and watch the temperatures drop. Going over the Laurentian Divide heading toward Tower and Ely, the temp would bottom out at the bottom of the hill going into Embarrass. -40 is normal for winter, -60 was an occasional event!If I had a chance to go South for the winter, I always thought Minneapolis/St. Paul would be a good location. Snowmobiling is great fun but when your fingers cannot move because the cold wind is blowing thru the thread holes in your mits, that is really too cold!

Wish I knew about WFO's when back in Minnesota. I would have had more reason to cut firewood off the back 40! Those days, had all the equipment to make preparing wood easy...tractors, trailors, lots of good chainsaws, power splitter! Miss those things.

[Gulf]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

It was worse...those patterns lasted all winter sometimes.

I noticed it only took a week to break that wuss down though!!

I probably wouldn't have lasted that long . About once every five years for a light dusting is what we see here. A good cover, about every 10 years. I've worked away from home a few times, I'm really not that fond of that sht.

[stonecutter]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

I sure don't miss the nastiness of March in New England that's for sure. Though we are having a horrible pollen season here...long time locals say it's the worst one they can remember. I would trade this for winter any day...we had days were my eye's feel like somebody threw sand in them, and there is enough pressure in my head that it had me looking at my drill a bit too long.

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

That is the exchange I got for little snow. Tochigi prefecture has a lot of Sugi trees and their pollen bloom is mid March. When the wind blows, it looks like green smoke---and the trees are everywhere. Even taking allergy meds, nose is running like a hose, sneezing, eyes itching... Now we are into Hinoke pollen time, I'm not as allergic to Hinoke so the meds keep life manageable. With the Sugi pollen landing on everything, you need to use your windshield washer to clear the windows.. What comes off looks like split pea soup, but creamy no chunks! Better than the icy winds though.

This year in Northern Minnesota they are worrying about the ice being off Lake Vermillion for fishing opener--that is sometime the beginning of May--I think.
One year ---many years back, there was still ice in the harbor in Duluth the first week of June...burrrrr.

After the snow starts melting then watch out for flooding all along the Mississippi river! If it isn't one thing, its something else!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Back to the hunting and gathering mode. Had a day off finally from work, decided to try gathering wood for WFO and wood stove. The oak that was cut down about 3 years ago was my project for the day.

Three years is way too long to leave good wood lay on the ground. Spent 5 hours with a professional Echo chainsaw cutting only one log up into usable firewood and transporting it back to my house.

The log started out being 4 meters long, varying in diameter from 750mm to better than 600mm. The insects and weather had taken their toll. Mushrooms were growing on the bark, a real sad story for a once stately tree.

I did my cuts from both sides--very hard to get a cut to line up side to side for a relatively big log. There were other logs jammed around my log of interest.

Finally got the log cut up into 350 mm blocks and then the big job...slicing off all the bark and trying to get down to undamaged wood.

Better than 1/3 of the wood was too far gone. The rain, insects and other wood diseases had damaged much of the wood. I am lucky that this year, I began to harvest firewood from this tree. Another year would have made firewood an impossible option.

At least, I got maybe a ton of firewood off one log. I hope the sun can do some good with this wood. The stuff I transported is free of bark and the diseased wood has been surgically removed (chainsaw style).

Now when I get my next day off, I can begin splitting it into burnable sizes.

[Laurentius]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Hi Mikku,

Sounds like you had some productive fun. Today's a holiday and you're not off. Its a stay at home or get out early day for me. The tourist are here.

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

The only holidays I take off are 4th of July, Christmas, Easter...if I have other work to do.

What ya mean...tourists are here? What has that to do with you? Are you turning Japanese and gawk at foreigners? Even the little kids stare and point their finger at me as their mothers tug them by. Or are you too acclimated and blend into the crowd?