Ben and Mia's Oven

[dmun]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

Good start. I've been wondering about pre-casting the support slab in two pieces, to avoid two trips with the concrete mixer. You could lift the pre-made slabs with a web strap and an engine hoist. Probably too late for that suggestion.

[SpringJim]

Pouring the pad....

Thanks Ken, it adds a second dimention to the building project for sure!

Now the pad's done, watered and resting!

[SpringJim]

Slab update

It's a big slab David....9 feet wide and 16.5 feet long, tapered in the end for the oven extension. There is about a two foot extension for the front entry as we are going to take out (reframe) the end wall and put in a sliding door....lots of light and no banging doors.

Slab was $280 but most of that was for the building ($180 for building and $100 for the oven?) So total BenjaMia project cost so far is $298.

XJ

[SpringJim]

Firebrick testing

I scrounged a tile saw from my brother in law...a nice 10 inch with a diamond blade. It had been dropped so I had to tune it up a bit and it's very close to square now.

Made two brick test cuts....one new brick and one nasty glaze coated brick on the seconds pile....both cut up very nicely thank-you! Should be a very nice dome!

Things are looking up!

[SpringJim]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

The concrete is curing....covered and sprinkled....

But......I'm looking at 45 bags of concrete mix to do the stand cores and the reinforced hearth....any reason not to spring for the redimix truck and do the cores and the hearth pour at the same time?

It's a pretty similar cost and no 80# bags to carry or mix.....I can put a metal form on the edge of the concrete blocks inside (not covering) the stand cores and do one monolithic pour.

Whynot? any feedback? Seems like a no brainer for the cost differential!

XJ

...getting ready to move the building on the slab.

[egalecki]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

I'd go for the truck. Those bags are really heavy, no reason to kill yourself when you could do both at once. I used a metal deck form and as long as you leave enough room at the side, you should be able to fill your cores, no problem.

[SpringJim]

Bag vs Readymix

Yup, It's only about a yard but the truck it is!

Might be a nice tip to put in the FB plans.....

Next job is to move the building on the slab....

[SpringJim]

Building move

Jacked up the building and moved it on the slab.....

4 pvc pipe rollers worked great!

Now some building remodeling and putting in the stand!

I think the building project just grew again with a big cement patio...anyone done colored concrete? (or done their own stamping...they rent the forms!)

[SpringJim]

arch blocks

Found some blocks in the weeds...how about the wood storage arch?

[PizzaJNKY]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

Very cool for the storage arch SJ.

[SpringJim]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

Here is the start....

XJ

[SpringJim]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

Well the stand is formed and the arch is in temporarily....

I'm going to put some rebar in the holes that ties it into the hearth.


....but first the inspectors came out

[SpringJim]

BenjaMia Teardrop Stand

I'm really happy with the stand...it will be a bit of a challenge with the hearth form but in the end it will work fine. I am thinking about putting the forms on the edge of the blocks and then using that block edge to begin the final stucco when finished. (anybody done that?)

I cut an old steel sign to be my hearth base and took it over to the core edges so I can pour the hearth and fill the cores at the same time. It's supported by a concrete block wall inside. I've got a bunch of used rebar that will be used for the cores and hearth as well as some new rods for the hearth.

The storage arch gives me a 24 inch entry and is in temporarily. I will make it part of the hearth pour and the rebar will entend into the two holes formed by the arch blocks.

I'm looking at an old sawn granite windowsill at the junkyard for the landing....$50 but it might be a nice statement!

[egalecki]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

It looks really good. I am very impressed with your inspectors. Tell their mommy to hang on tight- my twins just graduated from high school, and while it's been great, it's also been wild at times!

I am not sure what you mean about the stucco, so I can't help there.

I really like the arch blocks- I've never seen any like that. They'll add a lot to your final design.

[Frances]

Re: Ben and Mia's Oven

I like the curved walls on the stand. And the arch blocks. Is that curve there for the egg-shaped oven?