Countryboy build in SC, US

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Before quitting to get ready for some company I decided to dry stack some 4" block to get a look at what the fireplace will look like.

The first pics is the promised pic from several days ago... The second of the dry stack today to get a mental image and sort out how I will make the edges look. ultimately, the 4" will be mortared, then the Rumsford style brickwork will be mortared in against the 4". An insulative barrier/space will separate the 4" brick and the 6" that will go on top of the first course of 8" blocks... confused? Me too!

Comments and input welcome!!

CB

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

The sweltering heat continues and I just didn't have it in me on Thursday to do the 10th course. I got set up and was ready to cut the first brick but was so tired there was no 'fun' in it, so decided it best to step back and rest.

Last night my eldest and I tinkered with the chimney and got most of the smoke chamber enclosed. Originally I was thinking of a cast box, but the more I looked at the amount of work and extra expense I decided to 'solve' it a different way... I used 1 1/4" thick bricks for an upper cover that tapers toward where a couple specially cut bricks to hold a 6" pipe will be.

I also seriously pondered 6" double wall pipe before looking at the extra expense and time to have it shipped in... My 'solution' is a poorman's double walled pipe. I will sleeve the 6" pipe with 8" pipe, then drive 1" self tapping screws through the 8" at 3 equal points around the pipe every 16-18" to keep the 6" centered inside the 8". Makes sense to me, anyone see a problem with this approach? (I do plan to design the roof so the pipes are accessible for future maintenance if this system doesn't perform as expected...)

This morning I layed the 10th course and had fun doing it, though the temps steadily climbed until hitting near 100? right now! The humidity is oppressive to boot! I think in one of these pics you can see my substructure of bricks to hold everything in place... Also, as previously stated, we are keeping the mortar/brickwork damp with wet rags. EXCELLENT tip that I did not use in the first 5 courses or so! Wish I had!!

After finishing the 10th, I removed the pieces holding my template together while I could still get a hammer, drill and short crowbar in there from the top. The indispensable tool came out a course or too ago.

( I have a confession to make: The indispensable tool was, well, dispensable! I felt like it got in the way more than anything... No my hole is not perfectly round, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but eyeballing an moving a little more rapidly suited me better. Guessing in the end, no one will really be able to tell from the outside looking in and I will have the dome enclosed... I would say that for me maybe a better way of ding it in the future would be a piece of string tied to an eye bolt in the center. that would set the angle and be less cumbersome to move around... JMO.)

Now a few pics...

CB

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

HOT! HOT! HOT!! Smokin' hot out there!! Heat index of about 110?.

Cut and weedeated grass for four hours this morning. Came in and got a shower to cool off, ate lunch, then got the itch... you know, the one that can only be scratched by working on (or in) your oven??

Well, scratched it... Went back out and one of my boys (who helped this morning!!) went out with me and helped lay the 9th course. Getting really steep now!

Have it all covered with wet rags that we'll dampen every 30-45 minutes as the mortar firms up good. Hoping (fingers crossed) that we have the energy to go out and lay the 10th.. That is the plan anyway... Then Saturday we can close it up...

CB

[dmun]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

A followup question. To seal the bottom of the enclosure and to support the soldiers course, would it be advisable, or unwise to put about 7" or 8" of vermicrete then after it sets fill with loose stuff above that?

As you wish. There's no real advantage to doing it this way. The vermiculite concrete has very little tensile strength, and is unlikely to offer any meaningful support to your soldier course.

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Thanks, dmun. That is kinda what I thought but wanted to be sure. A followup question. To seal the bottom of the enclosure and to support the soldiers course, would it be advisable, or unwise to put about 7" or 8" of vermicrete then after it sets fill with loose stuff above that?

Hot day today, but got more work done!! Finished the 7th and 8th courses and got some work done on the fireplace... No pics, but I'll get a couple of the fireplace base after the forms are off.

Hopefully, I'll have the energy after cutting grass on Thursday morning to do the 9th and (fingers crossed) 10th courses.

CB

[dmun]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Loose vermiculite works fine as insulation. Make sure your enclosure is well sealed because it can flow out of surprisingly small openings.

[coveforest]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

CB - Thanks for the description and pictures of the inner arch. Your example has me considering doing the same thing. I'm just waiting on some bricks (and some free time too). Please keep posting updates of your progress. I know the finished project is going to look great!

Chris

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Another question while it is on my mind and I'm thinking ahead...

Do I really need to insulate with the ceramic blanket, or, since this will be enclosed, will vermicrete in the lower 8" or so and loose vermiculite in the upper work just fine? The vermiculite and vermicrete are easily accessible and very cheap... The blankets will require ordering from somewhere...

Pros, cons? Thoughts?

Thanks,

CB

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

I have tomorrow off, so first thing in the a.m. is to go get a new saw blade and some more bricks. I may have enough to finish the oven, but definitely need more for the fireplace that will soon go in...

This evening after taking a bunch of arch pics, I decided to go ahead and get the base coat of stucco on everything built so far. Finish coat in a few days then I can plan a time as we near completion to paint. Anyone know if final stucco coat can be made thin and rolled on with a thick knap roller, or will I have to trowel it on too? My concern is that the wall we basecoated is not very even (the chicken wire kept wanting to sag in places) so it is pretty bumpy. I'm thinking the finish coat will really have to be thick in places if troweled on... (Or, can I just apply a little more base and paint??)

So, anyway, the lower portion of the oven and the counter support walls have a nice base coat of stucco. It was work putting it on, but the relatively smooth cement block wall led to a nice and smooth finish. I'm happy with it.

After dinner the boys and I unloaded a trailer full of firewood. We supplement our home heat with wood in the winter, so already had a little left over from last year. But, last week a big storm blew a couple trees down in my mom's yard. My brother was kind enough to cut it up, all we had to do was go load it and haul it off!! How many pizzas do you think this pile can make??? (It is 6' tall, 5' deep and 5' wide!! all oak!)

Comments and input encouraged!!

Thanks!!

CB

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

FYI, for those interested, the little decoration at the top of the inner arch was easy and would look really good on an outer arch. I simply made it by making two 45? cuts toward each other on the corner of the bricks where I wanted a square hole. The hole does NOT go all the way through. It is less than 3/4" deep and is shaped like a pyramid. I cut a square of the purple brick to match then ground to shape to fit the pyramid indention then slathered mortar on and held in place until it stuck. Quick, but eye catching.

On the outer arch, I found the keystone while purchasing the hearth slab (that ultimately was given to me...). The stone was already that shape, just had to use the saw to flatten the sides that match the bricks in the arch. I should have carved the symbol after mounting as I realized that it was slightly cocked once I got the stone in place... The stone is solid sandstone based rock. Heavy and solid, but somewhat carveable. I did the actual engraving freehand in about 15 minuted with a small die grinder at 35,000 rpm with a small carbide bit.

Now, a few more pics of the arch, top, bottom, etc...


Next page, pics of today's work...

Thanks,

CB

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Thanks, Chris. I appreciate the compliment. I think once I build the enclosure and get the stuccoed wall behind the arch it will look even better.. Won't be so cluttered around it. Had to build it 'backwards' (arch before enclosure) so I could a) get the creative part done so I could focus on the rest of the build and b) so I know how much room I have to work with for the flue and enclosure... (The reasoning worked for me, anyway.

Chris, the inner arch was not as challenging as I thought once I had my mind wrapped around it... Important to me was having an arch as those who admire the amateur work will 'marvel' that I could do that... LOL! Frankly, once you have a form (I used two pieces of 3/4 ply cut on a band saw with scrap 2x4 sandwiched in between) the rest gets fairly easy. I did not taper all bricks, and was certain I wanted a reveal to seat the door against...

I have a number of pics that follow that may give some clues. Notice in several I have an odd shaped brick. That brick was damaged and not used in the lower sides of the arch, but I did use it as a template to make the supporting bricks on both sides. Notice the whole bricks worked in to lap with the outer arch. They are butted to a partial brick that is just the top portion of the template brick... Hope that makes sense... Happy to answer questions and use Paint to try to put arrows to better explain what I mean...

More pics in the next couple posts..

CB

[fxpose]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Very creative with that outer arch design. Too cool!

George

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Chris,

I'll try to remember to get a couple pics for you this evening. Frankly, I'm probably not the best example as I simply studied pics of other builds on this site to try to figure my way through it...

Thanks for the confidence, though!

CB

[coveforest]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

CB - You are making great progress! Do you have any good shots showing the connection between the inner arch and the courses? I'm debating whether to build an inner arch or use angle iron on my oven.

Chris

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

two more pics...

CB