Countryboy build in SC, US

[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

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

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

[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

[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.

[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

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

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

[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

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

[fxpose]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

( 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.)

Likewise for me, about halfway through my build using my crudely built I-tool I realized I could have virtually done the same thing using a length of string instead and one cardboard template profiling the dome. I basically did a lot of freehanding and eyeballing (especially in preventing the courses from staggering) in conjuction to using the I-tool. What the I-tool was good for was keeping a near perfect circle, but again, a piece of string could have done the same.
In my particular case I don't think a 'better' or more sophisticated I-tool could have given me a better dome.

George

[BackyardPermaculture]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Nice work CB! I don't know how you've managed to do so much so quickly in that heat.

Cheers,
Mick

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Agreed, George. It is good to see the many guys who use it and well, I guess we are just not among them... guessing in the end that the quality of food the oven turns out will relate a lot more to how well we can prepare sand utilize the oven...

Mick! It is hot and frankly, I love the heat, but it will sap a lot of energy! My work schedule and drive to get bread baking (and pizza, though that is not the primary reason for the oven) is a big factor in timing... Typically, I have Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Saturday off. Leaves a good bit of time for projects and stuff on our 'homestead.'

CB

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Grab a couple hours in the morning when you can, to beat the heat. I gave it 8 hours yesterday but today all I did was make pizza's in it. A little at a time makes for a lot in the end.

[countryboy]

Re: Countryboy build in SC, US

Grab a couple hours in the morning when you can, to beat the heat.

I absolutely agree with that... but, things were slow at work today so they let me slip out at 1 pm and 100?... What am I gonna do? Of COURSE!! Work on the oven. Temps be damned.

Finished the 11th course and the chimney connection. Going to need to do a little grinding work around the inside of the ring before the 12th course, so I'll let things set up well. I'm a bit out of round, but will piece it to make it work out. Wet rags covering the oven right now.

Looks like final height will be between 19.5 and 20 inches... Better for pizza than bread, but we'll do both! May yet add a an inch of fireclay mortar on the outside to increase mass just a little. Still pondering as we hope to get 2-3 days of cooking with each firing.

After the 11th course I debated what to do as thunder bumpers were all around me, but after a while of waiting I took the plunge again...

I basecoated the stucco on the back side of the counter and oven. took a pic. Don't mind the construction debris and the EZ-Up that a recent storm turned into spaghetti!! (Can't bring myself to toss it just yet. May try to salvage the cover and take the aluminum to the scrap yard with some other metal recyclables...) Also finished coating under the oven base and started cutting brick for the fireplace.

Am ramping up to get the stuff around the oven done while it is air drying for a week or so before I tackle the curing part... If I don't have the time carefully planned I'm afraid I'll get anxious and jump the gun on the curing fires...

Anyway, pics follow...

CB