Pizza Pavillion

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Well done Scott! What's your final dome height on the inside? Your pic on the inside oven shows you did a great job offsetting the vertical joints. That's really hard to do consistently.

I say put the keystone in as soon as you have time. That's the hottest part of the dome so let it dry out as soon as you can. Most of us wait a full week to start curing fires and I know a lot of us start the 100-300 deg fires after we've just finished the outer arch or vent since those areas don't heat up until later anyway. It's always best to let it dry as much as you can and to slowly dry and cure it.

Nice job,
Dino

[splatgirl]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Nice work, and that is one gorgeous pergola and roof.

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Thanks Dino and Splatgirl. Yall's help (among many others) and continued support are greatly appreciated. I went ahead and got the keystone in this weekend and ended up at 20 3/4'' height. Not bad missing it by only a 1/4''. I did end up with several joints on the upper courses not as staggered as should be and I did get a dip around the arch transition that eventually worked out at the top. Overall nothing I can't live with. I still have to get my chimney installed and will be letting it sit this week before starting the curing fires. Here are a few pics.

Keystone exterior


Outer arch and vent

[Mitchamus]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Awesome Job!

[christo]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Wow! miss a few weeks and there's a whole nuther oven!

Looking really great. I insulated mine and cooked pizzas for a while before I went to the next step. Looks like you are nearly ready to enjoy. Low and slow on the curing fires.

Christo

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

I layed my last fire brick in the chimney at 4:00 and 107 degrees! Freaking Hot! I got my Forno Bravo IR thermometer ordered and hope to get it by the end of the week. Hope to start curing fires next week.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Dang, you bought those cheap ass Elgin-Butler Firebrick?! Just kidding, it looks great, and I can't believe you are even working on it in this heat. I have not been able to do anything but barely keep up on watering enough to keep my plants alive, much less do any actual work. Maybe by the end of September I will have my counter tops poured, then I can work on the pergola.

Very nice! You are ready to start some fires in there now.

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Life is truly not fair....I laid brick in 100 degree heat until my last oven brick and todays high was a record low today only getting to the mid 80's and I was stuck inside.

Tom, the butler's were all I could find around here at the time. Hope they hold up? Heading down your way Thursday and Friday for a meeting while the temps remain way below normal around here.

I'm sure it will get more that hot when I get back and start on the enclosure...go figure.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

The Elgin fire brick are fine, a few years ago their molds were worn out and they had dimensional issues and QC issues, but they have taken care of it now. That plant is about 100 years old, although some of the equipment has been upgraded. The old circular kilns are still there, I took some pics the last time I was there.

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Well I'm back after a week off from building and started my curing fires. Actually I'm using a propane turkey frier without the legs. First day I was able to maintain low 200's(F) and second day low 300's at the top of the dome. I'm away today and will resume curing on Thursday. I can't burn wood until I get my chimney in place and I'm waiting for a metal transition piece to be fabricated between the brick and stove pipe.

I started the enclosure which will be brick and stone. I am doing all masonry more for the learning experience than any other reason.

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

My non-oven activities have slowed my progress considerably but I keep plugging away. I suffered another set back when my metal fabricator that was making my transition piece between the brick chimney and metal flue pipe had to have emergency surgery delaying that critical piece by a few weeks. Imagine the nerve of some people letting surgery get in the way of my project....

The lack of chimney and rain delayed my curing process along with having to add a few more brick to bring it all together.

Here's the chimney transition installed:

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

I am quite possibly the world's slowest brick mason but really enjoy the "work". Here is the brick niche on the side of the oven where there will be a countertop.



The red bricks are to support the eventual stone veneer. No real reason to do brick other than I always wanted to lay bricks. Here is a nice very real cutaway view from the opposite side of the brick niche:

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Looking great! I might be able to challenge you as the worlds slowest bricklayer, though.

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Well I've been out of pocket and out with a back injury for a while but have made some more slow progress. More importantly I have begun cooking!

Not sure what happened to my pics but appears the links have been broken?

Here are some update shots: First Fire, Back door, First pizza, First dome clearing, Veneer rocks arrive.

[Millstone Man]

Re: Pizza Pavillion

Our boys and one of the girlfriends came in for Thanksgiving and we had our first official pizza party Saturday night. Huge success! Lots of fun and good food. Still have a long way to go to finish the full kitchen but we are cooking.

I can't thank this forum enough for all the help and encouragement it gives.

Here are a few pics.