Saint Helena Oven

[jahysea]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

Are you kidding? A stucco tutorial? You could teach a masonry course with the workmanship displayed here. How long has it taken you from start to now? Have you been working mostly weekends? After work? Stucco is easy. The directions are on the side of the box. If in a pinch, grapenuts work awesome as stucco. Try cleaning them off the side of a cereal bowl after a couple of days..

Well thanks for the compliment Nick, but no masonry courses in my future. I'm pretty happy with the results to date though, I'll admit.

I started in earnest in late September, so it's taken me just under 4 months. Worked only weekends and a little over the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. Probably have 15+ full days into it, although 3 sons and a wife don't often allow me to dedicate full days.

I've about finished the smooth stucco coat (brown coat), I'll post some pics.

[jahysea]

More Stucco - Smooth Coat

Well, two more days of Stucco work and I've got the brown coat about done, just one side left to get smooth. I'm going to quit for awhile after that side and let it harden. Then all that will be left is texture and paint.

I've been using the premix stucco product from the building supply place. It has fiberglass threads in it to make it crack resistant. Not really much different from the sand/portland mix I was using before, but I trust the fiberglass will help. It also claims it's a "1 coat" product. I'd already scratch coated half the building, so that half has a scratch coat and a smooth coat with this stuff. The other two sides just have 1 coat, and I can't tell much difference between them at this point.

I've found that the trick to Stucco is to get the substrate damp, mix the stucco pretty thin, and move quickly. Don't fuss over small defects, just let the area set up for 30 mins or so and then take a damp sponge to the surface to remove irregularities.

The eaves are done, I don't plan to texture them. Just primer and then good quality elastomeric paint.

[maver]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

Hey, that really looks great! It's really looking finished.

[jahysea]

NY Eve - Lots of food and I can see the brickwork again

We had a big night NY:



After making Pizza for the kids, some flatbread appetizers, and some artichoke hearts as appetizers, we fit into the oven at one time:
- 2 Chickens butterflied and marinated in Lemon, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper
- Large frying pan of potatoes
- Large ceramic dish of vegetables
- 1 pot of Mac & Cheese



As I result I can see all the inside of the dome again.

[Versachi]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

Seeing cooking pic's like that make me want to go outside with a tiger torch and melt all of the snow and frost in the back yard and get building tomorrow. All of the pic's on this site have inspired me to build one, but it's allways the cooking photo's that really catch my eye. Great work on the dome and the great food. Thanks for posting them for us to see.

Happy New Year from the great north, Versachi

[clb]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

hay ,man thats cool I know that was quite an undertaking w/the boys helping ! I dig the storage box,,Kinda mirrors the alfresco fire box,, look forward to seein it .thanks 4 the link cb

[jahysea]

Door at Last..

I got a nice surprise last night. My door was dropped off by a friend.

Stainless steel, weighs about 30 pounds I'd guess. Fabricated in the shop at the company I work for. Off hours of course.

I absolutely love it, it's beautiful. Pics are a little weak, I snapped them with my phone.

[maver]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

Jahysea, that looks great. Let us know how it works. Are you able to angle it back on those feet to make a draft door?

Marc

[CanuckJim]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

JC,

Nice door for a nice oven. Of course, you paid the guy who made it handsomely, right? Or maybe you tempted him with pizza and wine. Any which way, good work. Should function just fine for a bake door; looks like a good seal.

Jim

[jahysea]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

Jahysea, that looks great. Let us know how it works. Are you able to angle it back on those feet to make a draft door?

Marc

Hi, thanks guys, loving the door. It won't really tip back, but I had been using the temp door in "draft" mode by sliding it sideways a bit or setting it just outside the entry. I think this will work the same. I'll find out this afternoon when I go to fire the oven up.

Jim, I will handsomely reward the guy who did it. In food and wine, you called it. Although the guys at a winery machine shop are less enthusiastic about working for wine than most.... :-)

[jahysea]

Finally finished..

After many many fires and a long summer of ignoring the last few tasks needed to complete my oven, I finally:

• Finished stucco work on the back side of the oven.

• Replaced the original hastily placed roofing around the chimney with pieces cut to fit tightly to the chimney

• Stained the stucco a golden color

I also used my newfound masonry skills this last summer to build a fountain near the oven.

I've got some cracks around the sides from thermal expansion of the slab supporting the dome, I don't think stucco will ever hide them. If they bother me too much I will use decorative tile to cover them up, but for now I'm just living with it.

[wlively]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

Great looking oven JC.

[fullback66]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

John,
I really enjoyed watching the process of your oven being built. Thanks for the photos you provided. It is a huge inspiration to me.
fb66

[maver]

Re: Saint Helena Oven

JC, that looks great. Love the clean lines, the stucco to match the house, the corrugated roofing and the cool chimney cap! The fountain brings it all together - great finish to the project.

Marc

[james]

Re: Finally finished..

After many many fires and a long summer of ignoring ....

Hey Jaysea,

But how does she cook? :-)

James