Christo's Cucina

[Masako Morishita]

Re: Christo's Cucina

A real beauty!!!!!......And the perfect place to build an oven too!
The Chrysler corporation would probably pay a million for it!
Thanks for the pics guys!
Sergio.

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

A new milestone today.

The concrete benches are in place. The concrete columns with glass block are inplace - all the other edges to the patio around the oven are in place.

This is the weekend to lay the herringbone paver patio - We will need to wretle some of the bricks from the weeds in which they lie. Its one of those 3 month projects that last and last... It's the project that keeps on giving.

I'm laying the wiring for the RBG LED strips that will go inside each column tonight. I found a cool RF remote control that will allow me to change color intensity and if I want - patterns of changing light in each column. That was not part of the original plan!

Below are some pics of the area to be paved. The little red wagon belonged to my nephew and at 27 years old - he now wants it back - I'm afraid it's not in such good shape. I'm good with the wheelbarrow - but the wagon is nice for those times when you need a bit more stability.

I also put the first stucco coat (actually surface bonding cement) on the wings on each side of the oven. I found some acrylic stucco top coat that I will put on in a few weeks - after the wings have a bit more time to cure. I'm very psyched - I can see the end.

BTW - I spent a lot of time making the niches on each side of my oven - but I still don't know what to put in them - any suggestions? Ebay?

Your pal,

Christo

P.S. Sometimes I feel like I'm keeping Harbor Freight in business.... that blue wheel to the right of the BBQ is the second wheel to break off from my handtruck.

[dusty]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Wow! Fabulous set up. Congrads on a job very profesionally done.

BTW What are the counter tops on either side of the oven made of?

dusty

[Les]

Re: Christo's Cucina

I'm laying the wiring for the RBG LED strips that will go inside each column tonight. I found a cool RF remote control that will allow me to change color intensity and if I want - patterns of changing light in each column. That was not part of the original plan!

Christo - Awesome idea with the glass block - never worked with the product, is it hard to set? In regard to the LED's - you can do great stuff with that. I design slot machines, and it's all about the "bling" (and taking your money ) If you have the strips I am thinking of, you should be able to cover the the spectrum of the rainbow (actually only 256 colors) in a fade in fade out fashion - very cool!

Les...

[egalecki]

Re: Christo's Cucina

That's going to look sooo cool when it's all done! I like the way the benches have turned out. They look very professionally done. The whole area is going to be such a draw for you all, no one's going to ever want to be indoors!

At my house the recesses would probably have bottles in them. Beer in various stages of consumption, as well as wine, also in various stages... But if you insist on decor, well, how about some wrought iron candle holder thingys, or some nifty clay tiles or plaques? Or statues of the patron saint of WFO or pyromania, whoever that may be? (who was it that met his death by being grilled???)

[staestc]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Well, I've made it through your thread and am very impressed, and thankful you took the time to post it all. Your project and am what I am planning have a lot in common, and learning from your experiences (not to mention everybody else's here) is just fantastic!

Anyway, outstanding job, and keep the photos and info coming

Travis n'Texas

P.S. I am also very impressed with the help and advice offered by everybody. I am really excited that I will have this forum to post my progress and issues to!

[adman2u]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Yesterday I smoked - yes smoked a pork butt in my unit. 7 hours to heaven... I have successfully smoked & tandori grilled and baked pizza & potatoes I want to try my hand at bread next. My unit is designed much differently. Wish I had seen Christos work earlier - NICE CONCRETE - I recessed rope lights under my counter tops. It looks pretty cool but I have glass block laying around! Dang It!

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Wow - missed these responses!! Thanks for all of them!

Counter tops are temporary ones made of plastic covered plywood. - the plastic kept them dry and from warping in the weather. Like me - they look better from a distance.

The glass blocks in Masako-san's oven base gave me the idea to use them in the columns. I put some temporary lighting in there and we love them. I even put blocks on both sides so I get the lighting out in the back yard as well.

Bought RGB LED strips and controller from a place on the web. I'll post the URL after I get them and approve of their quality.

Ordered the fiberoptic cable and light source today- that's what I'll use for the countertops. I'll modify my orginal LED plan to use fiber epoxied to glass and marbles. I may switch over to high output RGB LED light source if I can find one or make one.

We had some help this weekend and laid down the patio pavers - approx 4200 of them!!! I am totally beat and sore (reminds me of how I felt after I finished my oven).

This next weekend, I hope to complete all the odd cuts for the patio - herringbone was not the wisest choice. My harbor freight saw is still running and on the original blade - I was careful when I bought it and directed both of the water nozzles directly on the blade - I think it has really helped to prolong it's life. I am on the 3rd water pump....

It is really coming together now!!! I decided to not put the wood tops on the benches untill the last steps are done - I need something to keep me focused on getting done.

Christo

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Here are a few pics from Sunday and Monday night when I cut a few bricks to finish in the edges. Lots more cutting to do!!!

Funny - when I look back at my original sketch, the patio is not that big, there are no benches.... I definately sufferred from feature creep on this project.

Christo

[Frances]

Re: Christo's Cucina

That place is ENORMOUS! I hadn't realised just how big a space you were dealing with here!

I think the herring bone pattern is lovely though, well worth the extra cuts. Nice warm colour on the pavers, too.

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

The patio is in. All the brick cuts are complete.

I think my blade is now pretty much toast. There is still about 1/8 of an inch of grit on it but it's very slow going through bricks now.

I'll post some new pics when I get out of work.

Chris

[staestc]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Wow Christo! I have been through your thread many times, but somehow missed the last 10 posts or so. What a fantastic area you have created! You have got to be proud!

Since I am thinking about buying your saw, why do you suppose the water pumps failed, though I realize this must be common since everyplace that sells saws has water pumps for sale right next to them, and when you replaced the pump that came with your saw, did you replace it with an identical pump, or did you get one that was better? The pump that comes with the saw, currently, from Harbor Freight seems a little crappy

Thanks and great job!
Travis

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

All in all, that saw is one of the better purchases from HF.

It lasted through a ton of brick cuts.

The water pump is a standard fountain pump with magnetic drive. with all the grit and brick stuff flowing through it it finally created enough space that the impellor could move side to side and not rotate. I took it apart and put some tape around it and it worked if I spun it in the right direction - unfortunately these pumps have no particular direction - they can rotate in eiter direction and work. - in my case the tape would rub and unwind... so my fix did not work.

The pump was something like 7 dollars to replace. Simple fix.

If I was to do the number of cuts again - I'd get a 5 gallon bucket full of water and put the pump in there and make an overflow tube that takes water off the top of the wet saw pan and recircs it to the 5 gallon bucket. That way most of the clay and particulate would fall to the bottom of the tray or bucket and leave the pump with cleaner water to pump.... but that's me - I like complexity. When my pump was bad - I connected the water hose to the plumbing and ran it that way for 8 hours - ended up with a muddy mess under my feet but I made progress.

If you Join the email deal list at HF you will occasionally get a 15% off coupon. (actually rarely) - they used to have 20% coupons regularly 2 years ago or so.

Good luck with the Saw.

I'm still very happy with my HF cement mixer as well - I had intentions of selling it when the oven was done so I kept it very clean. But then used it several more times for benches, etc. It's still pretty clean, and it will go on the market when the concrete countertops are finished. (whenever that is....)

Christo

[staestc]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Thanks Christo,

Dmun tipped me that many with the saw had success with putting the pump in a bucket of clean water to increase efficiency, but your idea of creating a settling tank in the tray and then flowing the water back down into the bucket is indeed a good one!

I have indead signed up for HF's email and am anxiously awaiting a coupon! But if I end up getting brick before the coupon I am afraid I will most likely run out and just get the saw

I really do appreciate your response and thanks,
Travis

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Tempted Fate and fate won this time.

Put a coat of acrylic Stucco on the oven last night. 30% chance of rain for the following morning but I decided to go for it anyway. The nights are soon going to be too cold to use this kind of coating.

Got up early to look a the weather and of course! Rain on the radar. Had to build a quick shelter from whatever I could find - the paper is leftover tar paper from the flooring project earlier this year...

The Stucco went on very well - my base coat was not as even as it should have been, so I used more of the Stucco than I thought I would - 5 gallons just to cover the oven!!! Getting a smooth finish was harder than I thought but I got the hang of it.

Hard to see in the pic - but the pale yellow works really well with the brick colors. Couldn't decide on a color and saw one of them was the same name as my cat - so that was the deciding factor. Chloe is as happy with the color as any cat might be.

If the weather holds out - I'll try for the rest tomorrow!

Christo