Mark's 42" in MN

[mrchipster]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Mark, You have not posted for a while. Are you making anything in the oven yet?

BTW I am up to chain 5 on my oven and have a post at "Chip's 42 in Minnesota" we should compare notes as I used the same brick supplier as you and they are realy good people.

Chip

[Cheesehead]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

The main thing I would say is build a good set of temporary steps out front so you can quickly get up and down. (we used left over blocks). The real fun is when you get to crawl in that tiny front openining to clean and check out your handy work. I'm 6' tall 220lbs and just barely fit.

Mark

Second on the steps. I put a small stepladder on one side and have a retaining wall up against the oven stand on the other... really helped in getting stuff up & down.

Mark, all I can say is that you are much more flexible and less claustrophobic than I. I'm also 6' tall and 45 pounds lighter. I got done with my dome two weeks ago, tried to get myself in to clean it up. It took me about two minutes to decide that good enough was good enough.

Anyone who wants to slide into my oven on their back to critique my bricklaying skills is more than welcome to do so.

They just shouldn't expect my help in getting them out.

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Thanks Jeff. This cabin/house was our first go at masonry. I've helped a few people with some building projects (mostly pounding nails) but never anything like this. So we have been trying to learn as we go. The only part of the cabin build we didn't do ourselves was the slab under the cabin. Maybe thats why we been at it for seven years.

Thanks Chip. Yeah we can't wait to cook a pizza but graduations are keeping us home till the 4th of July.
It wasn't too bad working in a corner. The first few chains one of my sons did by sitting on a bucket in the middle of the oven floor. After that he ran out of room when the opening got too small. Then I started setting everything which worked out OK because it seemed like I had to cut and recut every brick so he was getting bored waiting for me. Plus I had to get up close to the bricks to figure out how to cut the bevels. The main thing I would say is build a good set of temporary steps out front so you can quickly get up and down. (we used left over blocks). The real fun is when you get to crawl in that tiny front openining to clean and check out your handy work. I'm 6' tall 220lbs and just barely fit.

Mark

[mrchipster]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Mark,

I have been following your posts from Crystal, MN and I will be starting my build in my back yard. You have made amazing progress due to the fact that you started in may and are ready to get some food out soon, This is doubly true due to the fact that you were only working on weekends.

I have a similar corner build issue with a back wall as confinement for the location of my oven. Other than the obvious need to have some circus contortionist characteristics to work in the back corner wall area, can you provide any insights as to how to work effectively in the cramped corner area(s). I am not a small guy but am able to maneuver quite well so ... any hints.

I will be using my version of the indispensible tool to set the bricks so I may learn that I have a good idea or change as the build progresses.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/28/my-indispensible-tool-variation-fb-theme-2985-12.html#post114941

No foundation yet but will start the excavation next week.

Thanks in advance.

MrChipster - Chip

[PizzaIdiot]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Just found your posts. The inside looks awesome and the outside makes me long for my parents lake house in Three Lakes, WI.
Did you have brick/rock laying experience before this or is it learn as you go?
In any case, it looks like you've done it for years. Congratulations.

Jeff

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Just got back from the cabin.
We had a couple of small curing fires. Haven't been this excited about fire since I was a kid playing with matches. Can't wait till the big fire. For now we just did stone work on the enclosure. Went through 18 80lb bags of mortar. My fingers are rubbed raw from all the grouting. Kept wearing holes in my gloves and didn't notice until the lime started burning. Sure am glad that the stone work is done and we just have to intall the brick veneer on the interior surfaces.

Mark

[Tman1]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

The pizza's won't mind the odd shapes. Get baking!!

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

You guys sound like my 16 year old son. If he had his way we would of been cooking pizza in it after chain 4. In the mean time he has been working on his pizza dough. Last night he mixed up batch number 4 (Forno Bravo recipe). We have a hard time getting the proper elasticity. He wants to be able to toss the dough around like Tony Gemignani in his YouTube videos. I think he wants to impress the ladies. So far all we get is big holes and really tough pizza.

Mark

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

I'm with Cheesesteak. Let's see some smokin' pies comin' outta there!

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

yeah, it came out fairly tight, but there are some odd shaped bricks near the center.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Mark -

The dome looks great. You really don't have any gaps in those bricks - looks good a tight to me. Fire that puppy up.

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Yeah, its like being on a stairmaster.
I built steps using a couple of extra cement blocks, so it is two 8" steps then one big one onto the oven stand.
And John, I've looked at OctoForno, with your attention to detail you don't have anything to worry about. Your oven is going to be/is a work of art.

Mark

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

I had bricks that I made a dozen trips back to the saw for and I still ended of with gaps.

Mark, I hear ya! It's amazing how many times you have to re-cut your bricks and make the climb back up to your dome until you're satisfied, but like you said, now you know. I'll be tickled if my dome fits together as symmetrically as yours. Great job.

John

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

The plan now is to go back up this weekend and install the chimney. Just need to decide if I should let to weight of the chimney sit on the vent or support it with a $40 hanger, cheap insurance I guess. I am just glad I don't have to use any offsets. And I suppose I may have to start cleaning up my mess. The place looks like a war zone.

Maybe have a little (tiny) fire on Sunday.

After that its three weeks off to attend graduation partys.

Mark

[AtTheLake]

Re: Mark's 42" in MN

Here are a few pictures. It's not exactly a thing of beauty but I think it should function fine. The final chain and keystone took some imagination to get to fit. Now that my dome is done I have a much better appreciation for the amount of work put into some of the ovens on this forum. I can't imagine how some of them fit together so perfectly. I had bricks that I made a dozen trips back to the saw for and I still ended of with gaps.

Mark