Texman Build

[Gulf]

Re: Texman Build

Sam's Club!

Thank's Chip,
I haven't thought of them, I bought a covered skillet from Walley World a couple of days before our last hurricane scare. There is one next door to one of the super walleys in a near by town . I will check them out.

[mrchipster]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy,

Absolutely stunning, Now you need to make food worthy of that great outdoor kitchen. Those enamel cast iron dutch ovens are great for all kinds of slow roasted items. We just picked up 4 - 8oz enamel cast iron ramekins with tops from Sam's club and are trying to come up with some recipes to use them with. Anyone have any ideas?

Chip

[Gulf]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy,
That looks great to me, and very, very close to the" F" word....... (finished)

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

Looking good T. I would not use firebrick for the landing. Too fragile, and you don't need it there anyway. I would use concrete or maybe get a piece of stone cut for the space.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Here is the oven with the "stucco" The material is actually quikcrete sand topping mix, not a synthetic stucco. Any problems with that?

It will receive a final coat with color next. I had them do the chimney as well and i think that it will all look good together. I put the concrete board on Friday night. Another "thought it would be easy" and was not. No room to get those sheets in place, but done. So nice to have that stucco layer on. Did not look like fun at all. I had him round the corners instead of square.

I am trying to figure out the landing. I will either have to grind concrete, grind medium firebrick floor tiles or use something else there. My pour is too high for the thickness of the tiles by about 3/8" in places. Oh well, i know how to run a grinder and make a mess.

I actually cooked some chicken and veggies in an enamel dutch oven last nite. So the official first meal from the wfo has been served. Dang good BTW.
Tracy

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Russel
bummer on the winter stop. We hit 32 deg the other morning, but will be highs in the 80s this week and dry air to dry all that pcrete. gonna close this baby in soon as i think the crete is dry enough. Probably gonna cheat and get a pro to do my stucco finish, I am ready to be done.

DJ
I used the 3x5, so it is hardibacker i bet on the front. I have one other sheet that i will use on the inside next to the window. I can get the real hardiboard or the permabase for the rest that might get a little wet. I have been working like crazy thinking i can get done with all but the door and fun stuff like that. I have not been cooking at all.
Tracy

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

Looking good Tracy! you are doing a lot of work there. I was out of town this weekend so didn't spend any quality time with the oven - but I am hoping to get to the polishing of the counters this week. After that, it's just a bit of decorative brick, stucco, and soffit trim left for me. Just in time for winter.

I used hardiboard and will probably use that for the whole enclosure. The hardi isn't rated for exterior, but i am covered and i don't think it is a problem.
Tracy

Hardieboard/Hardiepanel is definitely an exterior product. It comes in 4 x 8, 9, or 10 foot sheets. Hardibacker is the interior product - comes in 3 x 5 sheets. I used the former on my oven.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Texman Build

Hey Tex,

You have been busy and making much progress. Slow on my end, just polishing the counters. Was gone this weekend so not much happening. Getting cold here so got to make a push to get winterized. Probably no insulation this year since I do not think I can get the stucco on before freezing starts. Keep up the great work.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

kinda quiet out there?
I decided that my idea for the air vent in front really didn't look good and i think putting them on the side of the chimney enclosure frame would be better looking and give plenty of air circulation to the chimney pipe as well as to keep the enclosure area dry. Gonna let dirt in though and i don't know what to do about that. i can just patch the hole in front since it will be covered in stucco. Anybody have an idea to transition from the stucco walls to the ceiling? Stucco molding anyone? And here is my decorative arch of chicago and a med. duty firebrick keystone. Thinking of using the three floor tiles i have left for the landing.
Tracy

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Good progress this weekend. I found 3 x 4cf bags of perlite. I would recommend that over the vermiculite as far as workability. I buttressed the vent as best i could on three sides, no room in front for pcrete. I added the rest as a layer on the dome for about 3-4". Gonna let that dry a while. I built the decorative arch and added a veneer layer to the landing and added the front piece of concrete board. I used hardiboard and will probably use that for the whole enclosure. The hardi isn't rated for exterior, but i am covered and i don't think it is a problem. Took a pic of the wet fiberboard that i used on the lower vcrete and a pic showing the vent for moisture. i plan to add three vents around the top for moisture control.
Tracy

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Thanks David, DJ and Gulf
It is not enclosed at all, just used some fiberboard to hold the stuff as i was filling. I intentionally made a drier mix, just trying to make it stay put. I have a real challenge in doing the "fill" since i am covered by roof and can't just pour in the dry stuff from the top. I think i will have to cover three sides and try and push it around, if i decide to even add anymore. With all that blanket, like DJ and David S said, i don't really think i need it. I have managed to add insulation to the area surrounding the floor, which i did need. I am paying about $30 for a 4cu ft bag of vermiculite and i would probably need 7-8 bags to completely fill. I just dont think i need it, but i get in trouble when i think.
As far as adding vcrete for buttress, i do think that i need to do that. So i have to get vermiculite anyway. My idea for containing the vcrete for the buttress area is using roof flashing that i can roll up and fasten as i fill and just leave and cover with concrete board. I could do that on the sides as well if a complete fill is warranted. I want to have a solid, no seam layer of concrete board for the stucco to avoid cracking. I also plan to add a decorative vent in the front around the bottom of that triple wall to allow air flow and draw to the chimney pipe. As dry as it stays here and with some air flow and as slow as i am, i think it will dry out. (hope)
I have poured the landing and colored it just in case i wanted to expose any of it, but i probably wont. Thinking of covering with chicago brick splits and sealing, not sure. Thanks for all your help! I really appreciate it.
Tracy
PS Any difference in using perlite instead of vermiculite?

[Gulf]

Re: Texman Build

Tracey,
Form in where ever possible. I think that you can use hardiboard or a simular product. As the width of your fire box/smoke chamber/transition decreases: step in it in to where you have only about 3" of vcrete at the widest point of your transition to the flu. I have only 2", but it is formed inside of two inches of brick. 3 " of vcrete should support your transition sufficiently. Leave the rest for loose fill if you want, but don't add that until you believe that your vcrete is dry. I would find some way of keeping air flowing (when not cooking) inside the chimney and inside the enclosure for the rest of this low humidity fall wather.

[david s]

Re: Texman Build

If you have 30 cu ft of vermicrete then you have about 10 cu ft of water in that layer. If it is all sealed up then it will take a very long time to dry it out. It won't harm your oven but it will probably make your blanket moist and reduce its insulating capacity. As you have no outer concrete shell there is not a problem of damaging it. I'd be more concerned about mould growth and perhaps rusting of the steel enclosure frame. With so much blanket the heat of the oven will hardly be heating the vermicrete layer.

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

I wouldnt worry about the vermiculite unless you feel any heat escaping past the blanket (which I doubt you do). It's probably completely unnecessary with 5" of blanket.

Edit: Note that I had planned to use vermiculite on my oven, but found that even with a roaring fire, the outside of my insulation was same as ambient temperature. Saved myself some time and $

[david s]

Re: Texman Build

Tracey,
It is too late now, but if you are doing an enclosure it is better to add the vermiculite loose. When you add cement and water to the mix you will have added about one third of the volume of vermiculite in water. That is a lot of water to eliminate. Make sure that there is adequate ventilation in the enclosure so the water vapour can escape.