39" Stargate Pompeii

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

There is plenty guiness sweat in there Russell - so it is well represented. I will have a look for something sealant like that. Somone used tung oil (can't rememmber right now who that was)
Co Clare where the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch are, is where I come from - who knows there could be shared genes. I hadn't thought that the Irish made a big impact in Missisipi until Gulf put me right. Utah though - surely not a big Irish vote out there for Romney.

[dvm]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Just a couple of pics - I don't think I will do too much more with this - I polished it up to 1500 grit - which feels like glass (not broken glass thankfully ).

Amac
This looks fantastic! Well done. I am holding off on my counters (and building adjacent structures) and enjoying tracking the progress of others (which I hope to copy). Thanks for sharing your methods and excellent result.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

LOL,

I am not sure I will even vote for Romney, they are all crooks (Democrats and Republicans) . I think the wife's family name is a good old Irish one........Mahoney. She half Irish and half Italian a fiery emotional redhead!

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

This looks fantastic! Well done. I am holding off on my counters (and building adjacent structures) and enjoying tracking the progress of others (which I hope to copy). Thanks for sharing your methods and excellent result.

Thanks for the comment dvm. It seems like no matter what concrete mix you use you can have some degree of success with polishing and grinding concrete.
Of course I have also been following your thread from time to time and am impressed with your patience and construction skills. Having a community to hop ideas off and get encouragement from has made a huge difference. If it was my typical project I would probably be looking at a half built ruin in the back garden and constantly fending off demolition requests.
Right now there seems to be an orchestra of oven builds approaching crescendo - all borrowing from each other and previous builds - yet every one is totally unique.

[irish]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Fantastic thread... I've learned an awful lot indeed!

[RichC]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Amac thats excellent. I love the countertop. Ive been reading up a little and could you clarify exactly how you achieve that look for me?
From what I can work out, you cast the countertop in situ?
All the sanding was performed with an orbital sander using progressively finer pads?
I've a few questions around that.
1. How did you get the 'white' concrete look?
2. What thickness did you pour the counter?
3. How do you reinforce the counter, what material? too thin for rebar I assume?
4. Did it take a huge amount of time to get that finish?

Please fill in any details that you think I'd need to know as I'd love to create a finish like that around my oven?

Thanks

Richard

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Hi Richard
thanks for thr comments. Ive been quiet for a while but I'm still tipping away - and had some pizza at the weekend - first since Christmas (yes Christmas eve!).
Yeah I cast the counter in situ - the thickness is just under 2" at the front edge but it is slightly thinner overall - maybe 1 and 3/4".
For reinforcing I used metal lath which I bought intending to use it to hold the render finish for the oven but it turned out it was easier to just plaster over a vermicrete layer than attach that stuff. I would suggest that you use a mesh reinforcing though.

I polished it using a variable speed 5" angle grinder (cheapo from Lidl). I can't remember which speed was the best. With that you need to keep pouring water on it since the pads are for wet grinding. You can buy a polisher with water piped on which would be handier to use. I diddn't go beyond 800 grit pads although they are up to 3000 grit (I got them - set of 8 i think - for less than 20 Euro on ebay from somewhere in India.
For the finish I used a white sand, white cement mix (I hope the ratios are posted somewhere on my thread) - they are a little more expensive than normal portland and sand. I used the same mix + lime for the dome render finish.

It survived the winter OK - but I do see some really fine hairline cracks at the front edge and birdshit is difficult (if not impossible) to remove stains of, so you might want to seal your finish with something which I didn't - yet.
Good luck - where are you btw?

[RichC]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Thanks Aidan, I love the finish. I intend buying a dome and hearth prebuilt from Dineen refractories in Athy. I need to speed up my build(wife not very impressed as I started a year ago) I'm in Meath, near Summerhill. I have grand plans for a covered in all weather outdoor BBQ area and this oven is just phase 1. I've 2 young kids that have been helping me with the build so its been slow going.
Thanks
Richard

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Hi Richard - Yes Dineens seem to be the best source of refractory products around and now they are also making tapered bricks which would have been a great help especially making arches - but also to save mortar in the dome.
I had a look at their precast dome. They still take the chimney from the dome just inside the "door" opening - which is OK if you are not interested in retaining heat for cooking - after pizza, and also I would use the "dinset" option rather than vermicrete when jointing the dome parts together.
Online there are plenty of concrete polishing videos - not allowed to post links on here but a google search will give you plenty of options (the top ones seem to be Buddy Rhodes or Fu-tung chen) but there are lots.

[RichC]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Hi Richard - Yes Dineens seem to be the best source of refractory products around and now they are also making tapered bricks which would have been a great help especially making arches - but also to save mortar in the dome.
I had a look at their precast dome. They still take the chimney from the dome just inside the "door" opening - which is OK if you are not interested in retaining heat for cooking - after pizza, and also I would use the "dinset" option rather than vermicrete when jointing the dome parts together.
Online there are plenty of concrete polishing videos - not allowed to post links on here but a google search will give you plenty of options (the top ones seem to be Buddy Rhodes or Fu-tung chen) but there are lots.

I dont intend having the chimney inside the door, I dont know if they still sell that dome but I'm pretty sure they also have a dome without that opening. If I have to , I'd fill that opening with fireclay or dinset or something like that but I'm pretty sure they have a dome that doesnt include that opening. It might be the slightly more expensive model. They do an arch structure for the entrance that comes in 3 pieces and has a cutout for sitting a flue on top. Its made from vermicrete. I'm considering using that or maybe just building an arch myself with a chimney in it. Do you think the vermicrete entrance arch would be better as it wouldnt sink any heat and would also insulate from heat loss? It gets insulated with fibre blanket and more vermicrete, same as the dome..
Either way at the very entrance I think I'll build an arch from red brick for cosmetic purposes!

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Oh yes I see that now - I had clicked on their older model - that's a much better design and seems pretty much identical to FBs.

They do an arch structure for the entrance that comes in 3 pieces and has a cutout for sitting a flue on top. Its made from vermicrete.

Not so sure about that - are the arch blocks vermicrete? I would say vermicrete isn't all that suitable for building arches as it is a crumbly substance good for insulation but not much else. I built the entry and vent from firebrick like most people. A lot of builds on here (eg Gulf) insulated or put some gap between the dome and entry. When the fire is lit that wont have much effect as the flue gases will heat it anyway - but afterwards it should be effective to retain heat in the oven.

[RichC]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Hi Aidan, heres an image from one of their 'howto' guides. You can see the 3 piece arch with cutout on top for the flue. I'm not sure why I assumed it was vermicrete as its more likely fireclay or something? would you say? I'm considering using this but building an arch at the outer edge/entry from red brick. They sell cut firebrick slips to stick on the outer face but I dont like the look of it so I think I'll just build a proper arch and I'd prefer to use red brick for the look. I also intend making a door somehow rather than buying theirs.
Also I'd like your opinion on the outer insulation. They guy in dineen told me that they typically use a layer of fibre blanket(25mm I think) covered in 100mm vermicrete, he also said 'if you like you could put another layer of blanket and another 100mm of vermicrete on top of that'. Do you think thats neccesary/overkill? I think the dome is 50mm think and the joints are sealed with dinset but its not covered all over with a layer of dinset. I only want to do this once and right as you can imagine
However I insulate, I'll be finishing with a layer of white sand/cement as you have done.

Thanks for your input!

Richard

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Richard - I used 1 layer of fibre blanket but there was also plenty of overlap here and there, and then covered it vermicrete 3" - 4". I don't think you can overdo the insulation but I don't think I've seen it layered like that. I would think two layers of the blanket would be ample and then cover it with a layer of vermicrete if you like you can put render on top of the vermicrete if you want.
If memory serves I think that Dinset is very expensive so they are unlikely to use a lot of it.
It is also I think an "airset" mortar (normally indoor use) so I think it is not suitable to expose to Irish weather.

I still cover the dome with tarp as I don't trust the render as a waterproof finish and right now I am planning some kind of roof - maybe like a small gazebo over it. Haven't decided yet!

[RichC]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

Hi Aidan, been curing my oven with progressively larger fires for the past 5 days or so. Also cut the timber for the concrete countertop shutter and need to get that done ASAP(wife been asking me when???). I'm going to copy yours white sand/cement and some crushed glass trowelled into the top. I might also copy what you did with a piece of timber(marine ply) at the outer edge which can be pulled and filled with sand/cement/glass mix to get the same effect on the bullnose.
I intend pouring the complete way around the oven in 1 pour. Ive got some fine steel mesh for it which I think can be seen in one of these photos.
I see your countertop looks to have a slight chamfer on the edge(or is it my eyes?) and the corners are slightly rounded. Did you get these effects by grinding away the sharp edges or did you put something in your form?

Thanks for the help(and inspiration)

Richard

[Amac]

Re: 39" Stargate Pompeii

that looks good Rich - be careful crushing that glass the dust get in you eyes if you don't have goggles on and it's not nice. I cut pieces of plastic pipe for the corners and taped them on with duct tape. I just ground the edges as best I could