Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Good to know. I have been curing without insulation so far, might temporarily throw the CF blanket on for the dome clearing cure. But I did notice that the heating of the bricks were slower than what others experience. I agree that it is due to them being high duty (60-65% alumina). Who 24 pies for 36 people. I guess the whole neighborhood can smell em.

[clofgreen]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Ha! You guessed it. Family gathering of 20 to eat pizza and listen to my son's band. Neighbors heard the music and smelled the pies and invited themselves over. Was a wonderful evening.

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Russell -
What kind of edge treatment are you planning for your countertops? Are you going to trowel a radius, or something else?

I think I want an "eased edge" - which is a 1/8" radius. I've been looking around trying to get guidance on how to do this, and near as I can tell you use an 800-grit polishing wheel to smooth the edge. No troweling, no profiling bits.

Have you looked into this at all?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Was just planning on using wet angle grinder to take the sharp edge off/ no trowel edge. Did see the Cheung used a file on his pour-in-form counter top when I read his book recently. It was just to knock off the edge right when he demolded.

[Amac]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hi guys - I used the 50 and 100 grit pads to put a narrow 45? (ish) angle around the edge. Any higher grit pads just seemed to heat up too quick to be useful - but probably would be OK with a wet polisher. With a bit more patience I would think you could round it also. But I'm happy enough with the angled finish.
BTW the grit pads I got were cheap - <20$ for a set of 7 (50 - 3000 4") on Ebay. I can't say whether they are not as good as the more expensive sets but they seem to do the job and I am using them on a 5" angle grinder set to speed 3 (whatever that is). Have to liberally spray water on regularly though.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Thanks Amac, I think I just want to take the sharp edge off so will give this a try. I have a lower variable speed RPM wet sander so hoping it should do the trick. In limbo right now on pour, all ready to go except waiting for colorant to arrive, not available locally.so had to mail order. Been working on my pizza tools, just about have the wood peel handle done and cutting the banjo peel out of a 316 SS and need to do a handle there. Also working on a floor brush. Just like having a honey do list!

[Amac]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hi Russell - I just edited my post a bit above - 100 grit is also fine - and with a wet polisher you could probably use finer grits also.

I was cooking pizza last weekend and although the two aluminium peels I made are fine for removing and turning the pizza - I really need to get or make a wooden one (or more) for placing them.

BTW - I love your formwork - you are right to take some trouble to get that right - it will make finishing so much easier. I also feel that I should have vibrated it a bit more than I did - I still had a few airholes I could have done without.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Putting around waiting for concrete color for counters to arrive. Doing misc stuff. Crushed the glass for the counters. Learn a trick somewhere in my reading that you take an old pair of levis, wire or sew the leg shut at the bottom, stuff the leg with bottles and crush, mostly no fuss, no muss but would not want to wear em afterwards. Crushed glass by colors so can place strategically. Worst part of crushing glass is taking labels off before crushing, most labels, even when soaked in water are a PIA to remove. Concrete color is suppose to come this tomorrow so maybe pour this weekend.

Also worked on my pizza tools, plasma cut 316 SS to make a banjo peel, cut and stained handle and made a handle for a wood peel that was given to me for a B-day present. Just need to drill and fasten. Thinking of doing a paracord wrap handle on all the wood handles, on my B list though.

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

oh, to have a plasma cutter! very nice!

[texman]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Are you taking stainless steel door orders?
Tracy

[u863583]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Russell,

Love your build and what you are doing with colored glass in concrete. I am sort of considering the same as well, but will wait a bit longer before I commit. Here are a couple of pictures of Stainless Steel door I had built at local metal shop. Pretty happy with door design in general, but it is heavy. Had 2 inches of ceramic blanket added for insulation and a Thermometer added that goes to 1000 (F). Door is definately heavy duty and expect will outlast me.

Best,

Manny

[Bacterium]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Still watching your build Rusell and like how you started the other thread on concrete counters.

Unfortunately my build is slow due to other works but maybe I might go the concrete counter route.

[u863583]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hi Russell,

This is first time I posted a picture of the door, so must have been another poster you originally commented on. Regarding door specs:

It weights in at 23.8 lbs.
Door was constructed using 304 Stainless Steel.
back and sides of door is 11 guage.
front of door is 16 guage

Door is 22 inches wide
15 inches at top of arch
9 inches on side until start of arch
2 inches wide with 2 inches of Ceramic fiber blanket.

Some stainless tubing for handles and to protect the thermometer stem.

The thermometer tubing shield is welded with a small vent to allow for expansion/contraction venting of the door.

Best,

Manny

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Concrete color arrived yesterday. Getting all the loose ends done to do a pour tomorrow. The picture attached looks like something illegal but I weighed out my colorant based on what each 60lb Quikrete 5000 concrete mix requires 3 lbs per equivalent 94 lbs of cement, abt 4 oz per bag. I am doing an Olive green with glass inlay. Can't let the SWMBO see this picture of me using her kitchen island door this work

First attempt at this so need all the good luck I can muster.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Got ready to the big pour tomorrow, treated existing concrete hearth with bonding agent (thanks Tscar), added the last bit of wire reinforcement, duct taped the top cut edge of the melamine (read somewhere to prevent pieces of particle board getting into your finish concrete during screeding) and covered oven area with blue tarps to minimize sun tomorrow.