Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Acid-washing sounds like a pair of jeans from the 80's!

Build is looking great. I would not sweat the appearance. It's only important for oven-porn pictures posted here! Once you fire it up, you'll hardly think about it.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

fish/tex/dee,

Thxs for the words of encouragement. Yep, hanging in there eventhough I managed to dislodge my anchor block again, first time a learning experience, second time dumb %*^ on me. So I reset and letting dry. Was going to wait to go to an alternative to the IT after this course but may do it early if I continue to fight gravity and narrowing of bricks. Thinking of using a plywood disk like Gulf, KD or Tex used so I can drop it after a course is done and clean up mortar excess. Going to give the IT and this course one my try then the big guns come out............

I know what you mean about the perfect closure vs function. My cuts have been almost custom for each brick now I going to see where I end up.

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I'm no bricklaying genius, and I managed to get the last few courses in with no form or sticks. Get that first brick in there, get the mortar at the right consistency, and my experience was that you can do it without a form. It probably was a big help that I was cutting my bricks pretty narrow for the last couple courses, as there is less weight. But it looks like you are doing the same thing.

[dvm]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I went from 1/2 bricks to 1/3 bricks to 1/4 bricks on the last course before the plug. This is to say I cut the 9 inch brick into 2 1/4 inch blocks first, Then returned to cut the bevel - no initial angle on the last course. After the quartering, the beveling, each piece needed a custom trim (some were angled). As you can see, I did not achieve identical geometry (not even close), but I did keep the mortar line small.
Many of my courses have little to no mortar between the bricks, but in the upper courses I found that widening the space between bricks within the course (reducing the angle) allowed for more mortar which helped quite a bit in the battle with gravity.

[flyfisherx]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Build is looking great. I would not sweat the appearance. It's only important for oven-porn pictures posted here! Once you fire it up, you'll hardly think about it.

Oven porn...... That is really what it is. In the end, the posting of our progess really does help with overall quality in pushing us to work cleaner. Does it really matter over function? I don't think that much.

I like the idea of the plywood form that can be lowered to clean up joints.

[flyfisherx]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

LOL Haaaa With the way you have been going, it will be XXX all the way. Looking forward to it.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

RIP the IT has officially been retired, like an old friend she will be missed. Gone to the plywood disk. Went full out high tech, used a CMU, scrap ply, and my Suzuki car jack (hope I don't get a flat for a few days). Pre cut course for a "rough dry fit" now going to tweek the cuts for a nicer fit. Thanks, Karangi Dude, TEX, Gulf.

[Gulf]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

You may have already picked up on this but, trace the perimeter of your disc (in the position that it is in) on the underside of the dome. Mark some easy to see reference points on the platform disc and the dome. These will help you line it back up perfectly should you lower it to clean. If you precut all the brick and keystone and install the smaller discs in advance you may find out that you can close in one session .

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Gulf,

Thanks for the reminder, marked my reference points on the disk today. So what is going to be your MS food specialty when you fire up the Queen?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Almost there, Russell, and looking really good. I wonder how much difference your pies will cook since you used a Suzuki jack. The jack I used came from my Honda

[flyfisherx]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Very nice Russell all around. I really like those thicker bricks your using.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Taking time on this course, a little out of round with only one course plus a plug let so working hard to round up and make slope angle consistent. Since the IT is retired used a carpenter angle tool to check slope angle. Lots of tedious shave cuts, can't see for sure how good they are until I drop the plywood disk and don't want to drop until course is complete and set.

[Gulf]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I admire the the tight cuts. I was lazy with mine and just tried to keep them tight to the inside of the dome. At the point your are in the pic, I already had the next disc placed. The platform disc just barely catches the edge of the previous course. I let the the outside of the course set down on the platform disc and the inside of that course set on the disc cut for the next row.

It may not be perfectly symetrical but, 1/4" (the stock that I had was 3/16") will set the angle pretty close.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

My new home (dome). Here are pictures of where I have been banished by the SWMBO (she who must be obeyed). Wanted to clean and inspect the last course which was set with a plywood disk before moving on to the next course. Ground off a few high spots, tuck the mortar joints..... nasty, dirty, hot work. I think one more course then a plug

[Bacterium]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Nice work Russell, been watching your build.

Pretty nasty getting in there to do the clean up......at least you can't hear SWMBO while in there.

I like how you have put an outer layer on as you go. Is that you left-overs from each course?