Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Some truth to once the oven is functional the hardest part is doing the finished work. I a prime example. Been working a adjacent features like a deck. Still mulling over how to make the starter course on copper shingles. Mikku has been helpful in talking to one of his copper craftsman in Japan for suggestions. So nothing here to report except....here are my San Marzano finally getting fruit. I had great ideas of making sauce and such with my SM but being heirloom tomatoes they just don't produce heavy enough. So they will be slices on the pizzas. Mr. C posted pics of his babies, where are Gulf's and Tu's??

[Gulf]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

......................... Mr. C posted pics of his babies, where are Gulf's and Tu's??

Russell,
I think that you could spot me a week or so, due to the US Mail . I was waiting until I could get a good pic of a ripening cluster . Your tomates look great, by the way. I got a late start for our growing season down here. It has been a while since I have grown my own tomatoes. When I did it was only Marions. They are a great for our climate. I had a rough start with the San Marzono's. Late start, cut worms, blossom end rot and who knows whats next .
They do seem to put on a lot of fruit down here, though. If it were not for the above mentioned, I think that I would have a big crop. Next year, I will get an early start, I've got a plan for the cut worms, and won't have to dissolve half of my wife's calcium supplemants for the "maters" .

[mrchipster]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

For some reason I have lots of fruit but nothing red yet. I have one plant in a large pot on the pool deck and it is growing like a weed but having end rot problems on that plant, all of the others look good but very dense and hard to even get a photo of the fruit. Another week of good weather here, hope to have slices on a Za next weekend. I added ground up egg shells and calcium tabs to the soil and it may be helping.

[oasiscdm]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Not sure if I thanked you Russell for answering the question the other day. Thanks for that. How's the copper project going?

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Any updates Russell? You going to get that cover on before the snows hit?

[the_dr_masuess]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Russell,

We need some pics of the new stuff you've been working on deck and pergola wise. I'm sure it is looking nice. We've had nothing but good weather since October.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Ok,Ok shamed me into it. Here are pictures of the new pergola and deck. Plus the oven is to bed for the winter unless the SWMBO cons me into a Xmas pizza party (suppose to snow tomorrow). Also, all you who have suggestions on how to start a fire in the oven, top down, bottom up, out front. Here is a picture of a recent trip of ours on how it is done at Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN. Now that is "top" down and they only use Jack Daniels to start to fire so not the influence the charcoal!!!! BTW, last time I was there you could not get a sample now you can go on a tasting tour and actually buy special editions (a dry county) my my how times have changed.

[the_dr_masuess]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Looks great my friend. what is the second pic for? how to start a fire in the oven?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Was doing a little traveling to Cusco Peru (at 11,000 feet elevation) and went to a restaurant where most of the food was prepared in a woodfired oven. Must be a universal language .

[david s]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Slow go, been working on a pergola and deck adjacent to oven. I did cut out some test blanks out of galvanize sheet metal yesterday to do trial runs with my bending brake. Need to dial in how to form around dome with cheap material before I start messing with the expensive sheet copper. BTW, nice build.

Russell,
If you have access to a spot welder perhaps you could fix the cut panels to each other with it.

[mikku]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Was doing a little traveling to Cusco Peru (at 11,000 feet elevation) and went to a restaurant where most of the food was prepared in a woodfired oven. Must be a universal language .

You certainly get around!
So what was the specialty on the menu? And what the heck were you doing in Peru? Really envious of your adventures! The Americas have a really long history of inhabitation going way way back! It would be really interesting to search out ruins from these ancient Indian civilizations! It is a real disgrace how our country dealt with the remaining tribes at the turn of the century--like Wounded Knee! Sickening! I guess the same way they deal with anyone who does not fit the Anglo European mold! But that is getting way off topic!

[david s]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[QUOTE=UtahBeehiver;
Dave,

I am going to solder my lower joints, picked up about 8lbs of 50/50 tin/lead autobody solder the other day and have an old vintage roofing solder iron to play with. We will see. Weather still winter hear so a couple more months to go.[/QUOTE]

Spot welding would be 20x faster with no fluxing or ugly solder joints, but wouldn't look "old school"

[mikku]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Spot welding would be 20x faster with no fluxing or ugly solder joints, but wouldn't look "old school"

Is spot welding copper even possible? Who would want what looks like cigarette burns fouling the appearance of a great oven? With a little practice, copper can easily be soldered to make a good weatherproof joint. That is the point of this exercise in the first place. It only involves areas where the dome will meet the counter areas, once past this--only joints made with a brake or hand tools.
As you get higher on the dome--I think that the brake will be a problem and you have to rely only on hand tools to do the work.

This is a real challenging project. Special pieces around the dome to oven entrance --all very time consuming. For a sheet metal guy with a lifetime of experience...this would be a real challenge!

Good luck on your build, I'm sure it will come out fantasticly!

[david s]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Is spot welding copper even possible? !

Apparently the high thermal conductivity of copper is a problem. You need special electrodes on the spot welder. Probably not worth the effort.

[Gulf]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Russell,
I'm very close to the 95% germination rate. That is way better than last year. From what I remember I processed the seeds of last season just like you. You will probably have better success too. Even if I have to transfer this next generation to pots, I plan on waiting until the ground is good and warm before I plant them. In a week or two, I plan on starting a few more seeds, for a later crop. I can hardly wait to see how ya'lls Southern Cousins produce this year .

Seeds... me me me... please! Then if they don't produce I can blame you!

EDIT: I'm kind of sorry that I hung that "Blame Russell" handle on you..................................NOT!