My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

"Anyway, if your wife sees you junking up her massager, you might have a bigger problem than voids in the concrete!"

Absorb the wisdom!

Thanks all for the advice................All I can say somebody had to put bob in his place....................Anyway pours completed on Friday. All seems to be slow curing nicely under plastic, keeping everthing moist

[mrchipster]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

I have used a small handheld air chisel with a block of 4x4 in between the chisel and the form for some of my concrete work and it worked well. I did need to adjust the air pressure down to about 60 pounds and also fiddle with the air bleed on the chisel to get the right vibration.

[Greenman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

"Anyway, if your wife sees you junking up her massager, you might have a bigger problem than voids in the concrete!"

Absorb the wisdom!

[stonecutter]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Ditched the black stone for some salt and pepper marble broken into smaller pieces along with adding some pink marble. Hope to get the counters cast tomorrow......wish me luck.......Hope I'm not screwing up by not doing a test pour........... Running out of time, daughter graduates high school this month and I want to have them done by then. I start seven 12's at work next week. This will be my curing time. Polishing will start the 19th........I hope.

Now you have an idea what it's like building one for a client. There is always a special event, party or ceremony that is looming around the corner. My first one had to be finished on a tight schedule for a long time client, who's son was graduating collage.

I tried my jig saw, does not vibrate much. I may be confused (saber saw?). I have a saws all, I have one of those but have not tried it. The wife's back massager works pretty good, I might use it.

A sawzall is a generic name for a saber, or reciprocating saw. Saying sawzall is like calling a refrigerator a Frigidaire...it's a brand. Anyway, if your wife sees you junking up her massager, you might have a bigger problem than voids in the concrete!

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

If the black was particle size, I think I would like it...right now the large black pieces jump out too much.

Ditched the black stone for some salt and pepper marble broken into smaller pieces along with adding some pink marble. Hope to get the counters cast tomorrow......wish me luck.......Hope I'm not screwing up by not doing a test pour........... Running out of time, daughter graduates high school this month and I want to have them done by then. I start seven 12's at work next week. This will be my curing time. Polishing will start the 19th........I hope.

I forgot to mention...I know Cheng mentions using an orbital sander to vibrate the side of the form. That does work pretty well, but I tried a saber saw, and that worked a whole lot better.

Don't rush into polishing...the longer you can wait the better.

I tried my jig saw, does not vibrate much. I may be confused (saber saw?). I have a saws all, I have one of those but have not tried it. The wife's back massager works pretty good, I might use it.

[stonecutter]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

I forgot to mention...I know Cheng mentions using an orbital sander to vibrate the side of the form. That does work pretty well, but I tried a saber saw, and that worked a whole lot better.

I did 8 castings today as a matter of fact...for a stacked cap finish on some brick columns. I modified the mix with a great polymer I've used before...it completely eliminates shrink cracks. I did the mix a little dry into the mold and back filed it with loose material.

Don't rush into polishing...the longer you can wait the better.

[stonecutter]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

If the black was particle size, I think I would like it...right now the large black pieces jump out too much.

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Test pour one ground and polished to 800 grit. Took about 20 min to achieve. Started with 50 grit. Once I had the desired amount of aggregate exposed, I polish up through the different pads 100,200,400 & 800, the 50 grit took the longest.

The sea shell was scatter in the lower left, with the pea gravel upper and right along with the darker granite, the small pieces, white with the black specks is the countertop mixes' aggregate.

I think I like the look. I will spread the gravel, sea shell and granite chips more evenly and random. Not sure I really like the blacker granite. What your thoughts?

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Polishing Concrete Countertops - YouTube
How to Caulk Concrete Countertop Forms - YouTube
Good concrete polishing info.

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Test pour one completed.

The first photo was what was leftovers from pour one mix, no advertising here just a quick available ready made form...... Turned out very smooth and polished straight out of the form. This would be the way to go, if one had a very smooth mold made of plastic.......I like the color and think I will stay with that recipe. Although no polished aggregate shows thru in this pour and that is what I would like to achieve.

The melamine molded pour will need grinding and polishing to expose the aggregate and make the surface shiny. I placed pea gravel some crushed sea shells and some granite gravel on the melamine mold surface before pouring. It will be interesting to see how that all polishes out. Picture three you can see some of the glue reside I used to set the crushed sea shells, picture four is cleaned off

I think I will use some mechanical vibration on the next pour. I do have a lot of tiny bubbles mainly on the sides of the mold. I used a hammer to tap the side of the melamine mold and only dropped the plastic mold on to a hard surface a few times as it was just a after thought.

My trip to the craft store did not turn up any thing for inlays but the crush sea shells. I hope the mother pearl with shine thru after grinding and polishing. You can seen a few specs in the photo. After the subway pour it has given me a few more ideas for inlays. Maybe a trip to the cooking supply store for some chocolate or baking molds

As the concrete cures it will strengthen.

At 24 hours typical is about 2000 psi
7 days about 4000 psi
28 days about 6000 psi

When should the grinding and polishing begin?
I think I read some where above 3000 psi.

What you all think?

[Greenman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Interesting to watch your counter pours. It can be a very attractive part of the build when it comes out the way you intend and a fraction of the cost of some other medium. I am backing you for something special, you are cutting no corners.

I must have been more fortunate with the eyes. Mine still work fine up close but without the specs I am like Mr McGoo with the distance stuff. I guess something has to give once you pass 60.

[Gulf]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

........ I should probably do some test pours, instead of forging on. Not sure my colorant will turn out like the brochure.

Do do the "test pours". Take them all the way through the sanding/grinding, and final sealant steps. Make exact notes of the fourmula for your mix. That is the only way you will know what the final result will be. You never know, your recipee may be better than the brochure .

Your forms look Great! I used ladder wire also. But you might want to go against popular opinon abouit 3/8'" rebar on the form in pic #2. I would at least add one run (U shaped) completely from one wing across the front to the other wing. I had a week spot in mine that showed up when I flipped. Not bad, no body else notices it when they look at the oven, but it psses me off .

Edit:

Heading to the craft store tonight, to see what might work

I can hardly wait to see wait you come up with

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Sheesh, 40 eyeballs, your a youngster..........

Check Gulf's build he did a lot of face down concrete counter pours.

Gday
There There.....always remember Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Regards Dave

40............That's when I first started falling apart, just hit fifty.......... feel like I'm eighty, especially after today's hard work.

Finished up the reinforcement wire. I was hoping to pour tomorrow......don't think I'll get there. I thought I was pretty good at caulking, till I used black.......ouch ........... three try's to get it right. I will have to let it dry over night. Hopefully it will pull away from the forms easily.

Gulf did some great work, hoping I can do just half as good............ Anyway I'm going to try to do some inlays. Heading to the craft store tonight, to see what might work. I should probably do some test pours, instead of forging on. Not sure my colorant will turn out like the brochure.

[cobblerdave]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Sheesh, 40 eyeballs, your a youngster..........

Check Gulf's build he did a lot of face down concrete counter pours.

Gday
There There.....always remember Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

Regards Dave

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Sheesh, 40 eyeballs, your a youngster..........

Check Gulf's build he did a lot of face down concrete counter pours.