My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

[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.

[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?

[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 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?

[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.

[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.

[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

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!

[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!

[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.

[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

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Curing coming along nicely............I removed the casts from their forms............Got some nasty bung holes to fill.........bummer , I hope I'm able to fill then and match the color. .......Not sure what to fill them with. I'm thinking I need to screen out some of the aggregate from the countertop mix and a little colorant................ When and how long should I wait before grinding and polishing?

[stonecutter]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Curing coming along nicely............I removed the casts from their forms............Got some nasty bung holes to fill.........bummer , I hope I'm able to fill then and match the color. .......Not sure what to fill them with. I'm thinking I need to screen out some of the aggregate from the countertop mix and a little colorant................ When and how long should I wait before grinding and polishing?

They came out great KB, you should be proud of those. As to the slurry mix, it depends what your after.

If those were mine, I think I'd slurry that with white Portland....mainly because I like contrasting colors on counters. I even think a blue would look great too.

I forgot to ask...maybe you mentioned earlier..were are you in Fla? We are in Miami until tomorrow, then heading to Sarasota for a few days, then up to the
Orlando area.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

Turned out nice, the bug holes can be filled with a slurry and colorant and your will never notice them after the polish. I just repolished my counters after mucking up the finish when I install stucco on my dome and filled some of the winter damage with an acrylic enhanced cement repair material with some colorant from the original pour.

[kbartman]

Re: My 40" Inch pizza oven in Florida

They came out great KB, you should be proud of those. As to the slurry mix, it depends what your after.

If those were mine, I think I'd slurry that with white Portland....mainly because I like contrasting colors on counters. I even think a blue would look great too.

I forgot to ask...maybe you mentioned earlier..were are you in Fla? We are in Miami until tomorrow, then heading to Sarasota for a few days, then up to the
Orlando area.

Thanks Stonecutter,
I have some white Portland cement left over. Should I add any sand to the mix or just plain cement? Some of the bung hole are quite deep.

Central Florida, you will be coming right close to me on your way to Orlando. Your welcome to swing bye and take a closer look at the WFO. Send me a PM I'll give you my number and you can give me a call and let me know when you might be coming through.

Turned out nice, the bug holes can be filled with a slurry and colorant and your will never notice them after the polish. I just repolished my counters after mucking up the finish when I install stucco on my dome and filled some of the winter damage with an acrylic enhanced cement repair material with some colorant from the original pour.

Thanks Utah,
How soon do you regrind, polish and what grit should be used after applying the slurry mix?