42" build in Central Texas

[Tscarborough]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I couldnt make the grout bag work. I tried it dry like you said. I cant imagine going any drier than what I did. My theory is that the sand grains were too coarse.

[kanoer54]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I scoured our premises for an appropriate piece of make shift equipment for pointing the dome of the WFO where i messed up laying the top couple of dome courses. Came upon my wife's cake decorating set in the kitchen. Hey, that would work great I thought to myself. What a look i got when i told her what i needed it for..if looks could kill. I ended up curling up a heavy duty zip lock type baggy with the corner cut off. It worked fine and i didn't need to buy her a new cake and cookie decorating set!!

Hindsight i like Garners split wedge idea. I will remember that next time I need to point the head joints on my old (1836) farm house.

thanks Garner...great idea!

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I scoured our premises for an appropriate piece of make shift equipment for pointing the dome of the WFO where i messed up laying the top couple of dome courses. Came upon my wife's cake decorating set in the kitchen. Hey, that would work great I thought to myself. What a look i got when i told her what i needed it for..if looks could kill. I ended up curling up a heavy duty zip lock type baggy with the corner cut off. It worked fine and i didn't need to buy her a new cake and cookie decorating set!!

Hindsight i like Garners split wedge idea. I will remember that next time I need to point the head joints on my old (1836) farm house.

thanks Garner...great idea!

I went that route too. She said "absolutely not" to her Pampered Chef (?) tool but had a cheap version that looked like it would be "the ticket". I loaded it up with mortar and upon the first compression, the cheezy screw-in attachments blew out. Id be very impressed to see someone make that bag work with this very course mortar. Got a photo of that 1836 Farmhouse?

[kanoer54]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

The heavy duty zip lock baggie worked fine for what i needed to point the few bricks on the inside of the dome. Everything is working fine so far and am looking forward to another build soon!!! The second oven will be a challenge as it is deep in the woods and has some steep slopes to deal with. it will probably be next summer or fall.

Here are a couple pics of the ol farm house. These pics are a couple years old. (long story). My wife has planted a lot of flowers and other plants on the front now. The new wfo is near the back of the house. Guess I need to get some new pics on my thread.

Keep sending us pics of what your cooking in your oven. (I'm really bad on the pic end of what we've been cooking).
jon

[deejayoh]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Grout bags are $5 at the Home Despot. Really not worth the marital grief to try to use the wife's pastry set, or the frustration of trying to use a ziploc. That said, my experience was that tuck pointing works better than a grout bag any day of the week.

[Tscarborough]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I can bag vertical joints about 10 times faster than any other way, but I use a hawk for the horizontals as it is just as fast.

[kanoer54]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Wish I had known about a $5 grout bag. Would have saved me a lot of time and headaches. Now I know for the next wfo.

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

....made a little progress between work and Christmas to-do's

All the brick veneer is done except for the Chimney. Lights installed and temporarily hooked up.

I have the Tile sitting here waiting, and a local roofer/customer is going to install next week.
Going to cook a few Pizzas for Lauren's friends tonite. She is hosting a Movie Night "Elf'!

[Tscarborough]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I'm cooking for Riley's friends tonight too. All 16 on the soccer team and their parents. It is potluck, so I am only cooking 8-10 pizzas. I lit the fire this morning about 9:00 so it should be pretty well heat soaked by 6:30.

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I'm cooking for Riley's friends tonight too. All 16 on the soccer team and their parents. It is potluck, so I am only cooking 8-10 pizzas. I lit the fire this morning about 9:00 so it should be pretty well heat soaked by 6:30.

One day Im going to sneak over there and take notes... Potluck huh? I have a feeling the Green Bean Casserole that someones Mom brings is going to go back home with them!

Ours started out as just a movie night but as the day progressed, parents and whole families are now coming I hear. I made 11 dough balls yesterday and just made 4 more. Everyone around me knows about the oven and are awaiting that invite. I'd like to get completely done before I start rotating through the church people and other friends. Good problem to have i guess. Hope I have enough toppings. Maybe ill just start going thru the fridge,,,Carrots,BBQ sauce,butter,rice

Post some photos of tonite Tom

[kanoer54]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Garner,
Some Romanian friends of ours turned us on to an EVOO/garlic lightly coated on the dough and topped with scallions and raisins. Sounds weird but it is absolutely delicious. Now all our friends ask for it. Everyone has raisins in their pantry they need to get rid of.

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

May try that one, sounds good.
I'll let you laugh at my rookie mistake tonite. First Pizza, only one guest here so far. I made a pie, one that I wanted because I knew once I got rolling Id have no time to eat much.
I stuck it in the oven and instantly the crust turned black,, before I could even swap Peels!, I quickly moved it farther from the fire and rotated it as the whole thing started smoking,,, then POOF, it was on fire! LoL,,,, i pulled it out and set it on the cutting board,, cut the crust off
I didnt check the floor temp before the first pizza! Turned out it was almost 1000 degrees,,talk about spontanious combustion!,,,, took me 30 minutes and had to shovel out a bunch of coals and swabbed the deck to get it down to proper temp.

The rest of the 15 pies went great!

[Tscarborough]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I only made 8, there was (is) so much food that it is ridiculous. No green bean casseroles with this group. Pics tomorrow.

[cobblerdave]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

May try that one, sounds good.
I'll let you laugh at my rookie mistake tonite. First Pizza, only one guest here so far. I made a pie, one that I wanted because I knew once I got rolling Id have no time to eat much.
I stuck it in the oven and instantly the crust turned black,, before I could even swap Peels!, I quickly moved it farther from the fire and rotated it as the whole thing started smoking,,, then POOF, it was on fire! LoL,,,, i pulled it out and set it on the cutting board,, cut the crust off
I didnt check the floor temp before the first pizza! Turned out it was almost 1000 degrees,,talk about spontanious combustion!,,,, took me 30 minutes and had to shovel out a bunch of coals and swabbed the deck to get it down to proper temp.

The rest of the 15 pies went great!

Gudday
if you ever get to those temps again, try this one. throw a SMALL amount of dry flour at the flame......you find out why flour mills burn down!
Again Small ....teaspoon size and don't show the kids

Regards Dave