Here we go again...36"

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Thanks NCMan. I just poured the hearth slab. I'm going to start on the oven very soon! Stay tuned...

[NCMan]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Nice progress you're making there and it looks great.

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Yep, I shimmed every stud and will leave the frame in as long as possible...

I made more progress and I'm ready to pour! Here are a couple of pics...

[NCMan]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Looking good, Rocciarm. I see some shims sitting there, so you probably did this, but I wanted to ask if you used them under all of your support framing? Using them under your support framing makes removing the boards a whole lot easier and is highly recommended. Once the weight of the slab is on them, it is tough to go under there and remove them and you could possibly damage your slab by beating and prying on them. Also, I recommend leaving your supports in for as long as you can. The longer they stay in, the better, at least for about 28 days, if at all possible. Just my 2?.

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Thanks for the tip on the bricks/stone, NCMan. I also took your advice on not bending the rebar...I was afraid of messing up my brick stand..

This weekend I cut all 23 half inch pieces of the rebar. I used a sawzall with a 6" Diablo Extreme Metal blade and a 36" bolt cutter I got at HF for $21.99. I cut the the rebar about half way with the sawzall, then used the bolt cutter to finish the cut.

Next, I framed the inner opening of the oven with lots of 2x4's and 2x6's. I also laid a 2x8 in the middle. Everything was level and very solid so I was feeling good at that point. Next, I cut the backer board and laid it on the bricks/frame.

Next up will be the outer part of the wood frame and making the rebar grid..then pouring the upper slab! Slow and steady... Keep you posted...

[NCMan]

Re: Here we go again...36"

You should be fine w/some kind of lightweight or cultured stone or brick, since they typically don't require any type of ledge or support. There are lots of options w/those products.

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Thanks, MCMan. After further review, we may just cut the rebar

I plan on using thin brick on the stand, so it should be ok. I haven't yet decided on the type/size/color of the brick...

[NCMan]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Rocciarm......nice progress there. Two things to consider.....one, be real careful if you bend that rebar over. You may knock some of your top block loose. Also, regarding your future brickwork.....there does not appear to be a brickledge on your slab to accommodate your brick, that is, if you plan to cover your base w/solid brick. Do you have other plans for that?

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Thanks, Texman! Yep, we are going to bend the rebar. I will definitely be keeping an eye on the bases, looking for cracks... Thanks for the heads up.

I want to cover everything in brick...of course the brick of my wife's choosing

[texman]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Looking good on oven #2. Are you going to bend that rebar into your oven slab or cut it off? If you can, try and bend it to join the slab rebar and tie them together. Also, since you have two different slabs at the base, i would expect some stress to your base that will most likely cause some cracking or heaving. i dont think it will be a problem at all, but something to watch for later. what is your plan for covering the base? brick, stucco, rock etc ?

texman

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

This past weekend I finished the lower half of the stand. For the span across the opening I used 1/8" angle iron and also used inverted bond beam blacks with two pieces of 1/2" rebar running horizontally across the span. It doesn't look too pretty, but it's solid as heck...and level. Will be pouring the upper slab soon!

[Rocciarm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Thanks, Oasis.. I just filed in all of the cores today, except the front which I hope to complete this weekend. Took me 15, 60lb bags of concrete to fill in 17 cores. It was a good workout. Slow and steady....

[oasiscdm]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Good luck with the build.

I'll race you bet you finish yours before I complete mine lol ;-)

[NCMan]

Re: Here we go again...36"

Ok, good. In my opinion, that's a great way to go about it, by reviewing others' builds. I know I sure learned a lot about WFO's that way. Best of luck to you.

[NCMan]

Re: Here we go again...36"

No, it's not necessarily true. There are a number of ways to go about it. One popular method is to pour a solid concrete monolithic pour. Have you reviewed some of the methods others have used on their respective builds? It's a great way to get ideas and to weigh the pros and cons of each.