30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

[gastagg]

Thanks Russell.

[RandyJ]

Hey that is looking great. I bet you might get a few people who want to do a simular vent. For a igloo style it gives a very nice streamlined look. Not to big and chunky. I can't wait to see the final product.

Randy

[gastagg]

Well, that's the plan Randy. Thanks for the encouragement. We'll see how streamlined I can get the finish. We've got three nice days of weather and I'll see if I can get the finish coat done by Saturday.

[gastagg]

Scratch coat on. Didn't quite get the mix wet enough.

[gastagg]

Brown coat on. Got it wet enough today Tomorrow is the finish coat w/color tint. The structure is a lot harder to stucco than the dome was. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever going to be done working on this thing.

[david s]

Nice work George. I've missed your recent posts, but the cast entry has worked well. Because of the rather complex form it is a bitch to make using bricks, but casting allows you to easily create that inverted funnel and also make the whole thing shallower than if made in brick. Don't know why more builders don't do it this way. Probably locked into building with bricks so think it all has to be done that way. You can enhance the strength of the casting and render if you hold the moisture in it for a week. I just wrap the whole thing in cling wrap for a week. Doing this you notice little beads of moisture under the plastic that just stay there. Works pretty well.

[Larry P]

That looks good. It must have been heartbreaking to see the outer arch fail but you've recovered from it really nicely.

[gastagg]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I kept the arch wrapped in wet blankets for a week and plan to keep this thing wrapped up after tomorrow for a week too. I'll try the cling wrap. Going to resurface the entire thing with a finish coat.

[deejayoh]

Wow. I missed a lot of this. That looks really good. I get your point about casting the oven. I think I would (probably will) do the same. Can't see not having an oven in my next house, so there you are.

[gastagg]

Again, thanks for the kind words. I have found that making forms for cast concrete is much more quick, inexpensive, and easy for me than brick cutting. Now, I didn't used a proprietary refractory mix on the vent, so I don't know how much a good mix would cost for the dome, but after the purchase of the bricks, saw, and months of agonizing cutting, I will certainly look into it if I ever build another one.

Ok, I got the stucco finish on today. I'm generally happy with the results, but I had a few problems. One bag (by the numbers) was supposed to easily cover the amount of square feet I had. I ran out just as I finished and had nothing for touch ups. It was hot and windy and I could barely get the coat on the dome before it immediately started setting up. Could have been because it took way longer for the detail around the arch and by the time I got covering the dome, the mix had been sitting too long. All that too say that I would have preferred a smoother finish on the whole thing, but at this point, it's done and I don't think anyone will care.

It's very red, which is what I was shooting for. It will calm down a bit when it dries up. I think I should have used the gray finish mix rather than the white mix. If I ever do this again, I will probably hire someone to do the stucco finish coat. I think a spray application would have been ideal.

[joeykramer]

Looks great George!

[gastagg]

Thanks Joey!

[gastagg]

Unwrapped and ready to go! Got some ideas to make the front more attractive with some black bricks for a decorative arch, but it will take some cutting and a few weeks of work. Also wouldn't mind mounting a nicer counter. Think there is enough there to mount a counter to?

[Gulf]

It looks great! George. I do love the casting. I may have to borrow your recipe for the throat on an outdoor Rumford style fireplace.

wouldn't mind mounting a nicer counter. Think there is enough there to mount a counter to?

I can see several possibilities, depending on what type of counter you want. You could possibly pour a concrete counter. If it was formed to wrap around the entry on the sides that would provide some counterweight. If it were poured in place, drilling some long tapcons down into the wings of the hearth slab (leaving them partially raised for the concrete to set up around) would help give it some more stability.

Forming a couple of concrete corbels on either side of the entry in the same manner would allow you to just place a narrow cut stone counter in front and or a wrap around.

[RandyJ]

I agree with gulf. If you want a little more substantial anchor you cod do what I did and use some drop in anchors. I believe they are rated for something like 2800#each. I did 4 for my lip and placed carriage bolts in to them to tie the rebar to it as well.

By the way it is looking great.

Randy