30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

[gastagg]

Had a great morning...Mr. Chipster came by for a few hours and helped me straighten out and finish my arch...I'm set to finish off the dome w/o the hassle of complex cuts...at least until I reach the top! Thanks Chip!

[gugahulk]

Nice! Chip is the best! Without him I would still be thinking on what to do with my buttressing.

[RandyJ]

Looking good. How is it going now that you are past the arch. I found it went a lot faster. You will be getting ready to cook in no time now.

Randy

[gastagg]

[RandyJ]

Wow that is cool looking. Where did you see that.

[mrchipster]

Looks like a battleship from the revolutionary war.

[gastagg]

Cayuga Rigde Winery on Cayuga Lake in New York. http://www.slowfoodonthego.com/

Also saw a 43" portable igloo style at a farmers market in Ithaca that had had some serious water trouble. Cast oven. Manufacturers put a rubberized coating on the stucco but water eventually got in...and they eventually had large parts of the oven falling off inside. They have had to significantly rebuild the oven. Not sure about the rubberized coating...that would seal in any moisture. Anyway, it got me thinking about my choice of doing igloo style and about the possible need for a pergola above my oven/patio. Then I saw this copper oven later that day. wow.

I also saw a large portable oven with a stucco finish along the lake and is stored outside and has no cover and after 5 years, is flawless. I've never heard of putting a rubberized coating over stucco and wonder if that had anything to do with their problems.

[RandyJ]

So how are your metal working skills? That would be a very cool look to do the copper dome. I'd you are worried about the water then you should look at gulf's build. He has a very cool roof over his dome. How is the brick work comming along?

Randy

[gastagg]

I would love to have a metal cover like that! Gulf's roof is very nice...his whole project is in a completely different league from my build.

After a two week road trip to NY with my family, on which I ate pizza from many brick ovens, I finally got back to work and put another course down...my first course past the arch. Went smoothly and am looking forward to getting the last four courses done with relative ease.

And I started the next course with a single brick to have a solid start on the next one. That was good advice from a number of you. Thanks!

[gastagg]

Here are the pics.

[gastagg]

Slow progress...for some reason Saturday went really slow. Only worked a couple hours and only got 7 bricks up. 6 bricks tonight in 45mins. New strategy: Going to stay mobilized with my equipment set up so I don't have the hour+ of set up and tear down. I've got to get this dome done.

[gastagg]

Another course done today....4 to go. going much quicker now.

[RandyJ]

It is looking great. I bet you are getting close to done. Do I remember you saying that you were going to do the base in stone veneer? If so what kind? I have like 30sf left over that needs a good home for cheep. Keep up the great work. I can't wait to see it.

Randy

[gastagg]

Getting there...and yes, am finishing off the stand in stone veneer. A friend gave me a bunch of stone, but I'm not sure it's enough. I like the color variation in yours. I may take you up on that offer. I have a feeling that the veneer may be a 2016 effort.

[RandyJ]

I can see that. It was a lot of work doing the veneer. But it does give a very cool look when done. Keep up the good work. It is looking great.

Randy