Dave's Pics of Progress

[Ken524]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

my girly hands are hurting along with a fancy new blister.

I know the feeling!

Oh... and please don't type really funny stuff like that when I have a mouthful of Coke

[Acoma]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave, based on your pace of building your oven, when would you desire finishing it? Looks like weather isn't a huge factor where you live (snow and freezing temps). Maybe pizza and turkey?

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Thanksgiving was my original goal.

I wanted to cook turkey for my family and friends.

But it's looking like we can have ghost, goblins, and pizza on Halloween!

We shall see....

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Harley looks pretty bored there in the second picture. You need to reminder her it's a PIZZA oven!

She did look a little bored! I will have to show her that pic.

LOL

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

looks fantabulous! with the attention to detail you have, I cant wait for you to start laying firebrick. thanks for doing such a good job of documenting and posting pictures. I broke ground today on mine with pick and shovel. needless to say, my girly hands are hurting along with a fancy new blister.

Thanks for the compliments Kemo.

I'm glad you have started. It sure is a lot of fun.

Luckily I avoided the pick, but not the shovel. And I sure have gotten plenty of blisters!

Good luck!

And post pics when you are ready!

I think it's better to take too many pics than not enough!

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

A few more pictures. I thought they posted last night, but my internet was on the fritz.
So I guess they didn't make it.
The first is one is a picture of one of my sons, Logan. Checking to see if it was hard.

Next, the removal of the forms.

Then a shot of the finished floor.

And finally a closeup.

I get to start the dome this weekend, I think it's becoming even more exciting.


Oh, if anyone is in the area I have a nice floor form you can have.

[rlf5]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Looks good. Your layer of mortar doesn't look to be very thick, so I don't think it will effect your heat up time much. Plus the flat surface is better to work with compared to the bumpy percrete.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Well I made some progress this weekend.

I got the floor cut and the soldier course laid.

The masonry blade in my chop saw worked OK, but I sure couldn't cut decent angles. So alas, I will suffer through large joints and a not so tight of a fit. There is no way I could taper with this setup.

Too bad for me. I had such high hopes after watching Ken's and Les's wonderful work.

I did manage to cut the roundish floor bricks with the blade though and it did ok.

I found it worked better with dry bricks vs. wet ones,but of course the work was dustier.

Anyway.. The weekend was a little disappointing. But I was ok after getting a few soldiers laid around the floor.

I have a few pics as usual.

Hope everyone enjoys them.

These first shots of the precut floor and the after cut floor.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

A few more of the cut floor. The really rough spots were created with the wet bricks. Dry was much better for me.

Then a picture of my helper and the practice soldier run.

[rlf5]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Nothing to get upset about...looks great to me. Remember, nobody will see the outside, and very few will see the inside, when you're all done. As long as its structurally sound, then you're in buisness!

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

The first, sand used for leveling and setting the floor.

Then the mortaring of the soldier course. I went ahead and clad the outside.(nothing to show off)

But I took a picture of the inside and top for views of the mortar joints.


By the way, I am a hellofalot better at carpentry than masonry. YIKES it's tough.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Laying out the dome arch form on cardboard.

Notice the gloves.

Smart. Very Smart.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Nothing to get upset about...looks great to me. Remember, nobody will see the outside, and very few will see the inside, when you're all done. As long as its structurally sound, then you're in buisness!

I appreciate it.

It's a blast I must say!

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

And a few more of the completed soldier course.

[Ken524]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

OUTSTANDING Start! The soldier course looks great. I went to the trouble of tapering my soldiers. What a pain! I would do it your way next time.

Man-oh-man, does that vermiculite/mortar layer look good. I'm totally jealous of that set up. It's been humid here for a few days. The west side of my insulation board got wet from my arch construction. It's taken several days now for it to finally start to dry and firm back up (it only gets a couple of hours direct sunshine in the afternoons).

Now that you have played with it for a few days, how is that homemade mortar working out??

Keep up the great work!