Sarah's Progress Photos

[Les]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Sarah,

Cutting brick is progress.. In regard to kids and food. I have heard that they only need water for three days to survive.

Les...

[RTflorida]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Sarah, in hauling the kids around just use the story most of our cold weather parents did - "when I was a kid, we had to walk 10 miles each way through a foot of snow...uphill!!!"
Seems my parents lived 10 miles from everthing as children, and to hear them tell it, snowed everyday of the year.

Wait a minute....you have to feed them too? UH OH! that may explain...........gotta go!!!

RT

[james]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

... I just ordered the Dura-tec system from this site. There is an anchor plate which just makes things easy. More than I really wanted to spend and not the look I wanted. As far as the look, I was originally going for a Provencial stucco gabled look, my wife suggested a mosaic of half the globe which changes things a bit....

You can always hide the "modern" steel chimney inside an old world trim system. I am pretty sure that Drake, and a number of other builders, have done that. You can build a stucco or stone enclosure around the stainless pipe and spark arrestor.

I like the Provence stucco and roof tile look (we're doing that to our house), and I think you can match the modern chimney with the traditional finish.

James

[Gentcpa]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

On the chimney, I figured that the double wall chimney would give me the flexibility to finish it any way I wanted, also it should be much more proportional than running an eight inch flue surrounded by brick work with a two inch gap. Also that is why I held up on ordering the rain cap, figured maybe I would do something else for the visible piece. We will see.

Obviously not a clearly planned project. I think if it had been clearly planned it would have never been started, right up there with anything else I have done to the house. Usually my spouse goes from yeah that will be ok, to being pissed off to wow this is really nice. The pissed off part is usually due to mess, time and money.

I think half my neighbours think I'm nuts for building this thing. I also have all manner of people who want to come over and teach me how to use it, from a co-worker who probably worked at Pizza-Hut in college to a multi millionaire (whom I have never met) that founded a brick oven restaurant chain.

PS. James I didn't mean to disparage the chimney, my change of plans seemed negative towards the chimney but it is the best option for me. It will be much easier and by the time you factor in bricks and other supplies it really doesn't cost much more (obviously I have reached the pissed off stage with my wife). Great site by the way it has really made the difference between success and failure for me.

Julian

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Row 4 started, but only two-thirds done - still, it's better than nothing. Baby steps are all I can seem to manage midweek. Looks like rain for Saturday so it's GIANT steps planned for Sunday. Do things speed up as the rings get smaller or slow down because the angle gets steeper?

James, I like your suggestion about outer trim. I'll see how Tom's vent works out and take it from there ...

Julian, we women tend to be like that with mess, time and money issues but if you've got to the 'Wow!' stage, you've won the war! I know what you mean about people who think you're nuts too - not so much the neighbours on my street (they're all looking forward to that first pizza party) but some friends and colleagues at work seem sceptical. I think they'll get it though once they're eating the fruits of my labour.

There is one neighbour, however, on the street behind me ... I fully expect her to call the city officials the first time she becomes aware of smoke from the chimney (she's just that way). I've already been through this with the city people though, so I know I'm OK, but the lower-level staff all told me "You can't do that!". When I said I thought I could, they referred me to the next level who said "No open burning allowed". When I said I didn't think it came under the category of open burning they said I'd need to clarify that with the Fire Safety people responsible for such things. The first line of resistance there said "You can't do that - it's open burning!" When I finally got to the Assistant Chief Fire Marshall, he said "Same category as a BBQ or a smoker - no restrictions - enjoy!!" So the city will likely send someone out to see what's going on and tell me "You can't do that" and I will serve them pizza and refer them to the Fire Marshall ... and pray that the city never manages to pass some over-restrictive new by-law that would kill my oven - I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to ensure that I would get wind of such a thing if it ever came up, in time to rally defences.

Sarah

[Frances]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Wow Sarah, sounds a bit like here...! I've got a neighbour who I know will set the police on me if I so much as fire my saw up on a Sunday, which means no building for half of every weekend. Most professionals I've come into contact with over this project have said "you can't do that!", like you have to belong to the guild before you're allowed to build an oven. And I should probably applied for building permission before starting - you need to apply for permission if you so much as want to put up a rabbit hutch around here. But then I would have had to wait for them to process it. A month, a year, who knows?) Therer are so many building regulations that no one really knows what's allowed and what isn't anyway, so I just went ahead with it...

BTW, in our family it's usually me who makes the mess building things and my husband who's going "how much is this going to cost again?" It's not a male-female thing, its a builder-nonbuilder thing. Having said that, he's also very supportive, loves Pizza and carries all the heavy cement sacks for me. :-)

And yes, the higher you get, the faster the rows are finished. Or at least thats what I found, with my minimal cuts policy.

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Row 5 complete !!

It was dark and was I getting a bit sloppy so I decided to quit for the night but here's a pic of the dirty dome anyway. I'll try and do a major interior cleanup tomorrow. As for more rows, rain is forecast, but maybe ...

The next phase is the one I've been dreading - tying the throat & vent area into the dome but I have a feeling that once that and row 6 are done, it'll be fairly smooth sailing afterward ? If not, don't burst my bubble - let me maintain the illusion for just a while longer at least. (Thanks Frances for confirming that higher rows = faster course completion!)

Sarah

[Les]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Sarah - It's looking great! That fact that you are not tying into an arch, after 6, you should be golden. Continued success and good weather be with you

Les...

[Ken524]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Yep, that's really a nice start. Don't dread the transition, it was the most fun part for me. Just cut the bricks and make them fit the way you want. It will work out just fine.

[gjbingham]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Sarah,
Great job on the brickwork. Julian referred me to your progress pics regarding the transition between the dome and the opening. I cant decide whether to just build the dome first and then deal with the vent and oven opening after that part is done, or just do it all at the same time, as you did.
Any second thoughts after your progress so far?

Regarding your neighbor, once the oven is done and ready to cure, invite her over to watch and promise her a yummy pizza as soon as your up and cooking. Perhaps that will placate her.
George

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Thanks all for the kind words, votes of confidence and good-weather wishes.

The weather gods have not smiled on me today though (look at the first photo below and then back to the first one in this thread to see the difference just one week makes) - brings to mind a song (continuing Frances' music theme):

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, ...

No one is allowed to even think the end refrain until my dome is done - or till mid-December ... whichever comes first!

The sun returns tomorrow . My hands need a break anyway .

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Hah! Just after the last post, a rain break! Row 6 almost complete!!

It's now pouring buckets and that's definitely it for the day - other things to do ... like first, find the hand creme. I'm just now remembering that I was going to wear gloves this time - but forgot. If I keep forgetting, I won't be able to feel my fingertips soon.

Sarah

[asudavew]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Looks good Sarah!

Keep it up.

How nuts is the transition driving ya?

[Frances]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Looks really great!

What is it about watching a dome take form that's so fascinating??? Keep going, can't wait to see you finish! :-)

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Hey, Dave & Frances, thanks!

The transition is ... interesting ... still a work-in-progress, but at least the logistics are sorted out now and I know how to move forward. It was driving me nuts and I actually woke up yesterday morning thinking "What if I do this? ... or that? ... or maybe ....". But watching the dome take form is truly amazing!

I'm not sure how far I'll get today - it's only expected to reach 4C - that's about 39F!! I'll settle for completing row 6. Anything more will be a bonus.

You two must be gearing up for that first firing soon - how nuts is it driving you to wait???

Sarah