Sarah's Progress Photos

[Frances]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Up in the mountains, yes. Down where I live we usually get a week or two of snow sometime during the winter. Or not, as the case may be. It can easily hit -15 C, but some years you just hover around freezing all the time.

From the looks of it Sarah knows a lot more about winter than I do...

[gjbingham]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Hey Frances,
I thought you lived in the land of everlasting snow.

[Frances]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Wow, I'm not going to show that picture to my kids - they'd LOVE to have snow like that already!

[Acoma]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Looks like almost a foot of fresh snow. Get a tent over it, an electric heater, and start the insulation.....you can do it..

[gjbingham]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Hang in there Sarah,
You couldn't make me go out in that snow and work. Spring is just around the corner.

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

There hasn't been much to post lately and the season seems to have me busy with 40, 000 other things too but there have been some little bitty baby steps of progress ...

We started on a steel stud frame - it really IS there in the pic below (gotta open it to see the snow flakes falling last night), but under the tarp, which doesn't look as though it's coming off any time soon. The weather is keeping us from moving ahead so I had to settle for baking in the regular oven (second pic, though it may be cheating a bit to post a baking pic from a regular oven).

The biggest thing though is that I now have a thermal blanket (Canadian supplier & fairly close, which really simplifies things in many ways; otherwise I would have ordered from FB). Unfortunately, it's still in the box (third pic), waiting for a window of opportunity to open so that I can get it put on the dome. Hard, when I can hardly find time to scan the forum these days!

Hope everyone's holiday season is shaping up nicely!
Hope I have more to report soon!!

Sarah

[Acoma]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Dave and Kemo, Jim talked about the uses of Matrilite 18 on this thread:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/28/vermiculite-prices-2126-2.html

I suggest you use it. You can go max on insulation as I mentioned earlier with what I will do. Talk about long term maintained heat levels.

[asudavew]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

What is Matralite 18?

It is some kind of insulating mixture/covering... waterproof i think... and I believe that Canuck Jim uses quite a bit.

There are a few posts about it. I will see if I can find one for ya Steve.

[Kemo]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

I am curious, if we are seeing numerous cracks with the ovens during cures, why not go straight to insulation wrap and Matrilite 18 to seal it. Once this is done, then do some fires? Wouldn't this keep the expansion under better control for cracks? Just wondering.

What is Matralite 18?

[Acoma]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

I am curious, if we are seeing numerous cracks with the ovens during cures, why not go straight to insulation wrap and Matrilite 18 to seal it. Once this is done, then do some fires? Wouldn't this keep the expansion under better control for cracks? Just wondering.

[oventhusiast]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Sarah, thanks for posting the photos of the cracks in the dome. I guess it's true that they all crack at some point. I also had a couple of small cracks in my clay flue chimney (both rear corners). I think setting it without mortar on the bottom where it meets the oven may have been better than mortaring it in tight all around. Who knows? Anyway, I put a metal band around the base of the chimney and tightened it with bolts like a giant hose clamp. (not too tight but enough to hold it together) I think it's fine but I opted for some cheap insurance!
Rick

[asudavew]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

I've found that if I leave it in place, propped up a few inches at the bottom with a brick, the fire burns really well.

I've got to get a door built and try this Sarah.

Sometimes I think my fire isn't drawing well enough. I bet this would help. Still haven't quite decided how to build one..........
I'm sure it will pop into my brain one of these days.
So far I have just been blocking my doorway with leftover bricks in order to retain heat.

Thanks for posting

Dave

[sarah h]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Ryan, it was -15C - 5F - when I got up this morning! This is way below normal for this time of year though, but the temp's on the rise today, to around the freezing mark this afternoon, then even better tomorrow. Have had a heater going and the dome was warm to the touch on the outside despite the chill (likely hell on the electric bill, but ...). One more fire, maybe tonight, then I'll be sure every bit of moisture is gone and it's safe not to heat any more.

As for the door - my neighbour had one made for me out of 14-gauge steel, with a handle in the middle. If you look back a few posts you'll see it there somewhere. I've found that if I leave it in place, propped up a few inches at the bottom with a brick, the fire burns really well. I'll be looking for a way to insulate it over the next while, and maybe decorate somehow too - right now, it's purely functional.

So, how cold is Colorado?

[Ryan]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Looking good! It looks colder there than it is here. What are you going to use for your door? I have looked around for a cast iron door but it is hard to find the right size. Keep up the good work!

Thanks,

Ryan

[Acoma]

Re: Sarah's Progress Photos

Yes indeed. Perfectly. Thank you for sharing.