Acoma 42" Tuscan

[sarah h]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Adorable - both your daughters are!
As for the oven, she's looking good too! I'm looking forward to seeing you close it up and drop that keystone in - you'll probably be baking before I get mine unburied again.

Sarah

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Hello everyone. A family member accidentally dropped our laptop computer (only sourse to internet) and broke it Luckily I have it under warranty so I should be getting it back in a week or so.

As for the oven, I have finished the 9th course. I need to clean it. The area at the arch was so hard to bring into reality with the rest. I will be doing the last of grinding to get it matched completely with the rest. I will then take some photos.

As for the rest of the courses, my wet saw blade is dead, must be replaced. I believe that I will be able to get the rest of the courses done over the next week and a half. Each completion will get photo ops. I will not be able to post any photos until the computer comes home, sadly...

On my 9th course I decided to bring in the quantity of bricks from 35 to 24 by over lapping every other brick when I could. No bricks align with ones below, sometimes they are within an inch. The way I see that is that as you get up there in courses they are tighter anyways, with less downward pressure. I am quite satisfied with the look too. I have to lean in through the arch now to see some details. I believe I will do 24 for this next course, then drop the quantity again if possible for the final couple.

With the tent frame above the dome, it sucks to lean in and work. I keep contouring my body to work on bricks. They fit fine, it is my body that get super close.

Boy was my guess at quantity of bricks to buy perfect. I believe I have the amount needed. If not, a few more is fine, and I will buy those in town for a lot more than these others.

Sadly, I will be out of the loop more frequently while I work, wait for the laptop to be repaired, and sprint to the finish line with the bricks.

[asudavew]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Sorry to hear about your computer.

But sounds like you are doing great work as usual.

Can't wait to see the pics!

Hang in there, you are getting really close!!


Dave

[RCLake]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Go for it Robert, it's fun working upside down isn't it In doing the vent area I'm ending up with a lot of partial bricks that I sure could have used in the last three rows. If bricks can be obtained close by close that dome Otherwise precutting the vent area is an option.

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

RC, I already have all my arch bricks cut and ready. I will finish the dome first so that I can get in there to some degree. I am looking forward to figuring out that part.

Dave, since you enjoy video tapeing, do one on getting into ovens

[Frances]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Glad to hear its just a broken computer that has kept you from posting!

We'll all just have to be patient and wait for those pictures... (has anone got a finger tapping smiley anywhere?)

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Well, I have been busy when free time allows. I have finished all my courses. Today I am attempting to cut and place my keystone. I have been adding cladding to the dome as well and should finish with that this weekend. The arch will hopefully be done today, or it will be done tomorrow. I have many photos to show, but it will wait until dome and arch are done. I ordered my flue set from FB and will add that to the oven. With that done, it will be a 1 week wait. During that time I will add the blanket for temporary use with fires for curing. Then I will inspect. If all is good, back on, and Matrilite 18 to follow.

I know I have not been missed, but that is ok

[dusty]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Welcome back. Can't wait to see the pics.

dusty

[asudavew]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Did you find some Matrilite 18?

I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some.

Can't wait to see the pics!

How did your keystone turn out?

[sarah h]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

You're at the keystone?? Congratulations!!!
I hope you were able to complete the arch today but whether it's yes or no, it must feel good to be either done, or this close to it.
Get those pics posted!

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Well, the keystone was ok, not great. It worked, so I am happy. I need a photo of the completed inside.

As for the arch, what a bit$%. I have my wall, but the first brick of the arch does not have enough area for mortar to connect between arch and wall, so it keeps disconnecting. I was going to add the top wall angle piece after the arch was done, but I believe this must be done first so that there is enough surface area to bond the mortar to the wall and arch. I tried 4 times without success, so doing the extra wall brick with angle is the idea for morning. I may need to do one brick per side (if this works) per day, leading me to 4 days of arch detail.

I will start applying the blanket with temporary placement in mind. This will be for the dome. Damn arch...sorry.

Well, once the arch is done, I can get my (delivered today ) flue put up. Once that is done.....I can get to my 1 week countdown. I will get photos up tomorrow as promised.

I am happy that I was able to fly through the remaining courses, but that last course before the keystone had some crazy angles. I wondered at times if there would be any top to them. Les, I say that you may want to overlap pieces towards the top courses to bring down the quantity, since it will be psychotic to go with mini pieces. I am not kidding, it would be nuts.

Right now I am getting VERY ancy to start pizzas. I want to rush to completion, but I must practice what I preach.....patient and with quality to the best of my ability..

[gjbingham]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

[QUOTE=Acoma;25439] Les, I say that you may want to overlap pieces towards the top courses to bring down the quantity, since it will be psychotic to go with mini pieces. I am not kidding, it would be nuts.
QUOTE]

I figured that would be the case. Sooner or later, the bricks become infintesimally small if you try to use the same number for each row. Kind of like the half-life of C-14. Half goes away every year. Sure, it's still present after 75 million years, but there's not much left at the end.

[RCLake]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Robert, I said those last rows were going to real fun. i'm glad they are over for you and you are finishing up the arch. Won't be long now

[Frances]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Acoma, nice to have you posting again!

One thing to bare in mind: you can already start baking small bread rolls (or similar) during the curing fires if you have the ingredients to hand... makes it a bit less of a wait until you get to pizza heat.

Congratulations on the keystone! I look forward to the photos!

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Thanks for the replies. Today looks to be just the additional arch wall support for the first arch bricks. I think it wise to do those first bricks Tuesday evening, with two more each day until done. Serious, what a pain to do this front part of the arch. Well, it must be done, and I am scared of what it may look like.

I will start adding photos now of what has been done, minus the keystone from inside. That photo has not been taken yet.