dusty dome is done!

[dusty]

Re: dusty dome is done!

George, JW, and Acoma,
I'm glad we all agree. And since I am in no hurry anyway, dispite seeing Doc's chibata, I will start over - probably tomorrow. But like I said, I have had the heater in there for a couple of days. And it is a fairly powerful heater. I watched from the outside as the top became dry and then slowly moved all the way down to the soildier course. I turned it off last night, and this morning it was still warm to the feel inside.
The three fires I had last week were quite small and short. I heeded your advice, Robert, and purchaced an oven thermometer. When I start to cure again, I will have some kind of mechanical gauge as to when is enough or not.

I'll post pics..post pis..poss piss....AHH!

dusty

[dusty]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Sorry bout your troubles!

It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.

Ah...troubles, shroubles!!! The roof is still on, we got power back fairly prompt, and all is good. When the big tree above my bedroom didn't break, dispite all of the creaking, that put it all in proper perspective. Oven, shmoven.
It was, however, a helpless feeling seeing my sacred oven house being shreaded.

Oh, I didn't mean " tera cotta chimney flue", I meant "post pics". Try that one ya FFT! Hope your fingers don't knot up.

dusty

[asudavew]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Sorry bout your troubles!

I would restart the whole curing process.
I pushed mine, and I am the king of cracks.

So listen to the fellow who rushed it at the end!


What kind of gum did you use anyways??
I hope it was sugar free, or it may dissolve.

It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.
It is made of tera cotta chimney flue.

Whoa...............

Good luck my man!

[jwnorris]

Re: dusty dome is done!

<snip> Got some duct tape, bailing wire, chewing gum, and some zip ties and put it back together. <snip>

Good to see you go "old school."

<snip> Today it looks like it is dry and ready for the forth fire, but I'm thinking that since it got so wet, I may just start over. <snip>

I agree - you should start the curing fires at the beginning. Two inches of rain is a lot.

Looks dry and is dry are too different things and now is not the time to cut corners.

J W

[Acoma]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Dusty, maybe several low temp fires for a week due to the saturation of water. My concern for you is that the brick and mortar may have numerous cracks from high heat shortly after that much water. Maybe even the integrity of the mortar too. I could be wrong, it is my thought though that numerous low heats will drive the excess moisture out better, then increase the fires after 3-4 200 degree burns. Your call.

[gjbingham]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Dusty,
I'd probably start the curing over again. The way those bricks sizzle when you put them in water, I would guess that they got completely saturated with all that rain. That's my guess.
Hell of a blow you had, huh? Glad to hear you're shaking off the destruction. Thank God for duct tape!

[dusty]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Well, my curing process is on hold. The powerful winds tore my oven house to smithereens! I had the legs screwed to my brick patio. The screws were torn out of three legs, and the brick was pulled out of another! Once the legs came loose, It was just a huge sail crashing into stuff all over the yard with a brick still attached to one leg! Very powerful.
I did regroup though. Got some duct tape, bailing wire, chewing gum, and some zip ties and put it back together. But my dome got soaked with two inches of rain. I put the electric heater back in there to dry it out. Today it looks like it is dry and ready for the forth fire, but I'm thinking that since it got so wet, I may just start over.
Any thoughts?
In the meantime, I worked on my chimney. It is made of tera cotta chimney flue. Looks good so far.
I'll post pics...whoa...type THAT five times fast.

dusty

[dusty]

Re: dusty dome is done!

That would be a one way gate into your yard and pizza oven, huh?

Exactly. He asks everyday, "is it pizza time yet?" He is as excited as I am.

dusty

[gjbingham]

Re: dusty dome is done!

That would be a one way gate into your yard and pizza oven, huh?

[dusty]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Just try to keep the neighbors away.

My next-door-neighbor is talking about where to install a gate between yards.

dusty

[gjbingham]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Should be a summer hit, huh? Just try to keep the neighbors away.
G.

[Acoma]

Re: dusty dome is done!

I knew you would get around to it..

[dusty]

Re: dusty dome is done!

George, he has a nice pool too. Dirty, but hey, it's winter. Wait until summer, what a blast that backyard will be.

I know the pool fell over the edge of neglect while the oven was being built, but I have since cleaned the pool AND fired up the hot tub! Got it heating up now.

dusty

[Acoma]

Re: dusty dome is done!

George, he has a nice pool too. Dirty, but hey, it's winter. Wait until summer, what a blast that backyard will be.

[Acoma]

Re: dusty dome is done!

Dusty, be sure you have some type of device to tell you internal temp. There are reasons they say 100 degree incriments. Too much work getting to where you are now not to do this one crucial detail.