42" build in McPherson KS

[slschoming]

Same kid (a few years apart). Went from helping build the oven to helping make pizzas!

[slschoming]

My cap is plain Quikrete mix. No issues. If you want to cast, you could use the 5000psi mix, or just use regular mix and add an extra shovel or portland to it if you have that laying around. I was going to add reinforcement to mine, either #4 rebar or 1/2" hardware cloth, but did neither. If you cast I'd use a stronger than standard mix, 5000psi, with hardware cloth. Colored to match the countertops.

Or use a chunk of stone. A full thickness (1-1/2" to 2" thick) piece of Bluestone is easy to cut, shape, etc, and at ~$6 sqft, not terribly expensive.

Do understand my "cap" is slightly different than yours. My cap is on top of the landing tunnel the 10" chimney pipe extends through it.

Thanks Mongo. I ended up casting a "cap" at the same time / with the same mix as my coutertops. I used standard quikrete but added glass fibers, extra portland, and some plasticizer (found mix recipe from another site when I saw the cost of the premixed countertop mix. The cap also has some remesh in the middle. Should look good up there, just hope it holds up to the heat. I plan to finish up the chimney in the next week or so if time allows.

[mongota]

I've been back at it but haven't posted in awhile... Quick question.. I plan to cast a concrete chimney cap... Is regular concrete accepatable for this or would I be better off finding a large piece of stone? Or could I cast with some variety of reinforced homebrew? I am hoping it will be as simple as one flat piece that overhangs the chimney about 2" in every direction, supported by a square brick in each corner. Between the corner bricks I will stretch some spark arresting mesh before I place the piece that I will be casting on top.

My cap is plain Quikrete mix. No issues. If you want to cast, you could use the 5000psi mix, or just use regular mix and add an extra shovel or portland to it if you have that laying around. I was going to add reinforcement to mine, either #4 rebar or 1/2" hardware cloth, but did neither. If you cast I'd use a stronger than standard mix, 5000psi, with hardware cloth. Colored to match the countertops.

Or use a chunk of stone. A full thickness (1-1/2" to 2" thick) piece of Bluestone is easy to cut, shape, etc, and at ~$6 sqft, not terribly expensive.

Do understand my "cap" is slightly different than yours. My cap is on top of the landing tunnel the 10" chimney pipe extends through it.

[slschoming]

Haven't posted in awhile... Finally got the stucco done on my base... Apparently Quikrete and I have different ideas of what the color "buff" should look like.. I was expecting it to be more yellow.

[slschoming]

I've been back at it but haven't posted in awhile... Quick question.. I plan to cast a concrete chimney cap... Is regular concrete accepatable for this or would I be better off finding a large piece of stone? Or could I cast with some variety of reinforced homebrew? I am hoping it will be as simple as one flat piece that overhangs the chimney about 2" in every direction, supported by a square brick in each corner. Between the corner bricks I will stretch some spark arresting mesh before I place the piece that I will be casting on top.

[fhausback]

I placed pvc pipe before I poured the hearth so I wouldn't have to drill. I made the pipes be about 1/8" short and plugged the holes with rolled up duct tape or something so they wouldn't fill in with concrete. Then I just took a small piece of scrap rebar and a hammer and knocked them out from below. I only have two weep holes but I wish I would have done a few more. I've never actually seen anything drain out of them, but it's nice to know they're there.

Thanks for the tip. I forgot about that method in your build. My only reason for going with a drill was to avoid having to screed and trowel around pipe stubs. I like the idea, and will have to copy it.

[slschoming]

I'm planning on pouring the hearth slab this week. I've marked my rebar so i can drill weep holes. I think i can drill 6 holes relatively easily.

I placed pvc pipe before I poured the hearth so I wouldn't have to drill. I made the pipes be about 1/8" short and plugged the holes with rolled up duct tape or something so they wouldn't fill in with concrete. Then I just took a small piece of scrap rebar and a hammer and knocked them out from below. I only have two weep holes but I wish I would have done a few more. I've never actually seen anything drain out of them, but it's nice to know they're there.

[fhausback]

Thanks for the advice. I'm planning on pouring the hearth slab this week. I've marked my rebar so i can drill weep holes. I think i can drill 6 holes relatively easily.

If i can source it, i'll use 2" foamglass, and calsil on top. I've been debating the tiles as well, but agree it's cheap insurance. I'll probably go ahead and do it.

[slschoming]

Great build Seth. Your igloo in KS convinced me to give an igloo a try in Kansas City. I figure i can always add a house over it if i can't keep the water out.

Have you started yet? I would highly recommend weep holes in the hearth and a layer of foam glass under your cal sil board (if that's how you will insulate your floor). The foam glass won't let moisture get up into the cal sil board. I also put a layer of loose tiles between the hearth and the foam glass... I am not sure if that was necessary, but it was a very cheap way to get more space between my cal sil and the concrete hearth.

[fhausback]

Great build Seth. Your igloo in KS convinced me to give an igloo a try in Kansas City. I figure i can always add a house over it if i can't keep the water out.

[slschoming]

All of that said, for the size you are looking at, just buying a hunk of marble and sealing it well will be a lot easier and really not much more expensive.

I am just not sure how I would cut the marble to contour around the dome

[BeanAnimal]

I poured countertops in my utility (bar/laundry) area and had excellent results with the forms and admix from
https://www.concretecountertopsolutions.com/


You can use white concrete and acid stain, but the result is not going to be "marble" If that is what you really want then an epoxy coating is what you need. There are plenty out there, one advertised almost nonstop on youtube. Here is another https://www.countertopepoxy.com/prem...ountertop-kit/

Lastly - If you check out Buddy Rhodes website - you may find some inspiration for something unique as well.

All of that said, for the size you are looking at, just buying a hunk of marble and sealing it well will be a lot easier and really not much more expensive.

[slschoming]

Haven't posted in awhile.. coming out of hibernation...

We've been using the oven so much that progress has slowed. I haven't done much work on the actual oven in quite awhile, but have done some work to the area around the oven. Still needing to finish bricking the chimney, pour the final countertop and stucco the base.

I would like to pour a concrete countertop to look like white marble. Has anyone done this successfully? Any recommended concrete mix for countertops that you can roll pizza dough out on, cut on, place hot objects on, etc?

[Gulf]

Seth,

Great looking bird! I admire y'all that cook turkeys with open coals. I've been a little skeered to try it, though I have done chicken that way. Actually, I don't do turkey. But, I love seeing those cooks that do. I'm going to have to break down and try it some time

.....My wife thought it was strange that we never even turned on the conventional oven once for our Thanksgiving meal......

These ovens are great at taking a load off the power bill and also helping the ac to keep up. We've used ours when there was no power on the grid!

[slschoming]

Wood fired Thanksgiving! My wife thought it was strange that we never even turned on the conventional oven once for our Thanksgiving meal. Though we did use the stove top for potatoes and gravy.