Jamie's build

[kebwi]

Re: Jamie's build

Yeah, well, I may or may not be that patient once it gets closed up. It'll be close call finishing it in time for a family visit (from across the country). I want to be using it if at all possible...we'll see.

[cynon767]

Re: Jamie's build

I was considering the halogen approach myself... but my shoplight got broken a while ago. I think that, as long as your oven is good and dry before you fire, it should be fine. I bounced back and forth between projects in the yard, which meant that my oven had 6 weeks of curing time before seeing fire. Unfortunately, there was a rain shower I wasn't prepared for, so it got a little wet at one point. All in all, though, it was pretty well cured on its own before I even started with the heat. I'm not really worried, I just prefer erring on the side of caution. I think that if you let it dry at least a week after closing the keystone, use the shoplight to start really drying it out, and then follow the slow curing fire schedule in the ebook, you'll probably be just fine.

[kebwi]

Re: Jamie's build

I haven't given much thought to curing yet. Since I'm using a higher fireclay mortar, it sounds like I should be careful and take it slow. Maybe I'll cook the oven with the halogen worklight and a small space heater for a while before going to first fires. I don't have gas as an option, so it's lights, heaters, and fire for me.

[cynon767]

Re: Jamie's build

There is, in fact.

I poured a chimney crown the other day. I based the design on information from here and here. I used lath and a sand-based concrete (basically just a mortar mix with increased cement) to create the crown. The experts deride using just a mortar parge for the crown, but I figured that using the lath as a matrix would add sufficient strength to the concrete, possibly even more than an aggregate would. I used GE silicone brick and mortar caulk to provide a compressible seal between the chimney and flashing and between the flashing and the crown; according to the information, not all silicone is alkaline resistant, so I checked around for what was. HD staff was of no help; I only found what I was looking for because some of the good stuff was stocked in the wrong place, probably as a result of someone putting it back haphazardly after finding something cheaper.

I've been slow-curing the oven with a propane burner before moving on to a high-heat wood fire. As I had mentioned elsewhere, I used a higher proportion of clay in the mortar, so I wanted to allow it time to dry out fully to minimize cracks. I gradually increased the heat over the last few days, and now I think I'm ready to start moving on up. It was interesting to watch little wisps of steam coming out the chimney and off of the still slightly damp perlicrete.

[trockyh]

Re: Jamie's build

Your build looks great, love how it's turning out.
Any new progress to report?


Tom

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: Jamie's build

Mark,
Do I have to actually build my oven first?

absolutely not,,, no rules just for fun,,, and for those down under its the "WFOAMBA" Wood Fired Oven Amatueur Masons Builders Austrailia"

CHeers
Mark

[trockyh]

Re: Jamie's build

Jamie,,
you did a great job,,, You are now an official member of "WFOAMBA" Wood Fired Oven Amatueur Masons Builders America" Welcome to the club I just made up.. Your the second memeber... Anyone else that cares to join put it in you signature line.... New members always accepted..
Cheers
Mark

Mark,
Do I have to actually build my oven first?

Looks great Jamie, can't wait to start mine.

Tom

[trockyh]

Re: Jamie's build

The brick enclosures are at the High Hand nursery in Loomis, CA between Sacramento and Auburn, in the Sierra Foothills. Definitely a fun place to go to be inspired about landscaping.

Hi Jamie,
Had lunch there with my son and granddaughter a few weeks back. It was before I found this site so I wasn't looking at the oven, just the beautiful nursery. Love that place.

Tom,
Penn Valley, Ca.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: Jamie's build

hey jamie,
the shape looks great,, you worked that out well..

cheers
Mark

[cynon767]

Re: Jamie's build

After some more delay, up and running again. Trying to get things finished in between autumn weather, before the major winter storms arrive. I had hoped to have it up and running before Thanksgiving, but now I just hope it's done by then.

I have gotten well underway toward completing the house/dome hybrid. We had decided that we liked the profile of some of the house designs, but that they were too massive and mausoleum-like for our small space; so I built a metal stud framework (which also forms the support for the chimney chase) for the lath to give it a house-like profile. Not sure yet whether we will give it a roof or leave it plain stucco. Now I'm building up the perlicrete layer over the dome before finishing it off.

[jmhepworth]

Re: Jamie's build

When I built an outdoor kitchen in Arizona, I bought the smooth steel studs from HD. The self tapping screws walks all over the place. I found that I had to hold it still with very little pressure until the threads bit. Too much pressure just caused the screw to dance. This time around I bought the stuff with dimples and, as Mike pointed out, it makes a huge difference.

Joe

[mfiore]

Re: Jamie's build

Perhaps a little late, but if your able to find metal studs with dimples in it (locally sold at Menards), it makes all the difference in the world. Using vice grips to hold the two together, the little screws place well into the dimples.

[StrawberryFieldsTogether]

Re: Jamie's build

HI Jaime, I am new to the forum and want to let everyone know we are building our wood burning pizza oven right at the beach on our new "ON the Rocks" welcome bar and grill at our property in Jamaica called Strawberry Fields Together! (Strawberry Fields, Jamaica - Home) and would like to give some lucky couple one week free accommodation here to come and help build it! If any one is interested please email me directly at kim@strawberryfieldstogether.com so I can email some photos of the work in progress! Looking forward to making ackee, shrimp, lobster, and a lot of other fun Caribbean style pizza!

[cynon767]

Re: Jamie's build

Yeah, I tried the vise-grips too. They helped a little, but the screw's drill tip still ended up walking all over and had trouble biting in before going sideways. I ended up predrilling all the holes and using them like standard sheet metal screws.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: Jamie's build

a couple pair of vise grips will come in handy.... clamp then screw,, go to harbor freight, they sell everything else, maybe you cna get an extra hand to help hold on (snicker)

Cheers
Mark