Oven Build In Central Alabama

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Yea I figured I'd better fix that one . Beer and Bear... Ha.

No plumb bob, just picky.

[Les]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Your forms are looking great. I'm curious about the plastic stands. Do you pull those or leave them in. I've seen the concrete ones used, nd they are left in the pour. But you obviously never see the bottom side like you will here.

Les...

[KINGRIUS]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

MetalHead- Looking real tight so far. Regain your strength and keep up the good work!
I'm up here in Asheville NC and got the same rain you did today. You need you a dang canopy like I got. Then you build- rain or shine!

Darius

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

The plastic stands stay in the pour. As far as the cover, the funny part is I have everything in place and even have the steel roofing. I just left it off so I could build the oven.

I may stretch a tarp over the frame though... hmmm Good thought !!!

[Archena]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

How to Finish a Large Span of Concrete - wikiHow

Check out Step 26. Seems strangely appropriate to wood fired oven building...


Since your frame is so high you may want to weight the tarp. Hanging weights off the overhang will help it drain better (more taut = better drainage). Otherwise you may end up w/ puddles over your head. They aren't fun when the tarp tears or pulls away.

Trust me, I know...

Stupid tarp...

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Well - No Concrete Today ...

It was a great day out and I did get some things done in the afternoon.

I picked up this mixer at Lowe's and 20 - 80lb bags of Cement.

I also got my scaffold setup next to the oven. I should be able to pour it into the frame.

I'll try to pour tomorrow.

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Here is the pictures of the wire ties to prevent the form from buldging out from the concrete I promissed yesterday.

I figured I would use the rebar and the roll of rebar wire.

I just drilled some holes in the form and pulled the wire through and used cheap washers and screws (Which I will reclaim).

I set up one side and did not twist that side to tight. Just snug. Then I went to the opposite side and twisted those tight. Making sure they were fastened well to the rebar and don't slip.

I did this front to back and side to side making sure I did not pull my rebar out of place.

While I held the wire with the pliers I twisted the screw a few turns by hand. I then took the pliers and tighted the wire on the outside up against the screw. I then grabed the screw with the pliers and twited the whole thing until the wire got tight.

This is a cheap way to tie the form together to prevent blowouts and buldging.

I did three on each side. I would have put one in line with each piece of rebar, but I did not get enough washers. So I focused them around the middle.

As I tighted it all the rebar and wood started tweaking and creaking. So I know it is very tight fit now.

I pulled at it pretty hard and it did not budge !!

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Here is another low tech solution. I cut up a two dollar bucket and made my corners. The bucket was a little flemsy (See two dollar comment above ).

So I went to my NASCAR high speed repair kit and pulled out the 300 MPH tape and went to work... Yet another use for Duct Tape - Concrete forms

I also added a picture of the wire tie after twisting with the pliers.

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

OK Quick off topic tech assist.

If you open a picture in Microsoft Paint you can resize it. I learned this on another forum.

Right click the photo and do an "open with" select Paint.

Then on the menu select Image then resize. Play with it a bit. I usually do 50 or 75 percent.

It really cuts the file size and the pics are still real clear.

Now... Back to the build ..... right after this from our sponsors !!!

[Archena]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

You can also download an image resizer. Microsoft has a free one I use on my desktop. When it decides to cooperate I'll get the name.


Um, tomorrow when I have time to figure out where the heck I put it.

Sleepy time!

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Concrete adventure stage onecomplete. I'll post picks as soon as I get them off the camera.

An interesting day for sure....

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Well the mixer was worth every penny. I would have been really in bad shape had I not gotten it.....

We got the mixing and pouring started this morning and I worked up on the top of the form 90 percent of the pour and got down and turned the mixer a little for the last few bags.

Boy was I off on my calculations - I go 20 bags and figured with the 8 I already had I'd have plenty left and even get to take a few back. Wrong

I figured a 6x6 pad for some crazy reason when I went to Concrete - Contractors, Info and Ideas - The Concrete Network and figured the pad size...

Well it is 6x7 and I forgot the holes and the area below the cantilever.

So counting the bag I dumped and the bag I dropped. I used 27 bags plus a little of the 28th bag. I will calculate better next time..... I doubt it really.

I used and idea from the Forum for the tray to slide over the form... Worked Great. I put a few little pieces of 2x4 in the middle to keep my sled tracks from sagging.

Off to eat real food. Post the finished pics after while !!!!

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Got the Slab finished and now I will quest for Perlite or Vermiculite. The finish looked good and I have some shots here just after the pour and after about three hours. I started working the back part first since it lost it's wet look first.

I played with it a bit making sure not to trowel it to much. I was able to get 99 percent of the finish I wanted with the screed.

I tried to mix the concrete so it was wet and not a slurry. You can see on a previous post that the cement does not run. You have to work it into the areas with a hoe. But it is not to dry. One of the post I show a hole I just filed and that batch was a little to dry.

I have it covered with a tarp now and I will wait until next weekend to pull all the forms off to see how I did.

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Here are a few shots showing how well the wire ties kept the forms straight.

I figure this slab weighs in at about 2430 lbs. 27 bags of Cement and about 27 gallons of water. (3/4 of a gallon per bag is what the instructions called for but that was a little to dry today).

Be sure to use plenty of supports. I placed 3 under the opening in the blocks where the concrete was about 8 inches deep. I placed 2 on the cantilever using a 2x4 to bridge across the front and I probably should have used 3. It held fine, I could just tell the screws where workin a bit. I think nails would have pulled out.

I noticed the bottom was feeling the load of all that cantilever weight.

I screwed everything together on my form with 2 1/2 inch deck screws. And my plywood was 3/4 inch.

Now on to the insulation layer.

[MetalHead]

Re: Oven Build In Central Alabama

Okay - I have a design question

Has anyone used this type of opening on there oven?

New in NYC: Roberto Caporuscio on Keste Pizza e Vino - Savory Cities Blog

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/files/2009/07/petertaylor1.jpg

Someone posted picks in the last day or so with a nice shot of a commercial setup with a steel vent and they had no stack pipe just a exhaust vent above the oven but I can't find it any more

I saw one that the whole vent was made of metal. I of course like the idea and it seems to open the hearth up a lot.