2009-07-08: And this is after cleaning it out a bit and extending the length about 16". Dimensions of actual foundation will be 79"x93
2009-07-08: The Shop and it's patio.
2009-07-09: 3 Tons of "clean 57 stone" more commonly refered to as "gravel".
2009-07-09: Building the form
2009-07-09: Building the form
2009-07-10: How to move 3 ton of gravel during your lunch hour. (Heather's dad's driving... I'm just raking gravel. It would take the whole 2h rental time for me to figure out how to drive the thing.)
2009-07-10: About 3" of gravel or 1ton... Should allow for about 5" of concrete. New pad will be level with the pad on the right and not the walkway.
2009-07-10: Footer
2009-07-10: Footer
2009-07-10: About another ton of gravel and the demolished old pad. Eventually I'm going to put all this in a trench behind the shop to keep it from flooding.
2009-08-07: Has it really been a month? 1/2" Rebar and 6"x6" wire mesh. Also there are nails driven into the existing patio.
2009-08-07: Rebar and mesh wired to a stake. This thing isn't going anywhere.
2009-08-08 - A fresh pad /w rebar. And some sort of party being planned.
2009-08-08: Heather's dad cleaning out the concrete buggy after the cement truck left. Also Brent is holding a rake.
2009-08-08: Molly and the obligitory hand print.
2009-08-08 - A fresh pad /w rebar
2009-08-08: The obligatory kids' names
2009-08-08: FINALLY... a pad. Rebar will be anchored to the first run of block. Rebar was kept high with some tennis balls to keep my kids from impaling themselves before I get the block down. It would be hard explaining that to child services
2009-08-13 - After a week of curing.
2009-08-22: 2.6 courses done... one more to go. NOTE: If I had this to do over again, I would dry stack the block and fill every other hole with cement... would have made things MUCH easier.
2009-08-22: 5 more bags of mortar mix and my $8.99 Harbor Freight "5 Piece Mason Tools kit". Aren't disposable tools great?
2009-08-22: Rebar extended to 3rd course. Note the brick ties that William reminded me about.
2010-05-08 Here it sits... 8 months later. Only with a kiddy pool, a slip-n-slide, rotting leaves, a $5 garden hose, an
d other assorted junk removed.
2010-05-08 - Molly and Cam using it as a fort.
2010-05-08 - Base finished. The wood is going to be stored here. Dimensions are 31"H x 63"W x 71" D
2010-05-17 - WOOT!!! The 1014 lb crate with my Forno Bravo Casa 2G 90. Fragile... must be Italian.
2010-05-08 - Two sheets of 1/2" cement board/hardibacker. This is going to sit on top of the base and have 3.5" of reinf
orced cement poured on top.
2010-05-17 - Insulating board. After the concrete is poured and cured, this will go on top. You can see the insulating blanket in the background.
2010-05-17 - The cooking hearth. This will go on top of the insulating board.
2010-05-17 - The back two thirds of the dome.
2010-05-17 The front third of the oven and a wheel barrow with a flat tire.
2010-05-23 Here's the frame to hold the cement up while curing.
2010-05-23 Cement board placed on frame. Reinfornced concrete will be poured on this.
2010-05-28 Rebar and supports for frame. 1/2" Rebar was laid 6" from the outside of the frame 12" apart.
2010-05-28 Rebar and supports for frame. 1/2" Rebar was laid 6" from the outside of the frame 12" apart.
2010-05-29 After sixteen 80# bags of quickrete. Slab size 63" x 71" x 4" for those interested. Didn't get a pic of the
lame plastic tubbed mixer with the "on-off switch delete" feature.
2010-05-30 - Cardboard cutout of cooking surface of oven.
2010-06-05 Sand on insulating board
2010-06-05 Danny laying the hi-temp mortar.
2010-06-05 Hearth layed on sand.
2010-06-05 Dome assembled and mortared.
2010-06-05 : Two of three layers Insulating blanket installed
2010-06-05 Lathe for stucco over insulating blanket. That's it for the day. Stucco tomorrow.
2010-06-06 - Scratch coat of stucco.
2010-06-20 - Final coat of stucco (which is quite difficult to put on a dome) and chimney in place. This was taken right after the first 300° curing fire.
2010-06-23 The fourth curing fire at 450 °
Video of this fire
2010-06-27 First Firing!!
2010-06-27 Sliding the first pizza in the finished (enough to cook in) oven. Note the how I'm not wearing welder's gloves. This is how to get a radiant heat burn kids.
