I am building a wood fired (pizza) oven.

[luctor-et-emergo]

It got ceramic tiles on the walls but not on the ceiling. Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP)? Strange to have "poky-thing" and HACCP in same post.

I figured out that it was air expansion that caused it to explode but it surpried me how much force it had in it.


P.s.

I will probably try to recreate explosion one more time before I start with repainting.

You can always recreate the explosion on a hotplate outdoors, then you don't have to scrape the egg of your walls and ceiling. Yeah well.. Poky-thing may not be the best word for it. But it's a needle in a plastic thing that you poke a tiny hole with in the egg.


I took the mould off and I am pretty satisfied with the end product. I think with these temperatures 55-65F 12 hours is a good time to de-mould.


Sharp ends filed down a bit to reduce the chance of breaking edges.


The mould worked fine, came off easily. Little cleaning and it can be reused.

[tod evans]

Furniture paste wax makes a decent form release agent...

[luctor-et-emergo]

Furniture paste wax makes a decent form release agent...

I'm going to order the pigments today or tomorrow, good idea to add some wax. It did come off really easily though.
I'm pleased with the amount of air bubbles near the surface, I could have tapped it for a few more minutes but I think it's ok as it is. I think it will look really nice with a bit darker color.

[tod evans]

I'm going to order the pigments today or tomorrow, good idea to add some wax. It did come off really easily though.
I'm pleased with the amount of air bubbles near the surface, I could have tapped it for a few more minutes but I think it's ok as it is. I think it will look really nice with a bit darker color.

A vibrating sander with extra coarse paper makes an improvised concrete vibrator...

[luctor-et-emergo]

A vibrating sander with extra coarse paper makes an improvised concrete vibrator...

I don't have one. I could probably borrow a vibrator from my neighbors. /jk although I probably could.
I might try the big concrete vibrator, although it's twice as big as the block I'm making. I was considering using a hammer-drill with some homemade tool but tapping seems more reasonable since I only have to make 4 of these. (apart from the concrete foundation I have mixed all the mortar by hand, doesn't take too much effort to make a bucket at a time, and since I have to do a lot of adjusting of my guide in between courses/sides it makes no sense to make a batch with the concrete mixer.)

[presence]

A vibrating sander with extra coarse paper makes an improvised concrete vibrator...

I might try the big concrete vibrator, although it's twice as big as the block I'm making.

Friend-of-a-friend's girlfriend tried using a concrete vibe. Broke her hip.

[luctor-et-emergo]

Friend-of-a-friend's girlfriend tried using a concrete vibe. Broke her hip.

Yeah the other way around is probably a bad idea...

[luctor-et-emergo]

Didn't have a lot of time to work on it during the week, weekend now so I'm putting in some work. Here are some pics of how it's progressing.


Now I don't have to work that low to the ground anymore it really saves my back.


Pattern looks really satisfying.


The bottom of the arch opening, also shows the stainless rod I put in to reinforce the corners.


Leftovers that are still useful. I won't post the scraps pile.. I didn't break any bricks but the scraps keep piling up!

Christmas should still be a viable goal although at only three months away, that is only 12 weekends.. No hurry though. I talked to my contractor friend about what to do on top, and he persuaded to make the top structure (the exterior) out of stone as well. My initial idea was to use wood on the top that compliments my workshop. His idea however was to go from an octagon into a circle/ellipse. Instead of having straight sides it would look more like some of those old kilns, I could then also have a more natural transition into the chimney. And best of all, if the elongated-octagon goes into an circle-ish shape I'd have spots to put my beer on all the corners.. I'm working on a drawing for this, I can imagine my description is not that enlightening..

Also got some firewood today, not too much (half a cord or so). Glad it's not more because it's birch and oak but feels way too light. It's very dry wood but it's too light so I bet we burn through this in a few weeks. Evenings and nights are getting colder so the stove is back in business.

[luctor-et-emergo]

I haven't posted much here recently. I cut all the bricks up until the oven foundation can be poured, about 200 bricks. I have one arch set up with wedges to see what it's going to look like, each stone has to have 12,5 degrees difference with the next one so it should be easy to get them in really straight and even.

Today I ripped out the old bathroom, it had been there for 27 years, we're replacing everything this week. Apart from that I have been repairing some windows that have some rot in the frames... Boring stuff that has to be done before winter.

Also, I have a lot of respect for people that still use hand tools for their woodworking. I can't afford proper hand tools at this moment, I mean, a good saw costs about as much as the electrical equivalent... So I'm going to buy a new chop saw because I frequently get my blood boiling when my old handsaws combined with a lack of patience makes something less than perfectly straight. Looked through some reviews and figured that the cheapest ones suck, so I'm going for this one, I have used it's bigger brother and that is a real nice machine (twice as expensive and I don't need to cut through 6 inches).



It should help me make these frames/jigs much quicker and better... I'm really starting to make a transition from 'diy' to more professional work and I like it.

[luctor-et-emergo]

Got black dye and furniture wax (bee wax although it smells very much like turpentine). I made a new mould because when I sawed the arch bricks I accidentally undercut the wedges a little bit which makes the keystone a bit less wide. The shape of the arch also looks better this way. I poured the first keystone with black dye this afternoon and I'm taking it out of the mould tomorrow morning. I'll make some pics tomorrow.

[luctor-et-emergo]

I am very busy with remodeling the bathroom, currently I can still shower but I need a torch for light... I'm not able to work on the oven this week.


The three keystone tests, the first one regular cement. The second one is the actual size it's going to be with 5% coloring and the right one is with 3% coloring. I took the middle one out of the mould a bit early and I tried to tap it out without taking any pieces off the mould, that didn't work.


The arch set up with wedges.


All other bricks have been cut, sorted and stacked.


New saw.

[Suzanimal]

Wow, I am so impressed. Great job!

[luctor-et-emergo]

Well I've mostly been working on the new bathroom.. But I did manage to get a load of test-keystones cast. I have a new version, slightly slimmer. And I'm casting them half as long. I made a mould that casts 4 at a time so I make one batch and don't have a difference in color. At first I was mixing in the color at 5% volume, since that is how you measure cement/concrete. Turns out this stuff has to be added by wt% of the cement... So I can add about 1/3 more than I did before which gives a much darker, closer to black color.

The tests I made still have a few air bubbles, I tried the big concrete vibrator but probably was a bit too conservative since I didn't want to ruin the homogeneity. I'm also going to add a drop of surfactant, regular dish soap, to help with taking out the air bubbles. If this doesn't work, well then... I'll do with a few air bubbles, it doesn't look totally horrible either.

So I mortared an arch into place, but didn't put the keystone in at the front. Since they're shorter now I did put one of the test keystones in the back and a piece of wood cut to the right angle in front(yay @ the new saw). I have a brick weighing down on the piece of wood but I took that off for the photo.


Also I finally got this old desk (about 1890) that I bought two years ago but was still stored at the seller, it's in pretty decent shape overall. Nothing really broken off. Dovetails still pretty good although some idiot tried to glue things together with expanding glue that looks really ugly. Luckily this stuff is coming loose easily and after removing it the dovetails fit better than they did with that glue.. Great, still quite a lot of work in this thing to get it to where I want. I sanded part of the work surface and there's only one nasty stain that requires some bleaching..

[luctor-et-emergo]

Wow, I am so impressed. Great job!

I'm too busy with getting my bathroom and more importantly shower back up that I forget to thank you ! Thanks.

[Suzanimal]

I'm too busy with getting my bathroom and more importantly shower back up that I forget to thank you ! Thanks.

No problem, the pizza ovens's looking good and that desk is going to be beautiful when it gets refinished. I love roll top desks.

[luctor-et-emergo]

No problem, the pizza ovens's looking good and that desk is going to be beautiful when it gets refinished. I love roll top desks.

I love antiques that are still a bit modest. Too much decoration is something I don't like. I had been looking for this style desk for a long time but I think I'm going to try to sell it when I'm done with it, when I don't get the price I want for it I'll keep it, bummer .

[luctor-et-emergo]

The bathroom is almost finished now, currently I can't take any showers . On monday, maybe tuesday we can't use the toilet so we'll have to use the upstairs one, fun!

Even though the arches are relatively simple to do, I did manage to mess it up and I had to take them all apart at least one time before they had the right shape. The front looked good however the joint thickness towards the back varies very easily and since there's no way for me to check inside the mould I only found out later. But I have started this, so I'll have to finish it.

I'm quite proud of what it's starting to look like.

[luctor-et-emergo]

Earlier in this topic I said I wasn't doing this professionally. I am not, however I have found that this type of work makes me far happier than what I have been doing for the last couple of years; writing insignificant magazine articles. I am therefore thinking of somewhat of a career-change. Apart from the supply of writing work drying up a bit I never got mental energy from writing, instead it drained my reserves. I have found that even though making (not average stuff, not my thing) things is more physical, it does reward me with a lot of mental energy. I'm not the kind of person that does very well working for the average boss so I'll have to figure out a few things as I'm not ready to work for myself (lack of capital and experience as well to be honest). I do have some options that will hopefully get me started.

This oven is not the first thing I've built, it is however the first significant thing I have designed and (so far) built entirely by myself. It has given me a lot of insight in what I actually like to do. Everyone reading this topic and replying to this so far has been a great motivating factor in this, thanks for that ! You have helped me realize what my calling in life is. Making stuff.. Great and thanks a lot !

[luctor-et-emergo]

I just did the pointing on the lowest courses so the paving around it can be restored.
I used pretty dark mortar, with plenty of coloring.

It's dark outside already but I'll try to make a pic after dinner.

[luctor-et-emergo]

This is what it looks like now. The rest of the pointing work will probably be done with a lighter mortar. Dark stuff near the ground looks good though. It's recessed a little bit for good looks. I personally like this better since theres a bit more depth than when everything is flat.

What do you guys think, does it look good ?

[Suzanimal]

This is what it looks like now. The rest of the pointing work will probably be done with a lighter mortar. Dark stuff near the ground looks good though. It's recessed a little bit for good looks. I personally like this better since theres a bit more depth than when everything is flat.

What do you guys think, does it look good ?

It looks fabulous!!! Great job!

[tod evans]

This is what it looks like now. The rest of the pointing work will probably be done with a lighter mortar. Dark stuff near the ground looks good though. It's recessed a little bit for good looks. I personally like this better since theres a bit more depth than when everything is flat.

What do you guys think, does it look good ?

I don't care for two-tone mortar jobs...

What you've done looks fantastic, why change?

[luctor-et-emergo]

It looks fabulous!!! Great job!

Thanks !! When the paving is back in it will look a bit more normal again. Less dirt and stuff as well, makes work easier.

I don't care for two-tone mortar jobs...

What you've done looks fantastic, why change?

Well You are actually the first to say this. Pretty much everyone I've talked to about this has said not to use the dark mortar on top. I don't know why, initially I was planning on doing it all this way.

I still have time to think about it though. I had leftover mortar from the guy who put in the new bathroom floor and the consistency was perfect for pointing so I threw in some coloring and went to work. This stuff has had an inhibitor of some kind mixed into it so the mortar sets really slow. I was able to work with it up to 8 hours after it was mixed, really cool stuff.

Well.. Convince me, on the coloring.

[luctor-et-emergo]

I have been drawing a bit. This is one of the sections I drew.


These will be the final dimensions of the oven. I realize I did not put any horizontal dimensions in there; the oven floor is 1000mm (so half of it 500mm). The rest should be easy to deduce from the vertical measurements since these should be identical.

The chimney is going to be pretty big. Big chimneys are always cool though so no problem there. The reason is that I want a 200mm / 8" channel. I will use (probably) double walled flexible liner which has an actual diameter of something like 220mm and you need a bit of space to pack it with vermiculate or other heat resistant insulation. Then there's the face brick.. So the chimney will be a little under 2ft diameter and as of this moment not yet round!

(right part of the drawing is something I'm still considering, a full stone thickness floor. More fuel to start but more heat retention.)

[luctor-et-emergo]

I have gotten some nice wood to make a countertop out of. Any guesses to what type of wood this is ? It's pretty dense wood though it's not hard as rock. No prize for getting it right beyond +rep and a lot of respect. (they are approx 6" wide by 1 3/4" thick (or so, we do decimals here, 150x40 or so, still rough.))

[amy31416]

The bathroom is almost finished now, currently I can't take any showers . On monday, maybe tuesday we can't use the toilet so we'll have to use the upstairs one, fun!

Even though the arches are relatively simple to do, I did manage to mess it up and I had to take them all apart at least one time before they had the right shape. The front looked good however the joint thickness towards the back varies very easily and since there's no way for me to check inside the mould I only found out later. But I have started this, so I'll have to finish it.

I'm quite proud of what it's starting to look like.

My god, that's looking good.

[tod evans]

I have gotten some nice wood to make a countertop out of. Any guesses to what type of wood this is ? It's pretty dense wood though it's not hard as rock. No prize for getting it right beyond +rep and a lot of respect. (they are approx 6" wide by 1 3/4" thick (or so, we do decimals here, 150x40 or so, still rough.))

Wenge.

[luctor-et-emergo]

My god, that's looking good.

Thanks !! I'm starting to be slightly emotional over all the cool responses I am getting.

I also got myself a little gift, an assortment of different hardwoods. Anyone that likes wood must like this !

[luctor-et-emergo]

Wenge.

Well that's a downer. That is correct...

[presence]

nice tod, I was leaning black walnut but I knew that wasn't right

I'll give a go at this pic, though its never easy from afar.




tall stack on left from top down

wenge
fir
zebrawood
chestnut
mahogany
curly maple
cherry
white oak
ash

small board by itself on left

red alder

middle stack top down

cumaru
elm
purple heart
Brazilian koa
poplar plywood


right stack top down

cedarbirch
white pine
Brazilian cherry
red oak




lol I probably failed.