My oven progress

[telehort]

I was able to put this long weekend to good use and finally make some progress on my oven. I thought I would share a few pics as I love looking at others when they post so I figured it is now my time. I may be slow, 4 courses and an arch is all I have to show for the weekend, but it has been the most relaxing thing I have done in weeks. I put the ipod on and got lost in the project. The oven is level even though the first pic makes it look a bit off.

[DrakeRemoray]

Looking good! I would say that is excellent progress for a weekend!

Drake

[james]

It's great seeing a lot of builders doing the curved arch entry into the oven.

How difficult is it? Can builders compare that with forming the opening with angle iron?

Telehort, is it getting hot in Rocklin yet? :-)

James

[telehort]

James -
I liked the look of the arch and thought I would attempt it myself. I have never done any masonry work before, but consider myself a handy person. I made a template for the arch and followed it as best as I could. I actually knocked the template out as soon as I got all bricks in place and then by hand played a bit with the angle and then added more mortar as I wanted the bricks to be supporting themselves as soon as possible.
With the high temps we are having here lately (in the 90s for the next week or so) - are there some considerations or things I should be doing to make sure my mortar is "curing" and instead of just drying? I have been covering the structure with a damp towel during the heat of the day.

[james]

You did a nice job on the arch. It's fun getting all the angles to line up just right.

I would make sure the bricks are really wet when you use them, so they don't suck the moisture out of the mortar, and cooking it covered and cool is good idea.

Do our masons have more to add?
James

[jahysea]

Hi there. Nice work to date.

I can relate to the high temps in Rocklin, I grew up in Auburn.

Can I ask, how do you plan to tie your dome into the arch? All the arches I've noticed to date have curvature on the back side of the arch to support the chain coming in from the dome. Are you planning to cut the bricks in that chain so that they are flat vertical to the arch?

I didn't document that part of construction really well, but here is about the best pic:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/sa...+oven#post5800 (Saint Helena Oven)

[james]

Hey Guys,
I grew up in Modesto.
James

[telehort]

As I grow older, I find it funny the things that end up exciting us.
UPS just drove away after dropping of 2 boxes of ceramic insulation and I feel like a 6 yr old at christmas. I am just about ending "wait week" and then enter "cure week" so I have the feeling these boxes will taunt me for the next 10 days or so. I should just put a bow on them and leave them in the corner and try to forget.

[DrakeRemoray]

It is amazing that after so much time spent planning an building that those two weeks seem sooo long...

I mean, I planned and thought about the oven for 3 years before I built it, but 2 weeks seem an eternity.

Take it slowly...

Drake

[fullback66]

Do you have more pictures?
final picture?
fb66