Florida Igloo Brick Oven Photos Discuss Florida Igloo in the Good Background Information forums; I could only upload five pics at a time - here are the other ones. Also bought my Perlite from ...

[leemc]

I could only upload five pics at a time - here are the other ones.

Also bought my Perlite from the local nursery - they had coarse which I understand is better. Hope to insulate my hearth this weekend.

Lee

[Les]

Awesome work Lee! This is going to be fun to watch. What is the hole on the right hand side for?

Les...

[DrakeRemoray]

Nice work, you are the form-master!

[james]

Ooooooo. I like that. Great forms and very well done concrete. Bravo.
James

[larrya1049]

Wow I don't feel so bad about moving so slow on my build now. I'm picking up many useful ideas that I can incorporate in my design. Great job Lee!

[RTflorida]

Looks like we have a cheater in our midst Lee, you've done this before, RIGHT? Really, Really great concrete form work.
Everyone, another raising of the bar.....we need to keep an eye on this one.

Keep those photos coming, let us know how we can help (although you certainly don't appear to need it).

RT

[RTflorida]

Les, I'm guessing that is an ash chute...looks to be on the front side (outside of the entry).....or one of those infamous FL sinkholes.

RT

[Archena]

Gesundheit!

[RTflorida]

OK, after looking at the pics 3 times and reading this thread again from the beginning....not an ash chute, it IS on the right side. Must be part of the offset smoker mentioned early on.

RT

[leemc]

Thanks for the compliments - although I'm not a form carpenter, I am in construction and spent 8 years out in the field so I have seen my share of it. It actually was pretty easy. I just cut some 3/4" plywood for the body of the two side insets and then wrapped the edges with some quarter round trim. The middle oval was a different story. I could not get a good accurate cut from plywood using a jig saw so I ended up buying an poplar oval rossette piece of trim from a lumber supply store here that specializes in trim and doors. I ordered it out of a catalog of wood stair parts our of all places.

Three things you want to make sure you do though if you want to try something like this:

- Make sure you oil your forms.
- Tap your forms with a hammer (or vibrate the concrete)right after you get the concrete against the form to make sure you consolidate it and get any air out.
- When in doubt over strengthen your formwork. Wet concrete puts a lot of pressure on the forms and form failure can be a real mess to fix.

RT - you are right that hole is part of my offset smoker experiment. The flue will be from the fire box on the side of the stand into the empty masonry cell, through the hole in the hearth you see in the picture, into the insulation layer where I plan to extend the flue horizontally into the inner dome. If it doesn't work well - I will just seal it up - but if it works good then I might build a permanent offset fire box there on the side of the oven stand in the future.