Steel Dome Oven

[Wiley]

Elizabeth and Frances:
Thank you for the kind words :-) This project has sort of taken over my summer and many projects that were on this summer's "to do list" didn't even get started (much to my chagrin :-(

But on the bright side I think I see "the end of the beginning" as they say and might get this WFO weathered in before our rainy season usually sets in.

Here are some photos of the first coat/ scratch coat of stucco. The white material around the entrance and the chimney are closed cell foam which will be removed and the space they have created will be filled with high temperature silicone caulking. This is to provide for expansion of the heated dome.

Wiley

[egalecki]

your scratch coat looks good. How thick is it?

[Wiley]

Elizabeth,
The thickness varies. The vermiculite compressed as I pushed the stucco thru the hardware cloth as I expected. So in the areas between the "ribs" of rebar I think the thickness is around one half inch to five eights inch below the wire and 3/8 inch max above it. Where the rebar "ribs" would form a stiff point maybe one quarter inch at max. I first pushed a layer thru the hardware cloth and worked it back and forth to make sure there was a complete layer beneath the wires. Then I went back and dabbed on a thickness on top in order to form some roundness to the shape. I smoothed the surface to fairly round then ruined that shape by dragging the toothed trowel over the surface. Basically working one bay/rebar section at a time. There are a few places where there are some micro cracks from shrinkage of the mortar. Next coat will be thicker and will hopefully be uniform in thickness trying for something like one half inch (from the bottom of the toothed grouves) over the whole dome.

Basically this is my first project using stucco and so I'm improvising and making it up as I go. I read what I could before starting but most stucco is over a truly stiff surface like a wall. Ferro cement boats that I have seen done had two people working in unison, troweling one side against the other working together. But they had lots more metal (chicken wire) for the given thickness. Like I've heard said, "This is one of his early designs...and he sure learned alot from this one".

I will admit I am a bit concerned that the rebar will expand and contract with solar heating more that the rest and so form cracks over each rib with time. If that happens then some sort of elastic coating or paint will have to be used to make it waterproof.

There is a hollow sound when the surface is tapped sort of like tapping ones finger tip against a sheet rocked wall. I'm curious about how strong the finished structure will be. I have visions of one of my grandkids (who I think at times is half goat) scaling the dome playing mountaineer. And wondering just how much damage such an adventure would cause.
Wiley

[egalecki]

I don't think mountain-climbing is a great idea, unfortunately. If there's a lot of give in the vermiculite layer there might not be enough support... but as far as cracking goes, there's a good elastomeric compound I get at Lowe's for repairing ceiling cracks when they're due to things I can't conquer, like roof trusses that flex in wind, etc. Look in the paint department, it's in a tube like caulk. It does a good job flexing and keeping the crack from coming back. It's paintable but not sandable, but you won't want to sand the stucco anyway, right?

If you're going to paint it, as well, you could use a light color to help keep the heat down... of course, judging from what a lot of people are doing lately, the step we take after building the wfo is building a pergola over it!

[Wiley]

Just an update. This am I applied the second coat of stucco. One more, the color coat, and I'll be done with the stucco for the dome. Here's some pictures:
Wiley

[Wiley]

Well it's taken longer than expected... like that's something new. Anyway, the color coat of stucco was unacceptable by SWMBO and so I dropped back and punted by painting the whole structure with an acrylic latex paint. It said it was for stucco and it was made by Valspar which is a reputable enough company. Color selected by my wife was a bit pinker than I would have liked but by contrasting it with a brick red bottom it almost works.

This is not the absolute final finish which will probably come next spring unless we get some very unusual weather that permits a large party or two. The plan is to cover the dome (pink) with handprints done in the brick red color. And the hands being as many friends as we can round up. It may take two or more parties to completely cover the dome.

So for those curious here's what it looks like at present: The usual mug shots: front, back, side, 3/4 and one "artsy shot" I found bending over to pick up some trash to clean up for the photos. After all the work I went thru to make it round it seems fairly close. The glass fishing float I picked up on my first return voyage from Hawaii 28 years ago.

Oh, and that's the oven's "rain hat". I made the chimney so it is easily removed and found this stainless steel bowl that just fits over the stainless tube that is where the stucco ends (see other postings if that isn't clear). And the stainless acorn nuts on the front will eventually be the attachment points for some wrought iron hooks which will hold the rake and the large "shovel peel" for when things really come amiss.
Wiley

[Frances]

That looks great! It is very round , very clean lines there.

I really like the colour your wife chose, I bet it'll look good with red palm prints on it - and what a cool idea that is.

The oven ties in with the house nicely, too. Looking at the picture of it in front of the house I was thinking that a touch of green same as the window frames might look good on the oven, too. Just an idle idea though....

[Wiley]

Thank you for the kind words, Frances.
Your idea of the green is a good one. The color scheme for our house is the colors of the madrone or arbutis tree, sort of brickish red with a dark green. So yes, a few green hand prints mixed in amongst the red would work well, Thanks for the idea :-)
Wiley

[berryst]

very professional looking build
Berryst

[davelkins]

That looks like a great oven. I really like the idea of using recycled items for useful products. Seems to me that it ought to work just fine. LOOKS GREAT! Sounds like you are in my neighborhood somewhere. Maybe I could get a chance to see it sometime. I'm at the stage right now of being sure that I want/need an oven. I just don't know what route I want to take. For my first attempt I'm thinking of an earth oven. The thought of a recycled steel dome is very interesting. Thanks.