Ta Da!:)

[two_larsens]

Hello to everyone on the forum,

My wife was good enough to post a picture of the oven I've been working on for the last two months. She's wonderful. I have been taking pictures all through the project - mostly on cell phone, but I hope they'll do. I followed the guidelines closely on this great website - at least as much as I could. Here are some photos, though not in order as I couldn't get that to work with the cell phone. It should be somewhat obvious, though
When I began the project, I didn't (for some reason) believe the material list. Maybe I was in denial, but it was hard to imagine the sheer mass going into this type of building. We must have been going back and forth to all the different home stores about fifty times, but it's all part of the fun. We are fortunate to have a brickyard close by, and they had fire bricks and fire cement, which I understand can otherwise be hard to get a hold of.
Actually, it never occurred to me that you can't stucco on the chimney. I guess I will see how it holds up.
There were a few financial 'oopps's along the way - like buying 420 bricks for the outside, only to decide to do stucco. I think I was aiming for something more Italian, though I'm not sure I got that - but something. The bricks will, however, be used on the front of the house.
Yes, it's a hoosier oven, though I'm Danish. I had never done any brick work before in my life, so there was something to learn, and quick. I still have to finish the stonework around the bottom opening - having used Tennessee Flagstones, and the chimney cap has to be figured out. Then, I have to get better at making fires. All I can say is, I was never a pioneer in the wild...
Can't wait for the bread and pizza!

Thanks, and there'll be more pictures.

Henrik Larsen

[two_larsens]

Here are some more pictures.

I used the sand-in-the-dome method for the top, and it ended up working well. I cut a piece of plywood, measuring the width of the opening to be closed - in my case it was 18". Then I measure to the top of the dome, drew that on the plywood, drew a circle with a pencil and string - from end to end, cut it out, and got an inverted shape I then could spin on the sand mound.
I then built up further, till it was but a small hole, removed the sand, checked everything looked flush, mortared, and filled it up again, having the pile of sand on a platform cut in two inside the dome. I could then dry fit the top pieces in a nice pattern, make all the cuts and set them. It worked good, I think, and I'll post some pictures from the top inside later next week. It's rather sooty now, as I'm curing the oven in seven increasing fires, as recommended - I'm on the third.

Henrik Larsen

[two_larsens]

Here are more pictures yet. The oven, by the way has a 38" interior floor space and 19" from the floor to the top.

Thanks again,

Henrik Larsen