Ottawa Oven - Onward Once More!

[sarah h]

Thanks Frances - the plan is to stucco the stand walls for now, just to make it look a bit better and provide some weather protection. Once the dome and chimney are done and the stand is stucco'd, we'll take a good hard look and see if there's something better where the stand is concerned. If there is though we likely won't get to it until next year. I have stuff I want to plant, a cabin to build and a kitchen to remodel! Besides, I want to find time to cook in the oven too - sourdough! - so far, all I've managed to do with Jim's starter is keep it fed and alive ...

Hey, there's a song in there -

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, fed & alive, fed and alive,
Uh, uh, uh, uh, fed & a-li-i-i-iiiiiive ....."

[sarah h]

Here's today's effort - looks almost the same as yesterday, however, the stones are now mortared in place. Wow, that's a job, since they're not all the same thickness, like bricks - not as easy to get them level but we didn't do too badly. Heck, the stone surfaces aren't even level!
They'll look better once the surface is cleaned up with a cloth or sponge but I wasn't sure if it was perhaps too soon to do that so it'll wait till tomorrow.
The stuff at the base of the chimney is all just play - nothing has been set permanently yet. Still undecided whether round or square.

[nissanneill]

Yes,
you will have to be careful where you rest your full glass of wine or champagne on that stone bench area.Every little job done gets it closer to being complete but you can still use it unfinished. That is why I prefer tiles rather than stone, a flatter surface, no need to seal it and smaller joints to keep clean. A much friendlier surface, but maybe not the same character. (But I am a little more practical than aesthetically orientated).
I think that, to save money for the kitchen, time and effort, I will simply stucco my dome to make it inconspicuous within the garden. I now have the plans for the patio steel work specifications so will push them through council and then start construction asap. Then onto the kitchen. Currently looking for an appropriate sink and ideas for the cupboards/storage on top of the retaining wall where the rusted tank is currently and directly behind the preparation bench.
What do they say, no rest for the wicked!

[Frances]

Just worked out what tune goes with your song... duh, just call me slow! Nice one - and now I'll probably be humming it all day


Stucco for the sides sounds like a good idea, I think that will show off the lovely stone top to good advantage. I love that uneven look! As for a square or round chimney... hmmm, difficult. I wouldn't know which to choose either. Maybe square would go better with the lintel?

[sarah h]

... you will have to be careful where you rest your full glass of wine  ...

The photo below should alleviate any concerns about my ability to park my wineglass close at hand!

The fire - first since the vermiculcrete coating - is the extent of progress this week. As for the weekend, it's rain tomorrow, which means the dreaded housework . Sunday ... what to do ... work on the oven? or go to the lake?

[sarah h]

Oops! Here are the wineglass photos, and one of the beginnings of my future herb garden - I liked the blurry oven background against the herbs, which I am hoping to use in many wonderful WFO dinners this summer!

[sarah h]

HELP!! I'm stalled out because we need to decide on how to finish the chimney before we go any further.

The tentative plan is to build a box out of cement board with the help of some steel corner brackets, pop it into place over the masonry flue, mortar it into place and fill any gaps, fill the air space with loose vermiculite, then cover it ... with something, maybe a stacked stone effect, maybe just stucco, maybe mosaic ... dunno yet. And cap it, of course.

So, does anyone see any problem with this plan??
If so, speak soon!

It's the cement board box part I'm really asking about though comments on the rest are welcome too.

Thanks,
Sarah

[dmun]

It's a really hot area, and I don't think the wonderboard will hold up to that heat. I did mine out of chunks of refractory flue tile, others have built brick ones, or cast them out of refractory material. I think even plain cast concrete would do better than the half inch of concrete board.

[sarah h]

I don't think the wonderboard will hold up to that heat.

Not even with the vermiculite between it and the chimney pipe?

[dmun]

Do I misunderstand? Do you plan to have half inch wonderboard directly exposed to the hot flue gasses? It's engineered as a tile backer board: heat exposure is not what it's designed for. I'm afraid that it's going to crack and spall.