The 5 hour stand and hearth

[james]

I had a lot of fun yesterday. I decided to turn my Artigiano120 installation into another experiment, and push the edge of the envelope, and see how quickly I could move through a serious, quality installation. Unlike the Firenze concept oven, I didn't cut any corners.

I was able to fully assemble the stand, hearth and hearth insulation in 5 hours, with one helper. We were even able to set the Artigiano floor and dome in another hour, so the whole thing took 6 hours. I would not recommend doing this (I was running from job to job), but I think it shows that oven installation does not need to scary.

Here is what I did and learned.

1. I designed by stand size around 8" block increments, so I did not have to cut the blocks. My stand is 4x16" deep (64") x 3x16" plus 1x8" wide (56"). I also added an 8" curved cantilever in front. It fits my oven nicely.

2. I had an existing patio, and used pre-mixed concrete to level the first course.

3. The stand is four courses, without the angle iron span. I build a 5 1/2" (2x6) pad.

4. I used concrete board under the hearth, not wood forms, which saves time and is a good solution.

5. I filled the four corners and middle core on the sides of the stand.

6. The oven insulation is all solid state. SuperIsol underneath, set on top of the wet concrete. It absorbed some water, but it looks great today.

7. I set the Artigiano floor on sand.

8. My tools were all ready to go. I had a recipricating saw with both new metal and wood blades and a skill saw with a masonry blade. The fresh blades shot through the wood, rebar and hardibacker.

Here are my photos. I have jacked up the cracked Artigiano dome and started fixing the cracks. More to come on that.

I can't wait to get cooking!

James

[james]

Here's the last photo.
James

[dmun]

Isn't this a good solution?



I'd like to brag about being the first one to plunk down the insulation board into the wet concrete, but I think it was just a natural outgrowth of the old practice of pouring the support slab and the vermiculite concrete in the same day.

Good work, James.

[james]

Plunking down is the right word for it. I've mixed and poured vermiculite too many times, and this was just too easy.
James

[james]

Hey David,

One other thing. I remembered that you had set your insulating blocks on the wet concrete. Somebody once said something like "there are very few original ideas out there, it's who you borrow from that matters."

Thanks!
James

[biondoli]

Hi James,
regarding your statement:
4. I used concrete board under the hearth, not wood forms, which saves time and is a good solution.

Does it mean that you left the board there and it's part of the hearth? Thanks Carlo

[james]

Ciao Carlo,

Yes, I am leaving it under the hearth. I used a masonry blade to undercut it from the cantilevered landing, but the rest of it is still under the hearth.

James