Oven stand stability questions

[ihughes]

With the oven stand, is there any advantage to filling every other core as opposed to just the corners? The instructions suggest either method.
I was going to just do the corners as I thought that once the hearth goes on top it would lock everything in and be heavy enough to hold the stand in place.

And with the angle iron over the opening, picture 2.5 in the instructions has it spanning the entire width of the stand and picture 2.6 has it only spanning part way across the front. Is there any advantage in either option?

Obviously the stand needs to be structurally sound but when is it prudent construction and when is it over-engineeered?

[james]

I just realized that no one answered this one.

I think whether you fill the cores has a lot to do with how stable your ground is. Do you have a really good footing? Earthquakes?

If you are on solid ground and don't get quakes, you should be fine pouring the corners.

It doesn't matter whether the angle irons spans over to the edge of the stand or stops in the middle. Either works.

I sometimes think the oven project is a type of personality test for how we deal with uncertaintly. If you haven't done it before, it's hard to guess forward how it is going to come out and what matters, and what doesn't.

Still, Jim H said a while back -- these aren't space rockets, they're ovens. Every oven that I know of has come out great, and I can't think of one that didn't work.
James

[ihughes]

Thanks James. I think I'll do the corners and see how it goes.
Luckily the slab turned out square so I've been able to just dry stack the bricks without mortar.
I'd post new pictures but the optics on my camera have gone and they're all out of focus. But as soon as I get a new camera I'll put them up.