Jim's Build for the Common Man

[jimkramer]

Construction has restarted for 2011 on my oven. The base slab was poured at the wrong dimensions, and wasn't level. The oven stand is just sloppy and ugly. But I've decided to keep pushing forward despite my complete lack of how to do any of this stuff. I'm about 1/3 done with the form for the hearth slab. I suppose I could finish this by the end of the summer, but as I've got 2 little kids, I'll be satisfied with finishing by 10/12. It takes me about 3 times longer to do anything than it seems like I should, but hopefully I'll start working more efficiently.

[GianniFocaccia]

Keep plugging at it Jim. You'll be surprised at how it gets easier and you get faster at doing even the toughest jobs. Expect a little more of your results at each stage and it will come.
John

[chidding]

Jim,

90% of the poeple on this forum have zero skills at the beginning of our projects, myself included.. i've never cut a brick/poured concrete/ or planned anythin of value, yet this saturday im planning to begin construction.

One of the benefits of the pizza oven is in the end its all covered in blankets/render so your finish can be the part you spend time/effort on.

The stand presumably can be covered aswell!

Keep at it! post pics so perhaps we can give ideas!

and take your time... no need to rush! enjoy your kids!

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by jimkramer

Construction has restarted for 2011 on my oven. The base slab was poured at the wrong dimensions, and wasn't level. The oven stand is just sloppy and ugly. But I've decided to keep pushing forward despite my complete lack of how to do any of this stuff. I'm about 1/3 done with the form for the hearth slab. I suppose I could finish this by the end of the summer, but as I've got 2 little kids, I'll be satisfied with finishing by 10/12. It takes me about 3 times longer to do anything than it seems like I should, but hopefully I'll start working more efficiently.

I looked at all these nice threads with nice ovens and thought, "how tough can this be?". Hey, I should be able to knock this off in a couple of weeks!

I had the base slab poured last year. Well, my base (slab and CMU) isn't level, and some of the blocks shifted during the pour... the vermiculite/cement is uneven, my arch looks really nice until you see the inside and buttering a brick is a heck of a lot more difficult than I thought it was! I've spent as much time trying to figure out why my ancient table saw isn't working as time cutting bricks.

BUT, I'm optimistic. We're our own worst critics. She Who Must Be Obeyed (who's threatened to hire someone to knock this contraption down and haul it away if it's an eyesore - she's seen some of my prior projects) is enthused by what I think is pathetically slow progress. And she doesn't see all the problems that I do.

So - keep plugging. There's a lot of work involved in this project. But it's a lot of fun. I'm not sure what I'll do when I'm done. Except pizza, bread and chicken, of course.

[JohnBT]

Glad to see I'm not the only guy who's build spans years. I just started soaking firebricks the other day. I broke ground in the fall of 09. good luck and Ever Forward

John

[jimkramer]

Proceeding at a sub-glacial pace. Not done with the hearth slab form yet. By the time I change into work clothes, set up, do a tiny bit of work (which goes slow, since I don't know what I'm doing), it's time to clean up. Upside is my young kids know who their daddy is. If it weren't for them, this would have been finished in '09 when I had the bottom slab poured for me. My goal is to get the hearth slab and oven floor down by September. I don't think I can build the oven before the winter, but my goal is to have it done by next summer. This pizza better taste damn good. If I eat it and say, "It's pretty good," I'm going to cry.

[Kiwi_in_canada]

Jim,

Great job in keeping a sense of humor through out!!! just sprayed beer out my nose (and over my laptop) at the "its pretty good comment"
my build was around 2 months, its at a rental property and in my mind was my first build before i build one at a property of my own, safe to say i cut corners and rushed bits and pieces. showen by the lack of photos of my key stone, in my haste to be finished it ended up one shaved brick with around an inch or more of mortar.... take you time and do it right. counting on doing a finish of stucco and getting it to look pretty, as long as no one looks in the dome....

had around 3 or 4 pizza nights with friends, hands down the best part has been there faces and reactions to the amazing taste..... made all the hard/dirty/dusty/not knowing what im doing work worth it.

keep slogging away and keep up the spirits, from one who didnt have much of a father figure i feel you deffinately have your priorities straight!!

cheers,
matt

[chidding]

You can buy anything you want in this day and age.. except time.. enjoy your children, because before you know it, they grow up and move out

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by chidding

You can by anything you want in this day and age.. except time.. enjoy your children, because before you know it, they grow up and move out

Wheres the Like button?

[Aegis]

Originally Posted by chidding

You can buy anything you want in this day and age.. except time.. enjoy your children, because before you know it, they grow up and move out

Enjoy your family and amen to the kids eventually moving out! Oh oh did I say that!
Don't worry they will always come back for food and laundry services! Take your time and you will be sharing pizza with your whole family and neighborhood!