Post by DuncanM on Feb 24, 2012 9:39:13 GMT
OK now that brings me up to date with the old forum, so here's the new stuff 
Knocked out the few bricks I'd laid before and planned the height of the countertop... was going to be 5 blocks high (as shown in the pics below) but although I realised that'd be perfect height for myself it wouldn't be at a good height for my girlfriend or anyone smaller than myself so I dropped it by 1 block.
Having never laid bricks (other than the 20 or so I knocked out) it was very, very slow progress. It has taken me all week off work to do what is shown below, although I did get up to about 150 bricks a day when I was doing some of the larger straights. Progress slowed when I had to work around the many corners or involve cutting. It was also very difficult with them being over 100 year old reclaimed bricks, meaning they are about straight as a circle and for a complete novice to try and lay banana shaped bricks level was frustrating at times. I ended up just taking a "as level as possible" approach - some of them were wonky but over the courses they even themselves out to a degree. There certainly are parts I am not happy with, a few joints a bit too thick/thin, some bricks a bit too wonky but I know I'll get over that when it's complete - plus it's proof I laid them and I didn't pay a bricky to do it for me ;D
Countertop base is ready to receive the countertop (which needs to be made first), but note the hole I've left intentionally in the bottom of the wall, this is where the fibre optic cable will be feb through, following along the back side of the oven and mounted under the rear log store out of sight.
Playing with the height of the countertop:
Rear log store (full of un-seasoned hardwood - mainly beech with a sprinkling of oak, cherry and birch):
Stack of bricks:
Knocked the previous brickwork out and gauging width of countertop base:
First few courses at the front - had to fight every brick
Started to extend to the countertop base:
Hole left in the countertop base for fibre optic cable:
Few more courses:
Final height of countertop (4 blocks - which have been buttered unlike those of the base of the oven) and arch for the small front log store:
Again showing the small hole:
Front of countertop, blocks are hollow - they will be filled with concrete and steel reinforcing bar which will tie the base and concrete slab together (as well as some mortar to bed it all in).
Here's a neater version of my intended look using Google Sketchup:
Phase 1 - this year, brick oven and countertop
Phase 2 - next year, brick BBQ and more countertop space
Knocked out the few bricks I'd laid before and planned the height of the countertop... was going to be 5 blocks high (as shown in the pics below) but although I realised that'd be perfect height for myself it wouldn't be at a good height for my girlfriend or anyone smaller than myself so I dropped it by 1 block.
Having never laid bricks (other than the 20 or so I knocked out) it was very, very slow progress. It has taken me all week off work to do what is shown below, although I did get up to about 150 bricks a day when I was doing some of the larger straights. Progress slowed when I had to work around the many corners or involve cutting. It was also very difficult with them being over 100 year old reclaimed bricks, meaning they are about straight as a circle and for a complete novice to try and lay banana shaped bricks level was frustrating at times. I ended up just taking a "as level as possible" approach - some of them were wonky but over the courses they even themselves out to a degree. There certainly are parts I am not happy with, a few joints a bit too thick/thin, some bricks a bit too wonky but I know I'll get over that when it's complete - plus it's proof I laid them and I didn't pay a bricky to do it for me ;D
Countertop base is ready to receive the countertop (which needs to be made first), but note the hole I've left intentionally in the bottom of the wall, this is where the fibre optic cable will be feb through, following along the back side of the oven and mounted under the rear log store out of sight.
Playing with the height of the countertop:
Rear log store (full of un-seasoned hardwood - mainly beech with a sprinkling of oak, cherry and birch):
Stack of bricks:
Knocked the previous brickwork out and gauging width of countertop base:
First few courses at the front - had to fight every brick
Started to extend to the countertop base:
Hole left in the countertop base for fibre optic cable:
Few more courses:
Final height of countertop (4 blocks - which have been buttered unlike those of the base of the oven) and arch for the small front log store:
Again showing the small hole:
Front of countertop, blocks are hollow - they will be filled with concrete and steel reinforcing bar which will tie the base and concrete slab together (as well as some mortar to bed it all in).
Here's a neater version of my intended look using Google Sketchup:
Phase 1 - this year, brick oven and countertop
Phase 2 - next year, brick BBQ and more countertop space
