Leeds Build

[dunnes2002]

Quick question, hopefully someone sees this before I start today. Do I need to fasten the chicken wire to the oven when covering the blanket or just try to make it as tight as possible before adding the vermicrete?

Cheers
Mike

[petec]

Hi There

I just tightened well all round the oven ( Pliers are good for twisting together the mesh to get it tightened up. )
I don't think you need to secure it to the brickwork. Mine was fine without and plenty secure enough for the vermicrete.

Make sure it pretty well tightened at the arch though where its effectively "floating" if you dont pin it down.

The vermicrete will hold it securely once its on.

good luck today !
Cheers
Petec

[dunnes2002]

Cheers Pete, that's what I thought. Unfortunately the more builds I look at the more questions they raise. Will stop looking and just get on with it!!

Hopefully getting a lot done this morning.

Still haven't found and cheap logs, plumped for some at £70 delivered as I need to keep to a schedule!! There are some ash offcuts on eBay for £30 but you need to collect from beeston.

Cheers
Mike

[dunnes2002]

I must remember to buy the Mrs a nice present, another 2 hours of work turning into 7!!!

Managed to get a lot done though and all seems to have gone well. Entrance plus chimney done, ceramic blanket on. The vermicrete has been started but it was fiddly and it was getting late so I gave up.

Got a nice delivery of seasoned birch too which looks very impressive, can't wait to get it burning.







Hope to finish the vermicrete during the week and continue with the fires.

[dunnes2002]

a couple more questions before i move onto the next stage.

How should i join the ceramic blanket/vermiculite layer to my chimney? As the ceramic blanket is currently touching it should i cut it back a bit and put some homebrew inbetween and make it high enough up the chimney so that the vermiculite doesnt touch it either?

Onto rendering, i dont have too much space on the sides so would k-rend be enough to give a nice white finish to my dome? There are also many different types i believe, any which work best? Would this also mean i didnt need to paint it?

Cheers
Mike

[cannyfradock]

Mike

The thermal blanket and vermecrete are both designed for constant contact with heat (up to 1200c I think). The vulnerable layer will be the render layer.Your chimney may be double lied but without the use of the base flue flange to stop heat getting to the outer wall of the chimney it will still get hot.

I would try to find something between 5 and 10mm to wrap around the base of your chimney so as when the render is dry this can be removed leaving a tidy gap which can then be filled with fire-cement or fire-mastic. You could use bendy plastic or even hardboard or a couple of pieces of cardboard. Try to leave a shiny surface of your cardboard? render side..and also paint with some oil or diesel for ease of removal. (even then...slightly tap the board down perhaps 1 or 2mm to release it from the board and also try to slide it sideways a little before pulling it up.....to stop the edge from cracking)

K-rend is a good idea as it comes in 6 different colours, but usually buff and white are available over the counter.

If you are worried about space...or lack of it, on the middle of the 3 sides you can always add a piece (s) of fire-board or a 2" slice of thermol block to the sides using srews (don't use rawlplugs).....or stick them on with a little flexible floor tile adhesive. The heat shouldn't reach this area so you can pretty much use any material or means to extend these sides (if you know a bricky or chippy or spread...ask their advice)

Terry

[petec]

Hi Mike,

I'd agree with Terry....

I think it would be good to get the extra space for plenty of vermicrete and render by extending the mid point of each side by attaching some thermolite block cut down or something similar.

You shouldn't need a large length - you just need enough to be able to extend the vermicrete and render out as far as you want - say 3" vermicrete and inch or so of render from your blanket... worth doing to get the overall thickness of vermicrete insulation you want. I got away with it just on my build with 3" vermicrete and inch of render - but I wish I have extended or made the base a few inches bigger !

There might be a way to make it look cosmetically good even with these "wings" at the edges ?

Rgds
Pete

[dunnes2002]

Hmmmmm good idea I have some bits of thermalites left over so will screw them on. A bit of render should hide it nicely too.

Got the vermicrete layer complete last night so the fires can start to get bigger from Thursday, starting to get very excited.

thank god that's over!!

[petec]

great progress and fast ( certainly compared to my 17 month build ! )

I can almost smell the pizzas......

Good luck with rest of it.
Cheers
Pete

[petec]

Oh, meant to ask - where did you go for the wood in the end ?

have been thinking of trying the place on Pool bank on way to Otley , or Huby on way to Harrogate.
cheers
Pete

[dunnes2002]

I've got a 1st birthday/ pizza party booked in for the 22nd Sept so I need to keep moving quickly.

I got my wood from chevin tree surgeons, delivered in a pickup truck and wood seems very good. Think he said he delivers within 5 miles of guiseley, but his yard is in ilkley!! Only £50 if you collect, £70 delivered.

Also looked at treeworld and another place in Keighley (Keighley tree services) that you can just fill your boot kinda place and drive away.

I got impatient as always and just ordered it. I've got access to a big van so will probably collect from treeworld or chevin next time.

[bookemdanno]

Nice little oven you have there Dunnes!

Nothing like a deadine to add to the motivation!

Looking forward to the next stage, and the reports from the party.
Good luck!

[dunnes2002]

got a smaller fire going last night, chimney works very well but unfortuinately created quite alot of smoke as the temperature was kept lowish!!

Some of the neighbours (who i don't know) saif " there's someone secretley burning stuff at the bottom of the garden, why not just take it to the tip..." dont think they knew i could hear them. May have to do some peacekeeping next time!!

[adm]

Aug 30, 2013 7:46:33 GMT dunnes2002 said:

May have to do some peacekeeping next time!!

Give them some pizza or bread when you start cooking in it - they'll soon be friends.

[petec]

Hi

I had same problem initially with smoke/neighbours.

If wood is at all damp ( ie not really dry, dry, dry ) then you will get quite a lot of smoke until the oven is really running hot.
Once its really hot there is very little smoke at all, if any - just a hot "haze" coming out of your chimney. Its very satisfying to see that.

I think once you are using very dry wood it wont be a problem.
I also found using dry kindling ( no newspaper ), and using a blowtorch helped get it past the smoky stage. Using a blowpipe on the fire once its going OK will ramp up the temperatures quickly and minimise smoke. Drying your next batch of wood as the oven cools seems to be a good solution - I only just tried this last time I fired mine and the wood is sitting in the oven waiting to be used so cant comment much yet - except to say that once the wood sat overnight in a cooling oven I could definitely feel, hear the change in the wood. When you tap together very dry wood its completely different to even slightly damp wood.

Hope that helps a bit.
cheers
Pete