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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 5, 2012 13:00:42 GMT
My curved darby/trowel... It stops all the Vermicrete rolling back down. I anticipated the finished dome radius, marked out a piece of 3/4 board and then simply glued and screwed a section of 1/8 ply to it. As you get nearer the top the radius of the dome changes but the tool becomes more of a scoop to stop avalanches of Vermicrete. it really didn't take much checking with the rotating profile once i got the technique sorted. Topped out the Vermicrete last night, but no piccies yet, had to cover up with plastic as windy and rainy over here! That was as good a feeling as topping out the brickwork!
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petec
WFO Team Player
Posts: 232
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Post by petec on Oct 5, 2012 13:42:47 GMT
Nice one ! I like the ingenuity of the guide and trowel. Especially like the profiling template to ensure an even layer of the "vermin-like" - I'm going to nick that when I get to that stage I'll be bedding down the oven floor this weekend before starting on the chains for real. You're almost there!!! Cheers Pete
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Post by h12rpo on Oct 5, 2012 13:58:12 GMT
Genius! I too shall be nicking that idea
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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 5, 2012 16:27:39 GMT
Why thank you! For the rotating profile, i'd say it'd be best to try to set a pivot before fitting the blanky as you can gauge TDC better from the brickwork. I must have been an hour trying to set out/guess mine after fitting the blankets!
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Post by faz on Oct 5, 2012 17:04:35 GMT
Nifty tools mate! I did my vermicrete by eye, which meant lots of jumping on and off the oven to get a look from a distance and different angles, then back on to add a bit/scrape a bit off, then a second opinion from 'er indoors, repeat about 30 times I think the tool is probably easier and more accurate
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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 5, 2012 18:36:54 GMT
Big photos...sussed it! Just practising!
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Tom B
WFO Team Player
Posts: 148
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Post by Tom B on Oct 5, 2012 19:15:49 GMT
Fantastic looking oven - great job, mate.
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Post by faz on Oct 6, 2012 7:11:45 GMT
I agree it does look very nice.
Is that a BBQ to the left??
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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 6, 2012 15:02:38 GMT
Hi Faz! Yep, i've got a charcoal pit type bbq right next to the Oven under that slab, and my gas bbq just to the left of that in an "L" shape. Got some shots of the finished Vermincrete... and i'll try another biggie!
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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 12, 2012 19:57:17 GMT
Day off today, so got the first scratch coat on this afternoon. Nearly there! Made another curved trowel to tighten up the render and maintain the shape after it had a chance to harden up. Weather permitting its the final layer tomorrow!
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Post by faz on Oct 12, 2012 22:21:52 GMT
Looking very smart Quick question - how did you secure your tiles to the hearth bricks? The reason I am asking is that some of my tiles have lifted off the bricks underneath and I wondered if you were suffering the same problem.
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Post by Fat Bob on Oct 12, 2012 22:22:26 GMT
Looks lovely - I bet you cannot wait for the first pizza!
What are the grey looking tiles your oven is sitting on?
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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 13, 2012 8:38:23 GMT
Thanks Chaps! Faz, my Tiles were laid on a Lime/Kiln dried sand mix to a consistency like normal tile cement. I did notice that a couple sounded hollow, but no real lifting or moving about. I expected that really. Theres a lot of heat and different expansion forces going on in there. So long as they're not pinging up or flying to bits (not likely), i'm not going to worry. I just didn't like the heater bricks being my cooking floor. I laid them on a pretty thin bed, which may be the issue really, along with my impatient seasoning of the oven. I had some on the floor of my open fire, laid on about half an inch and they were fine. I think because the tiles are so thin, it seems worse but a firebrick hearth may have loose bricks but because of their size its not so noticeable. Ash and stuff will keep the tiles tight, so long as they can't rock about. They're all held in by the oven walls. Time will tell tho! I knew that firebrick was the best all round solution, but i just couldn't run to the cost due to none that readily available round here and high carriage charges for a few bricks. If its an issue over time, i can knock it all out and re-lay a different hearth...more fun! Bob- i've had a bit of pizza fun already, and the party was a full firing too soon and i paid the crack man, heavily! They are truly spectacular and the oven too at full chat! The tiles are Kotah Black Limestone paving. I got them from an Ebay company. Good service and not too bad a price. I got 60sq mtrs which i used for patio around the house too. There's just enough left to pave around the oven area too.
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Post by bookemdanno on Oct 14, 2012 12:28:57 GMT
First chapter of my Wood Fired Pizza Pompeii Oven trip is complete! I now hope to have many years of use, and getting to know it. Thank you all for your help, guidance and support. Yesterday morning, bright and early i woke up the neighbours with the sound of my old petrol mixer and slapped on the final render coat, lunched, off to the beach for a walk and an ice cream with the kids, back home and then tightened off and shaped up the render. Wrapped her up for the night. Beers. I like jobs like that! Just a bit of cleaning up mortar slugs and stains to go. Gazebo is off, so a bit of this autumn sun can warm things up and then cover up again for the night. The oven door is already in the design stages! The
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Post by cannyfradock on Oct 14, 2012 13:01:01 GMT
Danno
I touch my forelocks to you Sir on a brilliant build.....well done!!
Please don't stop there as we would love to see what sort of creations you create in your newly finished beautiful beast.....
Terry
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