We've begun the big patio/pizza oven project!

We may fire it this weekend if the weather allows! I haven't taken any recent pics but we've made leaps and bounds on the project the past two weeks. Fireplace flues have been started and the flue casing/back taper is started, stone mantel is in place, stone arch above the fireplace firebox is done and we are starting to stone face the oven!

In this pic we have the stone arch above the fireplace and the stone mantel mostly complete.

 

Alot of this project credit goes to the Mason I have helping me. He's doing a great job!!

I'll post up some more pics tonight or tomorrow. Wifey and I are going up to the old stone quarry to get more rocks for the oven tonight after work. Gonna have to watch out for the rattlesnakes!!

 

Lol I'm sure you could, and I'm sure it's been done! Thank you for the compliments!

We went up the the old stone quarry on the side of the mountain by our house last evening to pic some more rocks for the oven.....here's some pics....

The road in.....more like a path, but the old GMC 2500 got it done. I've picked MANY rocks out of this area that we used on the house including the fireplace project inside.


After fighting off horseflies, deer flies, gnats and snakes, we got a nice cache of rocks for the upcoming work. We will need more, but this gives our mason some stuff to work with this weekend.


Just like the rocks I used inside the house in many projects, the fossils we find up there are really cool. Here's a neat one that we will try to incorporate into the oven face

 

We sourced all the stone for it......I love this local stone here, perfect for building!

 

Paul and Corey started forming the countertops on both sides of the fireplace today. Gonna use a tan colored concrete with pebble aggregate and grind/sand/polish the top once cured for a nice looking countertop that'll be serviceable over the years if we need to re-sand and re-polish it

 

Finished up converting that chinsy handled turning peel into an 18th century handled tool that'll last many years! Gonna start a fire in the oven in a bit and do some pizzas again tonight!

The modern turning peel paddle getting ready to be mated to the 18th century peel handle....




Transformation complete!


I blasted the "owl eyes" at the handle end, I wanted to preserve them (they were CAKED in rust). I'll re-patina them using some vinegar and a few rain storms hanging it outside.


Pic of the underside showing the new cold rivets I made from a big old nail....


Pic of the paddle from the topside, showing the rivets.

 

Well we uncovered it to get a fire going for pizzas tonight. Here's some pics of it thus far.

Slowly but surely getting there!

Mrs. Overkill and I are both really pleased with how the stone mantel/oven hearth turned out!


Fire in the oven is started, getting her up to temp for later this evening!


I went ahead and built a small fire in the fireplace underneath to test how the flue system is working. It's an overwhelming success!!





Can't wait to see this thing completed!

 

Thanks buddy! How's you and the family doing?

 

Pizza night #2 was a success! We made 7 pizzas this evening......the inlaws loved it! Even have enough leftovers for snacks tomorrow!