Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Spring projects are under way.......




Well it is time again to get the spring/summer projects going. This last week I completed a minor one and started a medium size one that turned out to be kind of big. I started an outdoor fireplace that I had just planned on throwing some firebrick inside of a concrete mold and putting a chiminey on top of it, that would make an outdoor fireplace right?
Well, Dad brought me an article that had a step by step how to build a fireplace. The more I read the more I knew I wanted to do this project right, so after calling the Buckley Rumford company I determined I needed to buy more than just firebrick. The amazing thing is that even though I searched the internet for outdoor fireplaces I never came across the Rumford website. They have some AMAZING outdoor Rumfords on their site not to mention detailed instructions and a material list to boot! At least I found all of this before it was too late to do it right.
The base is still in the mold, as I want to get the whole thing completed before I take the forms off of the bottom. The base took 5 batches of concrete in my mixer, which can mix 2.5 to 3 cubic feet of concrete at a time. The hearth took 3 batches and thanks to my neighbor Ted loaning me his mixer the 16 or 18 batches the firebox took (I lost count as I was pretty beat)went twice as fast. I have to wait on a couple of pieces for the chiminey before I can finish it.
I had to finish something (as my next project after the fireplace is the timberframe for our barn)so I built a base for a bench that I cast a concrete top for last fall. One minor accomplishment is still a good feeling.







Here are a few pictures of my progress of the fireplace as well. Don't judge me by my masonry, this is the first time I've ever done any brick work and was pretty messy. It will look better when I finish.











2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The outdoor fireplace will be cool (or actually warm). What a neat idea. You don't do things by half do you? Thane looks pretty at ease in the plane. Maybe he will be a pilot. I like his schedule of when to be things! I can hardly wait to see you all. Love, Gran

Thomas Massie said...

Tyson,

Your fireplace looks awesome. I love that you poured it with concrete and you mixed your own. This is exactly what I want to do. Let us know how it turns out!!!

-Thomas (from the massiehouse blog)