| 2/6/06
Decisions, decisions. We had to decide on the final shape of the
top. We did a couple mock-ups stacking the brick dry. We
decided on the one on the right, but slightly modified. |
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| 2/8/03
Time to put the shoulders on the stack. To get the bevel correct,
I stacked bricks dry with 3/8" plywood spacers to give the correct
height. I then drew the angle on the bricks, and cut them on the $60
Home Depot table wetsaw. |
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| Finished Angle of the bricks. These were mortared in
place, along with the back bricks returning to the chimney. |
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| A form was clamped to the chimney on both sides to show the
level of the top, and then the remaining void filled in with a slightly
dry mix of concrete. Brick ties set in the mortar during
construction of the chimney ties the whole thing together. as does the
kores of the bricks. |
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| Regular (unkored) bricks are set in a mortar bed on top of
the concrete, and the gaps between filled in afterwards with mortar from a
pastry bag. I ended up with a row of small cuts up against the
chimney. |
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| 2/9/03
Voila'. The outer shell of the chimney is finished. The
final bond beam at the top had to be inspected, and then filled in with
concrete, and the spark arrestor installed. Work on the fireplace
face inside will continue after drywall.
To remove the mortar smears, the entire stack is washed with a 10%
muratic acid solution in water (something the brick manufacturer says
never to do), using a broken brick to scrub the stubborn spots with.
After curing a month, I'll seal the whole thing with Thompson's water seal
from a bug sprayer. |
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| The top of the chimney is capped with mortar that slopes
away from the flue. Code requires that a spark arrestor visible from
the ground be installed. I fabricated this one by grouting 3/8"
stainless steel all-thread pieces into the chimney top, wrapped them with
1/4" galvanized mesh, and capped it with an 1/8" aluminum plate
to keep water out of the flue.
After the chimney was completed, I had 4 of the kored
bricks left from the 1000 that I ordered.
|
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| My niece lights the first fire..... |
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| Man does this thing put out a lot of heat! |
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| Since most of our work is at night, it's nice to have the
fireplace now to cheer us up and give us a place to warm cold
hands. |
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