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I was in Portland, OR last week, helping my brother-in-law create a water feature in his backyard. Mixing concrete in 37 degree weather was a new one for me. We needed a hemispere shaped mold for a piece that we wanted to cast. The mold would then be broken apart and tossed. We ended up cutting a 42" dia circle in a sheet of plywood and inflated a giant party ballon in the opening
www.pacificgunite.com/dome_mold.html . We plastered it and the next day let the air out of the balloon. It worked so well that I am trying to think of a reason to make some more of these. Garden bowls? If you substitute refractory cement for portland cement this would make a great wood fired pizza oven shell. Add the entry/door and insulate it and you're ready to cook.
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peter you always amaze me with your creativiety. still love your giant gecko the most though...
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quote:
Originally posted by Peter Epperson
We plastered it and the next day let the air out of the balloon. It worked so well that I am trying to think of a reason to make some more of these. Garden bowls? If you substitute refractory cement for portland cement this would make a great wood fired pizza oven shell. Add the entry/door and insulate it and you're ready to cook.
Cool. If you glue styrofoam windows and door opening voids before the crete, then that would be a blastproof doghouse for a lap dog. There is a reason monolithic domes are growing in popularity on the mainland. There has been enough experience that has resulted in very nice and efficient layouts, dealing with the use of curved walls. The drawback on the BI is it would take somebody to invest in the whole inflating balloon setup to build a house. Other approaches may be feasible.
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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Wow that gives me many ideals ! Pizza oven, fish pond, water fountain.
Thanks my honey-dew list gets longer and longer. ;p