Spring 2009

The first of six yards of dirt I'll be moving by hand.

Shoveling and leveling...

more shoveling and leveling...

Four yards of sand, finally in place.

Todd in the process of packing sand.

The concrete is finally poured.

24 hours and the plastic is off.

It's starting to look like a back porch.

Tubby approves.

Time to assemble about five hundred parts into a 5 piece outdoor furnature set.

Nubby helping.

The kids 'helping'.

The furnature completed.

The first test run with the lovely and gracious Kellie.

11 April 2009

Here comes the out door kitchen.

framing...

Framing....

26 April 2009

Framing complete, time to start with the Hardie board.

7 May 2009

Threw a couple of boxes of the 4" slate tiles up just to see what they'll look like. The colors really don't stand out well in these pictures. I'll have to wait for the sun to come out. Managed to cut the sink and faucet holes.

The skin is just about done and there's a tile saw, thanks to Bob, in my garage.

Mother's day weekend 2009

Cutting space shuttle heat tiles to size.

The chrarcoal grill lined.

Got a bunch of tiling done this weekend.

Dropped in the sink the burners and gas valves just for a look, they can't go in permanently until the grouting is done.

The gas grill with the burners and valves installed.

16 May 2009

All the slate tiles are cut and attached. Time to clean it up and seal them.

17 May 2009

Starting the smoke box... yeah, that's a natural gas bottle, and Whoo!!! Hooo!! I didn't blow myself, or our home up.

I'll not be winning any awards for my welding skills, but all the metal is joined, the opening is square and the cast iron door fits.

20 May 2009

Whoo!! Hoo!! The openings line up. Now if it would just stop raining I could put it on the inside where it's supposed to be and start fabricating the top opening and connection to the grill.

30 May 2009

The grouting and sealing is finally done.

Plummed up the gas lines, the grill works, and no leaks.

The metal work continues in the garage with the smoke box.

Here's the lower grate for the gas grill ready for installation.

31 May 09

The smoker is installed.

Made some cardboard patterns. Now have metal parts to match. Time to move the welder to the back porch.

Red hot on one side, room temp on the other. Need to glue some more space shuttle tiles in before I close the space off with the welding.

1 June 2009

The last of the ceramic insulation installed.

02 June 2009

Welding up the last of the smoke box. No, I wasn't joking about welding Florida style in shorts and flip-flops.

3 June 2009

Still won't be winning any awards for my welding skills, but it fits and it's tight.

The smoker doors are grouted in, consider this portion of the project done. Need to make some grates.

The lower grate for the charcoal grill well underway.

10 June 2009

40 linear feet of rebar, a spool and a half of wire for the mig welder, and three days of cutting and welding. The lower grate for the charcoal grill is finished.

That should keep the charcoal from sitting on the bottom of the grill.

13 June 2009

Woke my neighbors bright and early fabricating a mount for the top casting of the charcoal grill.

It fits!! whoo! hoo!!!

Fabricated and installed the hing parts.

Cutting up $4 welding hammers to make handles for the top grill casting.

3 July 2009

Found a couple of clearance cast iron grates at Home Deopt.

Completed!!