The soapstone was quarried in Quebec, got cut and polished in Maine by the Maine Wood Heat Co, and then delivered along with fire brick. The trailer was left for a couple of days as each slab of stone and bundle of brick was hand carried and carefully stored inside the house.
Brock from Maine Wood Heat Co delivered the heater and stove material.
Shimming the Heater's footings
First course of inner core fire brick, with water jacket (to be developed later)
All the air flow apertures get cleaned of cement
More cleaning. The work was impeccably done.
Forming the top of the fire box
Earl Gray, tha supah, is supahvising
Building the floor of the oven
Setting the capstone for the oven
A couple of baffling layers with clean-out ports
Soapstone cladding going on
Lifting rock slabs onto precisely set splines
Mechanical leverage for 200 lb slab of rock
Very tricky getting the top to seat on splines on all four sides
Earl Gray, tha supah, continues to supahvise
Every join will be double sealed to be air tight
Adam sets a spline in the back of the oven right on the edge of the opening to the hot air channel. Then he set the blocks of soapstone for the oven floor.
Adam approves, as well as Earl Gray.
The guys took considerable time to make sure every join was perfect. This is a proud moment; they definitely created a magnificent heater. We can hardly imagine the storytelling, baking and eating, and just basking in the warmth that will be part of this creation. Good on ya, guys.
Adam Gauvin, honorary mason, and Jeremy Brown, lead mason
Transition Meadowbrook 