| The start of the BBQ was pouring footing and building the retaining wall that would hold the slab. My good neighbor Mike helped me get started and showed me how to lay block. |  |
 | We rented a 1 yard concrete trailer and added 10 extra bags to make 1 pour. There are 3 separate pours with about 500 feet of rebar holding it together. I used a trowel to make the look of lava and sprayed water into the air to give it a natural pitted look. |
| I built the cinder block wall using the blocks I've collected for years waiting for this project. I also ran rebar through the whole wall and ran conduit for power and speaker wire. |  |
 | Another friend, Tim, gave me the rock, which I steam cleaned before use. |
| Building the concrete table required building support forms and running rebar which anchored to the rebar in the walls. I used a potbelly stove as a load and vent port. I got the fire brick from a job site where it was being thrown away. |  |
 | Yet another good friend gave me the red brick, and the tile was being discarded at a job site. I started to place the rock with concrete and mortar. |
| My neighbor Kenny Hord is welding the grill. He let me use his milling machine to drill the holes for the 1/2" rod of the grill. He then welded the whole thing together, along with the support poles and hood, saving me a ton of money! |  |
 | I sprayed the concrete with Mason's Select transparent concrete stain. Very cool stuff! This is the break-in day, starting with a low fire in the early morning, building to a medium fire mid-day, and then cooking 30 pounds of fat over a hot fire in the afternoon. That night we BBQ'd a tritip. |
| The 100 year old redwood beams are in place, but there's still a lot more rock to place. |  |
 | This shows how close I got to matching the stain to the rock color. |
| After installing the lighting and the old tin roof, I placed some antiques around. |  |
 | This is the last concrete pour, and now it's time to start mortaring the rocks. |
| The hood was made from salvaged water tank steel. I cut it with a cut-off blade on a skill saw. Kenny welded it together. It took a crane to place it and the front flap was welded on later. I made the stack from 2 55 gallon barrels and hand cut the tin for the wind bevel and rain top. |  |
 | I was worried about the fit for two months. The evening it was placed, it fit and I could not believe my own eyes. It fit! |
| The front beam was almost new, so I stained it to match the 100 year old beams. |  |
 | We started the landscaping. It needs more plants. |
| I carved the sign into the largest flat rock. |  |
 | My mortar work got better as I went along. |
| The hot tub side of the rock wall looks perfect. |  |
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When I look at this picture I think about all the friends that made it possible. Let me review...
- Kenny prepared the area with his tractor/backhoe, gave me the custom beams on the front and back of the bath house (as well as other good beams), and welded the main supports, grill and hood. He also put up with me for months using his milling machine, cut-off saw, steam cleaner, and lathe. The best neighbor a man can ask for.
- J.R. gave me the red brick that he salvaged.
- Tim gave me the rock he dug up from his place.
- Dana and paul gave me a new 1 bag cement mixer to see what I would build.
- My neighbor Matt gave me some rebar and the granite rock that crowns the wall.
- Art gave me the BBQ handle and the salvaged steel.
- Neighbor Mike started the footing and retaining wall, helped with the pouring of the concrete slab, and showed me how to lay block and brick.
- Numerous friends gave me the antique beams, old redwood, rebar, cinder blocks, water heating coil, fire stove, fire brick.
Thank you to everyone for your help! |
