Female builder-accountant used recycled bricks

Hi Rado,
I hope this email arrives correctly, as I couldn’t actually find your email address on the web-site. Since I don’t have windows email, the links don’t work.
However, I’d just like to crow for a minute, that as a 50 yr old female accountant, never laid or cut a brick in my life, I’m sending you some pics of my almost completed project.

I followed your instructions for minimizing costs, so I used second-hand everything. I collected wood-ash from my fireplace for 2 winters. I couldn’t locate fireclay for mortar, so I used the clay from the soil under my feet for the dome. The dome is made of solid clay bricks circa 1950 from old Canberra buildings, the roofing is from the local tip, along with the matching ridge capping. I haven’t found any barge capping yet, so I may have to purchase this.

Look at it; it is all recycled material. It’s all possible. Always.

Many thanks for hundreds of hours you must spend on creating a very entertaining but valuable (for others) website.
I now have enough confidence to make a masonry fireplace inside my house….. I am following a building document ( frame by frame ) from www.stenovne.dk – he does not sell fireplace plans or instructions, what a pity, but anything, from any insight, is possible if you only HAVE A GO !

I have been cooking in the oven since I finished the dome in early May 2012, but it has taken me this long to get enough bricks etc. to finish the whole outside part walls with chimney.

Cheers
Bev