does the egg have to be sitting on something?

txbbq · February 2012

I read a recent post about an egg that was embedded in concrete and several people mentioned concerns about cracking of either the egg or the countertop due to expansion of the egg. We want to design a stainless steel top like this with the egg suspended in the middle. Has anyone actually done this and experienced problems or is it really just fine? Are the problems just theoretical? What should the diameter of the hole be for a large egg?

stike · February 2012

dunno if the problem is theoretical.

but hot things expand, and cold things contract.
I think the egg could get pretty well wedged in there after a few uses

anything it touches needs to be non-combustible also. good rule is to allow an inch and a half airspace around a chimney(in wood construction). your egg will get hotter than than a chimney does.

stilllaughing · February 2012

As Stike said anything heated up that much will expand. I have about 1 1/2 - 2 inches clearance for our SS table but their not suspended in it.

MaskedMarvel · February 2012

Since that part of the Egg isn't designed to support the weight and stresses of that type of installation, I'd hesitate to mount yours like that without consulting very closely with the mothership.

However - space age ceramics don't expand or contract much at the temperatures we deal with. You'd see heavy damage in the glaze if that were the case; certainly more than what we are used to. If you suspended your Egg, I'd shoot for a very loose tolerance at the lip, so the weight of the egg is on that lip, and not the sides like it is in the picture. With an 1/8th" gap between the table top and the sides you should have more than enough clearance for the occasional anecdotal expansions.

Keep in mind I am completely making this up as I go along. Good luck.

walleyv · February 2012

The boat I fish on out of Orange Beach AL has a large egg mounted in fiberglass that is attatched to a fish box. The egg is suspended and has been this way for years. I've been on the boat in 15' seas many times and it's still hanging in there.

Little Steven · February 2012

FWIW The mini comes with a stand that has no bottom support. The stand, I guess more properIy the cradle, is made of steel. I only know of one guy that has had a problem.

Little Steven · February 2012

walleyv,

Is the mount gimbaled?

walleyv · February 2012

No it's not.....if I can find a pic I will post it.

patsboosta · February 2012

While this will give you a nice look, I agree with the other readers that there could be a problem with supporting the weight of the egg from the center. Why don't you fabricate a metal bracket that attaches to the bottom of the counter top (or the structure supporting the counter top). This way your egg is being supported by the bottom and you still keep the area under the egg open.

SMITTYtheSMOKER · February 2012

Just realize if you gamble wrong and it does fail, could be quite a fire that is released on the surface below.

If you not around to control it...it may be quite costly.

Austin Egghead · February 2012

txbbq, very nice outdoor cooking set up you have. If it were me I would have some support under that egg. patsboosta's post is a very good solution.

Circumference cracking/seperating has been a known problem on the mimi because of the heat generated during cooking and the way sat in the old stand (that is why the redesigned the stand). Here is a link with a picture: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/810659/my-mini-just-died/p2

Are you going to Salado?

fishlessman · February 2012

im not sure if the ceramic expands enough to crack it, it could be the metal expands enough that the egg drops down a little and when things cool down it crushes it. would be easy for someone that can make a stainless table like that to make a support strap that tapers down along the sides of the dome and under it to hang the egg in and you would get a similar effect. heres a pic of my egg cradle, you would only need a small strap of stainless to hang the egg, mine is overdesigned but mine is for transporting in a truck, in a trailer, on a 4 wheeler

http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=686036&catid=1

stike · February 2012

fish.... my thinking is less about cracking than it is about the gradual settling of the egg into a veritable vise. not sure how you would get it out.

and as steven pointed out, the mini is suspended in a metal hoop (in its stand). there have been a couple photos of minis which cracked exactly at that level, all the way around, and the bottom dropped out (fire and all).

is suspended, i think it needs to be hung by the rim. that will bring the hinge into question. it'll need to be accommodated

fishlessman · February 2012

fish.... my thinking is less about cracking than it is about the gradual settling of the egg into a veritable vise. not sure how you would get it out.

and as steven pointed out, the mini is suspended in a metal hoop (in its stand). there have been a couple photos of minis which cracked exactly at that level, all the way around, and the bottom dropped out (fire and all).

is suspended, i think it needs to be hung by the rim. that will bring the hinge into question. it'll need to be accommodated

thats what i was going after with the metal expanding, it will drop even further when the hole expands in the metal table, holes in a sheet of metal get larger with heat. the hole in the table will even expand in sunlight warming it up. i would hang it in a swing going under the base

txbbq · February 2012

Having a bottom support seems like a good idea and shouldnt take away from the look.

walleyv · February 2012

I looked for a pic of the one I mentioned in Orange Beach on the boat but I cant find it......must have been on a computer that blew up without a backup.

The egg is mounted in fiberglass encased piece of marine grade wood. The fiberglass makes contact with the egg about 3 inches below the hinges and there is no support for the bottom of the large egg.

EGGzilla_jr · February 2012

I can't make engineering opinions on your suggested suspension mount, but I can tell you that anything, including an EGG, expands and contracts with heat - even in normal use and even if it may be very slight in the case of an EGG ... but unwarranted damage can occur if the EGG is wedged into a structure, especially a rigid structure such as granite or metal. That's why the nests, tables and new metal table nest are designed to allow for space for the EGG to "breathe" ... hope this helps.

Gato · February 2012

@ EGGzilla_jr
So is what you are saying meaning the egg should have breathing room underneath like the feet. Is the stone still ok also?

EGGzilla_jr · February 2012

the ceramic feet are ok, but BGE is now offering a metal table nest, just tall enough to keep the EGG above the surface of a table, or you can always use the paver block as many people are doing already. the important thing is not to have proximity from bottom of EGG to any combustible surface such as a wooden table. see the Safety Tips section on BGE website. Happy EGGing!

Gato · February 2012

Yes, I was just wondering if they had changed their position on the pavers. When you talked about space to breathe I thought you meant underneath as you were talking about the new table feet.
That being said I will say my table design is such that I can reach underneath and touch the 2 1/2 inch fire brick the egg is sitting on. Most of the time little or no heat, but after high temps ie several pizzas back to back or a stir fry, you can definitely feel some heat.

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