What is the best way to man handle the three table slabs for placement? I guessing each one goes around 220 pounds or so. The base is complete and I’ll be installing the top next week. Food for thought?
Hi Donald,
Sounds like your build is going well, so far. You’re arriving at one of the steps that requires some thought, because every build is just a little different.
First, each slab weighs more like 375 pounds. When you get over a hundred pounds, you’re wise to invite some help who can either take direction or take over (because they’re experts).
Here’s a short answer:
BrickWood’s short and sweet how-to
Note the advice: Don’t overthink it.
But if you want to read a longer thread featuring lots of folks (including me) overthinking it, here you go:
Various ways to get the slabs in place
It seems really tough, only because it requires levering so much assembled concrete into place, and it’s the only really large set of masonry pieces. But trust me when I say that, one way or another, you’ll get them in place, too.
Let us know how it goes—and especially if you use a method not mentioned in that long thread!
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We used a Bobcat with the forks and lowered the slabs into place with one guy on each end to position the them into place. Have the base marked with lines to know where each piece goes to line them up. Lay down some morter and ease them on, fill any seams and your good to go.
John, that would certainly accomplish the task!!
Good to hear from you.
Lots of great ideas/methods in the thread Matt provided. Good luck!
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Got the slabs done pretty easily with 3 friends. Having a tractor helped. 
You were right, don’t over think it and just get it done. In reading the directions “down the road”, its mentioned in step 48 is when you fill in the floor cracks, but I don’t see a step 48. I’m assuming using the flour to fill it. Am I correct? Getting ready to put the dome in place in the next day or so and begin that portion of the job. So far I’m having fun.
Congratulations, Donald! In my case the tractor = 2 sons in law. but it works.
In other news, I want to assure you that you ran across a typo in the instructions. There was a Step 48 at one time, but @BrickWood removed it because it involved sweeping flour across the finished hearth to fill all the joints. This would work in some cases, but in the field it caused other problems for some folks. The original reference to a later Step 48, as well as the 2 pound bag of flour in the materials list, somehow persist.
The joints will fill with wood ash by the time you finish your curing fires, which is a better and effortless way to do the job.
We don’t give @BrickWood a hard time about it because he is working on a complete overhaul of the instructions and we want him to get that done!
So build happy, Donald, and I’m glad the slab work went well.
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The 325 plus lbs of each of the three sections was a bit much for a 68 year old man and his wife to put in place. Tried to get neighbors to help but couldn’t get 4 at the same time. Called my auto mechanic and asked if I could use his motor hoist and motorcycle lift. Hoisted the sections up on the lift and rolled them in place, mortared then lowered in place. Took under an hour and I did the job alone. Worked like a charm. If you have access and have no help worked great.
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That, sir, is a champion move. I can totally see it, and it’s a good reminder why we should all be on good terms with the folks we deal with every day.
Are you currently in the middle of your build, or is this a “fond memory”?