A talented Mason builds his own stove

Dave was planning an addition to his home to better fit their growing family and provide a spacious place to entertain.
When Dave approached me about helping him get a stove in there, we had already talked a lot about heaters, and he had helped me repair an enormous old stove in the mountains of Western Maine.  He is a gifted Mason and also lives very close to me, so we quickly figured that I would design him a stove, and work with him a little each day, leaving him enough homework to keep the project moving while minimizing my time on site.
There's a window from the kitchen into the new space, and there was a desire to use the heater to bake wonderful things.  I suggested a bench to sit on because we'd be so close to the entrance, and that was worked into the final plan.