Insulation, and hot faces

With the blockwork done, we were almost finished with the firey end of things. When the mortar was dry we first tipped several hundred litres of loose fill vermiculite into the void:

Then we screeded the hot faces of the fireplace, the combustion chamber and riser sleeve:

And lastly we topped up the insulation, and screeded the whole top:

With all that done we are waiting for delivery of the steelwork. In the meantime, I'm making a workbench. So far I've spent 2 days on my knees with a plane and a sander, smoothing the work surface. That makes it sound like a chore and several people have told me to use a floor sander. But actually it's very satisfying, just the right combination of physical work and constant judgement. Also, every hour that I spend doing it will make my baking life more enjoyable; at this point I am really looking forward to baking again.