concrete form

[tackytim]

I just finished carving a form that i'm going to use to make a grave marker. My mom likes to go to cemeterys and look at old tombstones. She also likes to grow roses. So i'm going to pour a concrete mix into a form with this on the bottom and hope it comes out pretty good. I'll post pictures when i finish.

I can't remember who made a form for a concrete tile a few weeks ago, but that was where i got the idea for mine, so thanks!

[Dodadd]

That's funny and cool!

[bjbethke]

I don't think the letters will show up with concrete mix, the sand would be too coarse. You might need to use a block style type.

[Rocky]

I just finished carving a form that i'm going to use to make a grave marker. My mom likes to go to cemeterys and look at old tombstones. She also likes to grow roses. So i'm going to pour a concrete mix into a form with this on the bottom and hope it comes out pretty good. I'll post pictures when i finish.

I can't remember who made a form for a concrete tile a few weeks ago, but that was where i got the idea for mine, so thanks!

I think you mean cement, not concrete. Concrete has gravel in it, and I don't think you want that.

[DocWheeler]

Rocky,

I'm not picking on you, but your post triggered an area where I get a bit anal. Cement is a BINDER within a mixture, so concrete is a mixture of cement and other material of various sized solids. "Concrete" can be made of either all "fines" or a combination of different sized "solids" (sand and gravel) and water.

What confuses the issue is the term "hydraulic" cement where the combination of ingredients is called a "cement" - I wish that they had not done that!

Incidental, concrete "cures" rather than "dries". Concrete can be placed under-water and it will cure and become hard.

The best concrete is where you use as much coarse material as possible for the type of project and then add as much finer material as you can to fill the voids in the "dry" mix. And, then you add still finer solids to fill the voids that still exist - then you add the cement and enough water to allow you to get the mixture into the smallest areas (the mixture is rated in what is called "slump", but that is another story).

So, recalling my old construction-days, the project involved in this thread could indeed have fairly large gravel in the concrete, if the casting is to be thin, perhaps only pea gravel would be used for the coarsest material.

Sorry to go on about this, I just see the words concrete and cement getting interchanged too much. Calling the concrete sidewalk "cement" is equivalent to calling a birthday cake "flower".

End of rant!

[tackytim]

Sorry for any misuse of terms. I'm a cabinet maker and not a mason. I picked up some "Blended Mortar Mix" at Lowes the other day and i am going to try that. I was keeping in mind that the premix quickcrete has aggregate too big for what i wanted, and so i'm going to use the mortar mix with some metal screen/mesh for strength.

[ChrisAlb]

Funny, when I saw this I was thinking the lettering would want to be inverted so as to create recessed lettering in the end project. I would think no matter what you used, the lettering sticking out would simply fall or flake off rather easily.

[Kenm810]

Had the same though Chris, and their going to need some Draft

[HighTechOkie]

I don't see much of difference between embossed or recessed text, simply a matter of preference there since no weight will be resting on the edge of the letters. Either way, draft is definitely needed so it releases from the mold easier.

Rob

[Rocky]

Rocky,

I'm not picking on you, but your post triggered an area where I get a bit anal. Cement is a BINDER within a mixture, so concrete is a mixture of cement and other material of various sized solids. "Concrete" can be made of either all "fines" or a combination of different sized "solids" (sand and gravel) and water.

What confuses the issue is the term "hydraulic" cement where the combination of ingredients is called a "cement" - I wish that they had not done that!

Incidental, concrete "cures" rather than "dries". Concrete can be placed under-water and it will cure and become hard.

The best concrete is where you use as much coarse material as possible for the type of project and then add as much finer material as you can to fill the voids in the "dry" mix. And, then you add still finer solids to fill the voids that still exist - then you add the cement and enough water to allow you to get the mixture into the smallest areas (the mixture is rated in what is called "slump", but that is another story).

So, recalling my old construction-days, the project involved in this thread could indeed have fairly large gravel in the concrete, if the casting is to be thin, perhaps only pea gravel would be used for the coarsest material.

Sorry to go on about this, I just see the words concrete and cement getting interchanged too much. Calling the concrete sidewalk "cement" is equivalent to calling a birthday cake "flower".

End of rant!


Yes, Doc, you are picking on me..........just joking. For the most part I agree with your explanation. I was just trying to point out, obviously not very well, that if he used most common concrete mixtures (like that in a bag at Lowes) the mixture probably would not work well when trying to fill small crevices. Then again, if the entire completed pattern assembly is shaken enough, the slurry part may fill the crevices.

[Dodadd]

I've used a Sand mix with varying results. A friend of mine uses quikrete with excellent results on stepping stones.

[ChrisAlb]

I don't see much of difference between embossed or recessed text, simply a matter of preference there since no weight will be resting on the edge of the letters. Either way, draft is definitely needed so it releases from the mold easier.

Rob

Having worked a fair amount with concrete and mortars (for like plastering a foundation) all I meant was that you could rub those letters right off very easily. Like Rocky just said, the slurry might fill the crevices but there's really no binder there.

Now if a plaster or some type of epoxy was used, that would be different.

[cowetaron]

Just a thought , but the concrete or mortar mix from lowe's may have to coarse of sand to use for you letters. Try mixing your own mix by useing cement , pea gravel and silica sand or any fine grain sand they may use for sand blasting. This will allow the sand and cement to gather in your smaller areas. Also when you place your forms that will form your sides seal them to you pattern so that no water can leak or leach out. If it does, it will take the fines with it such as the cement and leave the sand with no binder agent. Your crisp edges will flake off. When you place the form edges on your pattern - anchor them - I used hard wax and melted it into the the corners then tooled it to a nice small radius or you could use silicon and smooth it out to the detail that you want. Just let it dry before you pour your mix. If you want to add detail mix your original mix with white sand (silica sand) just before you pour it mix in a little brown sand and swirl it around then pour. I pour table tops, repair old columns and repair other concrete pieces using this method. If you are worried about air bubbles - if you have a vibrating sander just run it around on the table top beside it or on top of the form lightly , just enought to cause the bubbles to break free. Then just walk away and let it cure. Have fun