Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: DREDIOCK on May 29, 2006, 12:18:51 AM
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As I mentioned in another thread. I am redoing the sidewalk in front of my house using one of those molds that make it look like stone.
Aint comming out half bad I think.
Havent mixed this much cement by hand in over 20 years though.
Over 3200 pounds (not including the water added)
Anyway. Its a work in progress
(http://www.geocities.com/drediock/get-attachment.aspx.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/drediock/Sidewalk2.jpg)
After adding Red and Gold tint to the mixing water which gives the cement a reddish brown color I go back and stain each stone by hand individually.
Once when still damp. and again after everything has dried for a few days
the dark brown ones are actually done with wood stain. Hard to see here but the effect is pretty cool.
I am finding this method to be the best overall.
Im not worried about staining after its dry as if you have ever spilled stain on concrete you know it usually doesnt come out LOL.
After its all done Im going to go over the whole thing with a clear sealer which will bring the colors out even more
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holy appian way, ceaser!
so, whaddya take fer back pain?
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Wow thats pretty neat!!
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I think my dad used that same mold for our walkway at an old house, worked out well. He didn't stain it though, it's different though, that's for sure.
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Originally posted by Hangtime
holy appian way, ceaser!
so, whaddya take fer back pain?
Actually I feel it more in my arms,chest and stomach then my back from working the hoe back and forth.
Giving em a real good workout
Guess all those back classes we had to take every year for 10 years at the place I used to work when I had a "Real Job" is paying off (knock on wood)
Only other problem I had was with my knees. Which arent great anymore to begin with.
Dont kneel on ground covered with loose gravel for extended periods of time.
Did that exactly once when troweling and my left knee was hurting so bad the next day I almost decided to go to the hospital for it..
Killer part was I HAD to powerwash a fairly large two story house that day too.
climbing up and down a 32 foot ladder with your knee in pure agony is not a fun thing.
Fortunately I iced it up when I got home and by the next day it was reasonably ok again.
Its fine now but I wear kneepads now
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Nash, By all means. speak up.
heh. Thought I didnt see that huh?
you didnt delete it in time LMAO
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Hehe, nah... I'll save it. :)
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Originally posted by Nash
Hehe, nah... I'll save it. :)
LOL all opinions are welcome.
Even yours ;)
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If I commented on it, you'd never look at your rock path the same way again.
Even I'm not that cruel. :D
It's in your back yard, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. I don't have to live with it - you do. :D
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Looks nice, and looks like a lot of work! Here's hoping you can enjoy it for many years.
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Originally posted by Nash
If I commented on it, you'd never look at your rock path the same way again.
Even I'm not that cruel. :D
It's in your back yard, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. I don't have to live with it - you do. :D
Since when? LOL
And its in my front yard
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That looks neat Dred....question though.
Wont a coat of clear sealer make that one slippery path?
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Originally posted by Bluedog
That looks neat Dred....question though.
Wont a coat of clear sealer make that one slippery path?
Im sealing iit. Not varnishing it LOL
No. Im just looking to seal up the pores to prevent water and maybe give it a very slight sheen to bring out the colors. Much like an oil based varnish does to wood. only Im not going that radical
If I decided to go with a higher sheen to give it "that wet look" that might be a problem.
I have a small section in my backyard about 2X3 foot long I did several years ago under one of my outside water spigots as an experiment to see how well these forms held up to the elements before I commited myself into doing the front sidewalk.
Holds up fine. Really the only reason Im goign to be adding the sealer is to make the colors more vivid
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Looks very nice..
Almost a rustic spanish/mexican color.
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Lookin' Good Dred!
ps: check with you neighbour Tony Soprano ... he may want to bury someone under there!;)
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Looks VERY good Dred! I wish I had that type of skills when I had our regular houses.
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looking real good dreid :)
wanna come over and do mine? its only 100 square feet or so but ill pay you in beer, sammiches and pats on the shoulder when you are done for the day. if you are realy unlucky you get to see the missus sunbathe topless too, or both of us skinnydipping.
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Originally posted by Nilsen
lor both of us skinnydipping.
...umm...does that mean: a) you and the wifey or b) you and dred?:O
Is SOB invited?
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Originally posted by xrtoronto
...umm...does that mean: a) you and the wifey or b) you and dred?:O
Is SOB invited?
Sure he can join, but with a reduction in the number of beer and/or sammiches.
SOB already signed up last year. The missus wasnt too happy, but as you must have gathered by now she aint too picky
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Well, sounds like a plan ... carry on!:)
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Originally posted by xrtoronto
Lookin' Good Dred!
ps: check with you neighbour Tony Soprano ... he may want to bury someone under there!;)
Did that already.
Lets just say a certain former union leader has a new home ;)
Originally posted by Maverick
Looks VERY good Dred! I wish I had that type of skills when I had our regular houses.
It really isnt all that hard. The hardest parts are mixing the cement. Which after the first thirty 80 lb bags isnt as easy as I remember from 24 years ago
And trying to keep the from staining more then one stone at a time. And even that's not a big deal as you just use a different color and incorporate it into the next.
There are some imperfections but Im finding they only add to it rather then make it look bad.
because its supposed to look like stone. and I rarely see two stones that are perfect.
the perfection is actually in the imperfections
(that's my story and Im sticking to it LOL)
Originally posted by Nilsen
looking real good dreid :)
wanna come over and do mine? its only 100 square feet or so but ill pay you in beer, sammiches and pats on the shoulder when you are done for the day. if you are realy unlucky you get to see the missus sunbathe topless too, or both of us skinnydipping.
Heh after this. I'd be charging mega bucks to do it for someone else.
The thought of you and your wife skinny dipping has some appeal to it though So maybe we can work something out :p
Originally posted by xrtoronto
...umm...does that mean: a) you and the wifey or b) you and dred?:O
Is SOB invited?
Originally posted by Nilsen
Sure he can join, but with a reduction in the number of beer and/or sammiches.
SOB already signed up last year. The missus wasnt too happy, but as you must have gathered by now she aint too picky
Hmmm there are several different ways I would love to respond to this. Each of which would probably be modded to death LOL
But As for Nilsen, his wife, and me. In a pool together
Think rotisserie :D
LMAO
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ROFL :rofl
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dred.... I have two of those molds still in the shrink wrap in my living room.... bought em last month. I got the rectangular pattern tho.
I have two driveways that had wood 4x4 blocks on end as a filler between em for year and they are rotted out and loose... gonna do the fake stone thing... funny thing... was gonna dye em red. I figured with the molds I could just do a section or two at a time.
The molds you have seem to be taller... mine are only a couple of inches deep.
lazs
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Looks like way too much work, I used to make conrete yard turds (birdbaths benches pick-a-nick tables etc) I have to force my self to stop when I'm out playing around in my 4X4 to pick up rock for my path & the wifes flower bed borders.
But you are doing a fine job, looks professional.
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Originally posted by lazs2
dred.... I have two of those molds still in the shrink wrap in my living room.... bought em last month. I got the rectangular pattern tho.
I have two driveways that had wood 4x4 blocks on end as a filler between em for year and they are rotted out and loose... gonna do the fake stone thing... funny thing... was gonna dye em red. I figured with the molds I could just do a section or two at a time.
The molds you have seem to be taller... mine are only a couple of inches deep.
lazs
Nope. Mine are only a couple of inches deep also.
in a nutshell
What I am doing is taking a 2X4 form in the shape of a U and placing the open end against the last section Then I pour the cement into the wood form, Level and smooth it out. then press the mold into the top of the cement.
then I wait till it starts to set but not so as its hard.
I remove the mold and smooth out the edges of the stones with a damp brush then move onto the next section.
The cement itself is several inches thick as you can see. but the mold itself is only pressed into that part way. Those lines do not go all the way through exept where the sections but up against one another.
the lines you see running down the sides Vertically from top of cement to the ground are all done by hand using either stick or trowel and only go in about and inch if that.
I find it easier to do itt his way then the way any of the instructions I 've found where they say to place the mold in the location you want, then fill the mold.
Unless the cement is VERY wet (slushie). You end up with alot of voids when you remove the mold.
Its far easier just to form out the section them press the mold into it making an impression in the cement
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Originally posted by Brenjen
Looks like way too much work, I used to make conrete yard turds (birdbaths benches pick-a-nick tables etc) I have to force my self to stop when I'm out playing around in my 4X4 to pick up rock for my path & the wifes flower bed borders.
But you are doing a fine job, looks professional.
thank you very much.
There are a couple F ups in it but they only seem to make it look better
It is alot of work. I first did a second "test area" in the front of my house to try to figure out how think I was going to want it and how many bags of mix I was gonna need (its always more then you initially figure LOL).
Most of the "work" though is simply in mixing the stuff. Which I am doing by hand using a hoe and masons shell.
Giving my arms,chest and stomach a great workout.
I wouldnt want to be on the receiving end of a punch from me right now LMAO
The rest of the stuff is actually pretty easy.
the worst of it is that the cement reallly dries my hands out and they end up feeling like 10 grit sandpaper. So Im going through alot of lotion
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the worst of it is that the cement reallly dries my hands out and they end up feeling like 10 grit sandpaper. So Im going through alot of lotion
Yeah it will do that. On a side note, wear a dust mask if you plan on mixing a lot of concrete in the future if you don't already. The dust will cause your lungs to begin to bleed ever so slightly over time. I was coughing up pink for a couple of months.
Also, what are you using as a mold release/lube? We used old transmission fluid in our molds, that stuff made my hands swell & itch & eventually slplit open. You may have some non-stick molds that don't require any lube to release the concrete properly; I wouldn't know....I stayed far away from concrete work after my run in with it :D After my hands began getting irritated by the fluid, I was moved to the mixer full time, those bags of concrete & shoveling wet sand will give you some upper body strength you can feel.
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Thanks dred.... wondered if I could press the forms in from the top. The reason I bought two forms was the width. I have a distance between two driveways to fill.... this might mean that I have to cut one of the forms down a few times to fit. pressing in from the top will simplify greatly..
It says to use 60 lb pre mix.... I assume you used 80 pounders because your idea takes more cement?
lazs
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Originally posted by Brenjen
[B
Also, what are you using as a mold release/lube?
I those bags of concrete & shoveling wet sand will give you some upper body strength you can feel. [/B]
No lube. Im only letting it sit there till it starts to set. Too much longer and its becomes too hard to smooth out the edges.
Ya.
Feeling Strong like bear;)
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That looks reall good Dred.
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Originally posted by lazs2
Thanks dred.... wondered if I could press the forms in from the top. The reason I bought two forms was the width. I have a distance between two driveways to fill.... this might mean that I have to cut one of the forms down a few times to fit. pressing in from the top will simplify greatly..
It says to use 60 lb pre mix.... I assume you used 80 pounders because your idea takes more cement?
lazs
Im using a mix.
The quick setting comes in 60 Lbs. And the other stuff comes in 80.
Im using the 80 Lb for the initial base layer as it stays wet longer.
then I top it off with a mix of the fast setting and the regular mix.
Two reasons.
Fast setting is like $1 more per bag and you get less.
But the main reason is the fast setting stuff sets up too fast. Particularly now that the weather is really starting to warm up.
The regular stuff sets up too slowly.
By mixing the two It stays wet and workable longer yet sets fast enough for me to make progress.
I pretty much have it doiwn to a science at this point
I have my wooden form which is a little more then 2 molds placed side by side
the first few bags depending on depth of regular stuff go in first covering the bottom of the entire form area.
then I tak another 2X4 and place it a little more then halfway across and fill in 1 half with a mix of the regualr and fast setting bringin that up till its about level with the last section. Then I press in the mold. While thats setting I mix the cement (regular and fast setting) for the other half.
Then I fill in the other half and remove the single 2X4 and fill in that area. Remove mold from the first half and press into the next.
Then lightly smooth out with a damp brush.
Take a quick break. Remove the mold from the other half provided its ready and smooth that out.
Then Slide the larger form out to do the next section and repeat all over again