I want to put some prarie style planting urns out in the garden, but there’s no way we can afford reproduction Frank Lloyd Wright designs, so it’s up to me to make my own.
Building the forms I can do competenly enough, but what I’m uninformed about is what sort of concrete/aggregate mix to use. I’m afraid my own experience with concrete work doesn’t go much beyond the realm of “just add water.”
Has anyone experienced in concrete work has done anything like cast stone? Does anyone have some industry secrets they’d be willing to reveal to the rest of us?
Thanks.
Replies
http://vivisimo.com/search?query=faux+stone&se=Yahoo%2CMSN%2CFast%2CNetscape%2CWiseNut%2CAskJeeves%2CLooksmart&enablejs=1
This might help, I know there is how to info on the web cuz someone I know did what you want to do and found the instructions somewhere in cyberspace.
That search above came up with 150+ related sites, there are probably less than a million more. Good luck, Joe H
Went back to Vivisimo and found this one, looks like just what is needed. How to make a fake stone planter.
http://visitors.gardeningclub.com/mag_articles/article_6.asp
Thanks Joe, but more specifically what I'm looking for is how to mix concrete to simulate the texture and color of cut limestone.
I want to make something akin to these:
http://www.longshadow.com/Pages/Prairie_style.html
http://www.nicholsbros.com/prod03.htm
Tooling around on the internet, and browsing through a couple of books, I can find plenty of references to cast stone with general descriptions (cement, aggregates, sand, crushed limestone...), but no specific instructions or "how to's." I sort of get the feeling that the Cast Stone Institute wants to keep it that way.
I could experiment with various mixtures until I come up with something that works, but I was hoping to avoid that much frustration.
I noticed that one of the references given was for "Longshadow", a manufacturer of stone architectural pieces that has is facilities nearby in the countryside of Southern Illinois.
I'm slightly aquainted with the place as I have bought "seconds" at their year end closeout sale. I have watched as they have made items in their shop.
Longshadow has a large assortment of hi-quality fiberglass moulds into which they RAM by hand held pnuematic tools a mixture of ground /seived limestone, white portland, sand, and some "additives" of a special and secret nature.
The Rammed mold is allowed to set and then turned out. The piece is then placed in a large green house where the floor is constantly flooded with water............the combination of heat and total humidity causes the chemicals in the mix to set. After two weeks in this steam bath the pieces are removed to season in the sun.
The original basis for the mixture comes from the days of the Roman Empire and is still referred to as "Roman Stone", which might be a point of beginning for a new search.
Longshadow's stuff is IMPRESSIVE and has been shipped worlwide. Some very large and beautuful pieces.....take a look, be inspired to excellence.
.....................................Iron Helix
Maybe you ahouldalso have a look thru that new FHB book about concrete countertops. The auhtor, from the looks of his projects, seems to have the areas of color and appearance pretty well wired.