Left for Nigel, concrete pots --------- how to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fcLcAWxK6I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKDnQ-royxg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVs_W4kqxNhcdvhvmvUX1sQ

easy peasy.
Laters.
Khaimraj

Khaimraj,

Many Thanks. I will check it out and let you know how I get on.

Regards,
Nigel

and there is this too, posted on the AAC blog by our man Brian Soldano (R2B2)

http://arborartscollective.blogspot.com/2017/05/concrete-pot-project-from-winter-2016.html

i did some concrete pots 3 weeks ago..biggest 70x40 cm 12 cm deep
fun nice and cheap...

a reminder to all:

LEACH THESE POTS BEFORE USING !!!

Good point Kevin,

normally leave them in a tub soaking for 6 weeks.
Also supposed to take 6 weeks for full concrete mix strength,

Have one pot in concrete in full use since 1993 or so.
Was a gift from a friend.
He used the technique shown on your site.
Laters.
Khaimraj

The six weeks for curing (really it's 28 days for most mixes) can also be spent underwater leaching.
In other words, it need not be 6+6.
In fact, water curing actually increases the hardness and cure rate dramatically.
By City inspection standards, concrete which has been water cured for 28 days should test out at 97% of required strength but seldom would fail absent other contributing factors.

good advice mr. baggins !

Kevin, Khaimraj, Bilbo,

Thanks for the additional info.

@Stoneage Can you describe/show your process? I'm especially interested in how you make the moulds for the pots with curves. What materials did you use?

Thanks in advance,
Nigel

hi nigel
i use just sand ..put fine little wet sand on a board ...like a table
and form it or put it in a tray and turn it upsidedown on the table
there is your mould...cover it with cement and form it..
i use a curved metal piece as forming tool..some vietnamese guys
on youtube do it much better than me...so the princip is that you do
the pot upsidedown feets up....

the "stoneage" method !

simple ways are best !

If I may offer a couple suggestions...

It looks to me like your mix is a little dry.
I know you want it slightly dry so it will not run down your mold, but I'd try a bit more water if possible.
This may reduce the patching necessary to fill gaps.
In this usage, those gaps will never fill in completely and may retain water in hidden pockets.
You may not have a problem with that in tropical climates but if this happens where temperatures go below freezing, the pot may crack from the expansion of the water in the hidden pockets.

Then, after you reach the stopping point of your final picture:
1. use a spray bottle to lightly mist the surface to keep it wet
2. use your tool to resurface the concrete
3. As you resurface the concrete, giggle the tool ever so slightly
4. repeat other sections as necessary

With practice, you may find you'll get a smoother outer surface on finished result.

Stoneage & Bilbo,

Thank you for the finer details.

@Stoneage Is your mix just sand and cement? Or have you added anything else?

I'm definitely going to try this. It looks like a fun project regardless of the outcome.

just normal sand and cement..for ready mix - fine cement if you want to color it i use oxid pigment coulor
ex iron oxid- black, red oxid..... the oxid powder is mixed in dry cement 5 %