|
Building Construction - Building Construction Industry Discussions.
|
|
|
|
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by Mark on October 20, 2006, 2:19 pm
> The finish looks like something you could get by acid etching the formed
> surfaces and power washing.
Dan, can you elaborate on this a bit?
- How long should the concrete cure before acid etching?
- How long should the acid solution be applied before washing it off?
- I don't have a power washer, is this critical to obtaining
the desired surface? Would mechanical means (like a heavy
brush) suffice?
Thanks
-Mark
|
|
Posted by DanG on October 20, 2006, 11:18 pm
These are fairly big sections of concrete. You will be casting
them upside down. Are you planning to mix your own concrete? and
if so about what recipe? How were you planning on handling these
200# blocks?
If you think you can turn them over and strip them at 24 hours,
have at. I think I would let them get at least 3 days old to
manhandle them. The greener they are, the faster the acid will
work, though you can acid wash 20 year old concrete to
clean/etch/and change the finish. Muriatic acid, rubber gloves,
old clothes, safety goggles, stiff fiber or plastic bristle brush,
no steel or tools anywhere close or rinse them well, garden hose
with spray nozzle, work outdoors with a breeze or a fan. Don't
try to save the left over Muratic. It is cheap. The fumes that
will get out of a used bottle will rust every piece of steel you
own in the shed or garage where you try to keep it. Factory
sealed jugs are OK. Baking soda or some other base will
neutralize the acid, though thorough rinsing should take care of
the concrete. No, a high pressure washer is not necessary.
You may want to make one or two miniatures to test your form work,
the chamfer and edger work, the finish from the acid etch so the
big blocks go well. You might also consider making the bottom
form (top of the cap stone) with a piece of 1/4" ply and holding
the 4 edges off the ground with scrap 2x material so the face will
bow with the weight of the concrete. This should give your caps a
slight crown to help shed water.
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net
>> The finish looks like something you could get by acid etching
>> the formed surfaces and power washing.
>
> Dan, can you elaborate on this a bit?
>
> - How long should the concrete cure before acid etching?
>
> - How long should the acid solution be applied before washing it
> off?
>
> - I don't have a power washer, is this critical to obtaining
> the desired surface? Would mechanical means (like a heavy
> brush) suffice?
>
> Thanks
> -Mark
>
>
|
|
Posted by Mark on October 21, 2006, 3:50 pm
> These are fairly big sections of concrete. You will be casting them
> upside down. Are you planning to mix your own concrete? and if so about
> what recipe?
Yep. I'm a masochist, so I mix my own in a heavy-duty wheelbarrow.
I start mixing with a short flat-blade shovel, then switch to a mixing
hoe.
I'm planning another test cast this afternoon with the following mix:
2-1/2 parts sand
2-1/2 parts aggregate
2 parts cement
water as needed
If you have a more appropriate mix to suggest, please let me know.
My very first color experiment (a mix of "brown," "buff" and "red"
coloring powder) came out quite well. I'm going to use a little more
buff and a little less brown on this next test and see how it compares.
> How were you planning on handling these 200# blocks?
By lifting with my knees, not with my back. :-)
|
Page 2 of 2 << first < 1 2
| Similar Threads | Posted | | Concrete casting question | October 11, 2006, 1:29 pm |
| breeze way part 3 | December 2, 2006, 8:03 pm |
| BECOME PART OF THE TERRA REVOLUTION | December 23, 2007, 6:26 pm |
| Clogged drain & drywall part II | August 21, 2006, 3:00 am |
| breezeway collar ties part 2? | November 26, 2006, 4:47 pm |
| concrete question | October 30, 2006, 9:34 am |
| Concrete slab question | June 29, 2007, 12:32 am |
| concrete pavers 12" x 12" Question Again! | April 9, 2007, 11:46 pm |
| concrete block N7, and RSJ question | October 21, 2007, 3:01 pm |
| Building a concrete wall question | July 18, 2006, 1:54 pm |
|
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap