I was a cement mason for 40 years. I am retired now and I am just starting to create concrete art. Many of the materials you use are common in modern concrete construction. Using the Rapid Set products should be used with caution as they set up as fast as you can mix them. I found out the hard way on a hot day! Now I add a retarder to slow down the set time just to make it workable. Thanks for the video. I like your work and look forward to seeing more of your tutorials.
Billy i always use a plasticizer at a 50/50 mix for all my sculptures. The retarder did not work for me as it brought the water to the surface where the features i just sculpted melted away. I prefer just Portland cement and sand for my mix. Sometimes trying other things reassures you what you are using is best.
Hi John the retarder does not work for me because it brought the moisture to the surface which melted away the features i just sculpted. Portland cement, sand and a mortar admix works best for me so far.
@@MontanaBlissArtworksThis comment is helpful, since I'm just getting started. I'm catching on to the different mixes for different techniques- for mold pouring concrete, vs hand building. For mold pouring in a detailed mold, you want a good flow, to get all the detail, but it is best for strength not to get the flow by water, but instead by additive for flow. For hand building, your point is great, that you do not want to get this flow, so keep it thicker. If it starts drying on you, I've seen another sculptor add superplasticizer rather than retarder, but she does it to mix still in the container, not already on the sculpture. I believe thin plastic wrap + wet burlap can also help retain moisture, for areas not yet worked on
Hint: 8:00 You can save a lot of pigment (and expense) if you use white Portland instead of Gray. As you mention, it's very difficult cover the gray color with the pigment. The main drawback of the white is that it's about 4X the cost of gray. But it works exactly the same.
Hi Glenn Thanks for watching. I do have white portland cement i find it to be different from the gray. Obviously the composition is different it is stickier when working with it. Also our local concrete plant does not sell it much and it ages i am guessing absorbing a minute amount of moisture and i have to really work at it to get a smooth consistency. So the grey is my choice to work with. Since i am usually working in browns i prefer to start with gray. When i was trying to create a true auburn color i started with white and it took extra pigment but the color was true. So i only use the white occasionally.
@@MontanaBlissArtworks I'm sad to hear you've had a bad experience with the white. From a purely technical position, the white is chemically the same. What they have done is to the product is to refine it further by removing all the impurities that give the regular Portland it's familiar gray color. Some of these natural impurities do impede the cementing action of the Portland, so perhaps that is what caused the difference in consistency for you. Personally, I've not noticed any difference, but then I usually pour into a mold rather than doing ferro-cementing or sculpting with the product. The other possibility, as you mention, may be the age of the product. It behooves me to understand why cement manufacturers still insist upon using paper storage bags for an anhydrous product when clearly, a plastic bag (or plastic lined) would contribute to the longevity of their product.
I was a cement mason for 40 years. I am retired now and I am just starting to create concrete art. Many of the materials you use are common in modern concrete construction. Using the Rapid Set products should be used with caution as they set up as fast as you can mix them. I found out the hard way on a hot day! Now I add a retarder to slow down the set time just to make it workable. Thanks for the video. I like your work and look forward to seeing more of your tutorials.
What about a plasticiser?
Billy i always use a plasticizer at a 50/50 mix for all my sculptures. The retarder did not work for me as it brought the water to the surface where the features i just sculpted melted away. I prefer just Portland cement and sand for my mix. Sometimes trying other things reassures you what you are using is best.
Hi John the retarder does not work for me because it brought the moisture to the surface which melted away the features i just sculpted. Portland cement, sand and a mortar admix works best for me so far.
@@MontanaBlissArtworksThis comment is helpful, since I'm just getting started. I'm catching on to the different mixes for different techniques- for mold pouring concrete, vs hand building. For mold pouring in a detailed mold, you want a good flow, to get all the detail, but it is best for strength not to get the flow by water, but instead by additive for flow. For hand building, your point is great, that you do not want to get this flow, so keep it thicker. If it starts drying on you, I've seen another sculptor add superplasticizer rather than retarder, but she does it to mix still in the container, not already on the sculpture. I believe thin plastic wrap + wet burlap can also help retain moisture, for areas not yet worked on
God bless you Barbara, you are a great inspiration.
Thank you do much Ed!
Hint: 8:00 You can save a lot of pigment (and expense) if you use white Portland instead of Gray. As you mention, it's very difficult cover the gray color with the pigment. The main drawback of the white is that it's about 4X the cost of gray. But it works exactly the same.
Hi Glenn
Thanks for watching. I do have white portland cement i find it to be different from the gray. Obviously the composition is different it is stickier when working with it. Also our local concrete plant does not sell it much and it ages i am guessing absorbing a minute amount of moisture and i have to really work at it to get a smooth consistency. So the grey is my choice to work with. Since i am usually working in browns i prefer to start with gray. When i was trying to create a true auburn color i started with white and it took extra pigment but the color was true. So i only use the white occasionally.
@@MontanaBlissArtworks I'm sad to hear you've had a bad experience with the white. From a purely technical position, the white is chemically the same. What they have done is to the product is to refine it further by removing all the impurities that give the regular Portland it's familiar gray color. Some of these natural impurities do impede the cementing action of the Portland, so perhaps that is what caused the difference in consistency for you. Personally, I've not noticed any difference, but then I usually pour into a mold rather than doing ferro-cementing or sculpting with the product.
The other possibility, as you mention, may be the age of the product. It behooves me to understand why cement manufacturers still insist upon using paper storage bags for an anhydrous product when clearly, a plastic bag (or plastic lined) would contribute to the longevity of their product.
i just started making things with concrete, im hooked. lol
Glad to hear you are enjoying concrete !
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO, I NEED TO KNOW THE NAME FOR THIS CEMENT WITH FIBER FROM AUSTRALIA ???? PELTIYA? PELTAYA?
CAN'T FIND THIS ???
Product is Pal Tiya
@@MontanaBlissArtworks Thank You so very much !!!!!!
@@MontanaBlissArtworks Do you have any review videos on the product Pal Tiya. Thanks
Thanks, informative.
What the name you said Mickel Bills?
Yes Michael Builds
Michael Builds!