make Lightweight Concrete Garden Boxes PART 3 - Aircrete Vermiculite Lava Rock
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- Опубликовано: 25 июн 2024
- Make your own Lightweight Concrete Garden Boxes! Build the forms and cast your own reinforced lightweight concrete panels that join together to make long lasting and durable garden boxes. I'll make 3 lightweight concrete versions of my garden panel from Aircrete, Vermiculite, and Lava Rock. This is Part 3 of the series.
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FOAM MIXER: amzn.to/2XjLfKh
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#concrete #lightweightconcrete #aircrete 
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I now have molds ready-to-go here: manabouttools.com/product-category/abs-plastic-molds/
the best thing about this video is you show how to make aircrete in an hour without first spending days building one of those damn foam machines everyone else uses. THANK YOU!
Yes, yes, yes!
Dude talked about concrete for garden boxes for almost 19 minutes and I watched and heard every second of it.
Oh well done for being able to concentrate for so long!
Didnt even realize that was 19 minutes
Yup, I am a sick building geek, too. We are not alone, LOL.
And it was worth every second!!! I wonder how perlite would do mixed in, if it would be better or the same as the vermiculite? Maybe that is the next video!!!
ok , here i go binge watching another AWESOME channel!
i would use the best of two worlds, built the first one out of concrete, then the top three or two out of air-crete this way your base is solid as strong and withstands the mowing!
The foam making alone was worth the watching!
Thanks! That truly is fun.
@@MANaboutTOOLS Out of Interest - which paddle would you stick with - and am I missing something as to why you would invest in a foam generator? - your foam wasn't as voluminous as from a generator - but it looked good enough to me.
@@ralphstube I'd use the smaller, egg beater style one. It worked well and I think the foam was dense enough. I had almost no foam collapse. But, I do think a foam generator (dialed in right) can produce an even denser foam. From what I've seen.
@@MANaboutTOOLS A suggestion for a tank on a foam generator i made, I used a a cornelius keg for home brewing. It is 5 gallon capacity, made for pressure and can be picked up used for less than $50 with fittings available at the local homebrew store. IMO it is better than the PVC made ones because pvc is not made for pressurized air.
I agree. I can save a lot by hand mixing (no foam machine). I would use the mixer that kicked out the foam over the edge but with a cover. I'll bet the AC box will be a lot tougher in a month, not that I find it too soft, this stuff stops a bullet and will never burn.
I would like to compliment MAN about TOOLS for how well the videos are edited. I've done videos myself and then got a job doing them professionally. Top notch job!
You can add outdoor latex paint in place of half the water to any concrete mixture to give a unique finished texture and color. It seems to last just fine in the weather as well but I've only had my test pieces outside for 6 years so I've got 4 more years of weathering to finish my tests. In this aircrete I imagine the latex would offer some flexibility and maybe even a little strength but it will be next spring before I can even get around to starting that project. Thank you so much for these videos.
Love the reciprocating saw (no blade) idea.
You can put a concrete leveler finish over the panels that will make them as durable on the surface as regular concrete.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it before but you can use recycled Styrofoam (Insulation board or that Styrofoam packing that comes with most small appliances; ground up into little pea sized bits) as an additive to your concrete to lighten it without losing strength. We have been doing this for years when making Halloween decorations. Great for Pillars, Tombstones and other yard decor that needs to survive the elements (Canada)
What ratio do you recommend?
I wouldn't put plastic in concrete meant to be used in my garden.
What's a good way to grind them up? What shredding mechanism do you use?
That gives very bad quality concrete but to each their one.
I laugh when idiots think that adding foam doesn't decrease strength. There's reason no one uses it for load bearing walls. You need to learn self control and not fall for every hair brained idea you see.
In this video, you're not only a gardener, a mason, but also a scientist. Keep doing what you're doing. Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.
Now that's a cliffhanger ending. Tune in next time.
I'm enjoying watching the progress, refining the process and improving the product.
Thanks for sharing.
Watching paint dry? This was fascinating to watch you thoroughly test and improve your original design, especially seeing the weight differences and durability.
Thanks Charles! I was really worn out at the end of a long day of shooting. I just threw that comment in there and my wife said I had to keep it. ;o)
Now I learned something, at the age of 74. Mostly from the cements below. Thank you folks.
Nice!
Notes on aircrete:
- I just wrap a stainless steel scrub pad around the tines of the paddle mixer, it flails out and distributes more surface area per unit of force to break air into the soap solution.
- For the soap solution itself I've gotten to just using a teaspoon of SLSA powder to 3 pints of hot water to make a 5 gallon bucket full of foam.
- To make the panel face more durable use a portland and sand mix to make a thin film (like a finish coat of stucco [1 part cement to 1 1/2 - 3 parts sand]) to coat the face of the mold first then pour in the aircrete.
-You can also add sand, vermiculite, or charcoal fines to the aircrete mix.
- Charcoal is a good lightweight aggregate on its own as well (not the briquettes obviously, but the naturally structured kind you make in a retort).
- Aircrete is stronger when it is skinned on both sides. Think of it like the aerated gypsum fill in a panel of drywall. As long as the paper is there it's fairly strong, but once you cut the surface it snaps easily.
- Landscape fabric, window screen, agribon, housewrap or other durable materials with textured or adsorbent surfaces can be used to face each side or be buried near the face just below a finish layer of cement to create tensile reinforcement and prevent bowing.
You can also recycle some styrofoam by grinding up cups, plates and packaging material and using the stryofoam frass in place of the soap foam. It creates a mixture that can be vibrated and packed but weighs roughly the same.
I'm enjoying the videos, keep them coming.
Just a note, on gypsum the paper is tensile strength not compression, the aircrete will lack compressive strength just by the very nature of its components,
Note: cracking and hairlines do not mean the beam was compromised, that’s taken up by the rebar
No because the reinforcement needs to be under stress before it will take the load. Before stressing it won't have compressive strength once stressed the metal spreads the force.
So Un Mapa was right the hairline cracking doesn't indicate compromised concrete
Christopher Smith Great additional information! Would the styrofoam and concrete mix be less susceptible to failure than aircrete?
@@codykiroff5078 Yes. The styrofoam beads are a sturdy aggregate on their own and the cement can be mixed with an optimal amount of water. Aircrete is always necessarily too wet to create a strong cement bond. Although you could also make a batch of aircrete, crush it into aggregate (or spread it thin on a plastic sheet so that it breaks up easily and uniformly) and mix that cured aircrete with more cement at an optimal water ratio and achieve a similar effect to using styrofoam beads.
You found the right balance in your presentation. It was interesting and informative all the way. I was never bored and never felt the need to speed up any part of it. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
Great video! You've made life easier for hundreds of thousands of us. Thanks!
Our city’s botanical garden uses peat moss to make their concrete planters really light yet durable.
Could coconut coar also be used.but more environmentally friendly too
For these first tests I wanted to exclude organic materials. That's why I didn't do a hypertufa version.
Hypertufa requires a much longer cure time than many DIYers have the patien ce for.
Ken! It wasn't boring like watching paint dry! I have been bingeing your Concrete Garden Boxes videos (albeit on double speed...). They are great!!! Please keep making quality content like this :)
I appreciate the knowledge you've shared with us, good to know the practicality and limitations of these options!
God Bless you, and your parents as well for bringing up such a nice person.
The amount of details you put in the videos you upload is beyond imaginable and I learn a lot from your videos. RUclips recommended you to me, and I'm glad! Concrete really is a wonderful material, I think it's one of the best to use in the garden as far as inert materials go (impregnated wood can have some toxic chemicals I wouldn't want near my garden). Please keep up the good work, your videos are really helpful and motivate me to go out and build something myself. Thank you!
Very cool!
Vermiculite is indeed expanded mica and is used in potting media to retain moisture and provides air space. There is also larger sized vermiculite, used for packing, but not usually available through big box stores (seen through Uline). I agree with another commenter that perlite might be a better option as it is used mostly to provide air space in planting media and is still very lightweight. Somewhat like the lava rock, except smaller and lighter.
I hope you will try some of the aircrete suggestions too; I am very curious to see how those compare with this version. Thanks again for doing all these tests and providing details on the components for each. Definitely more interesting that watching paint dry - I didn’t even realize the video was 19 minutes!
Love it! No worries I watch it on x2 speed and I can follow along just fine.
This video about lithweight concrete was what I've been lookin for since a year ago. Thank you very much.
Awsome job. Very well presented. Bring on part 4. 👍
Thanks! I'm in the throws of editing Part 4 right now.
You might try an additional "submerged" curing step after removing from the form. Concrete crystallizes/cures slowly over a period of days/weeks/months/years, and the presence of water positively affects the process. It's possible that your aircrete panels simply dried out faster than the other ones due to additional surface area, affecting the cure.
What is "submerged" curing?
@@emilystubbs5650 soaked in water :)
Gotta say, this is one of the better channels on RUclips. You good sir are now in my top 3
Many thanks to you and to Harry. I'm preparing to build my own house by your and Harry's methods. Wish you a great life and jobs. Love from Türkiye
I have done light weight block using vermiculite
If you pre wet vermiculite and drain excess water before mixing, it works very well. I have even achieved 50 % weight reduction
As someone who has worked with concrete and mortar for over 46 years, may I suggest decreasing the amount of water and substantially increasing the amount of glass fibers to increase overall strength, increase the surface strength, and decrease bowing and cracking?
concrete does not get stronger by adding fibers or steel , it just holds it together in case it cracks (I'm not talking about prestressed concrete ) Cheers Will from 3D Stones high end concrete on FB
@@willdeburr By your own admission, rebar and glass fibers DO make it stronger: both materials increase the tensile strength of concrete.
@whitemanbrownworld plasticizers may reduce concrete's compressive strength, but this may not be an issue with garden boxes.
Hey how are you Michael Burnee, I am working on Light Weight Concrete what's the best water cement ratio for light weight concrete.....
@@user-yg9pz7dr5s Since aggregates and cement properties vary, the only way to determine the ideal wet-to-dry rations is to carefully measure the ingredients, mix them thoroughly, and test them for slump. The ideal mix is one that has just enough moisture to hydrate the dry ingredients and provide workability - but no more
Thank you for your testing it really saves the rest of us Di-yrs i lot of headaches.
Not boring at all. I really appreciate your detailed explanations
Great work - I would like to see you use these methods to make some large planter pots. My motivation is I have a 'mobile garden' in large pots on wheels so I can move them about to clean the underlying pavers and make the best of the seasonal sun (or shade on hot days). Ideally, I would like to build the castors into the pots somehow. I'm thinking the perlite mix with reinforcing may be best.
Your riveting shows are very therapeutic. No way anxiety could possibly interfere. :)
Great video. Finally someone who provides the ingredient ratios.
Falling asleep wasn't a problem because of how you explain it as you go! Love your videos please keep them coming.
I trained as a geologist, worked for a while as a cement finisher, and have a soft spot for some Brutalist architecture (which your garden boxes remind me of). I loved this! I'm just hoping you add some coloured hardener to your future experiments ;)
Would you specify the type, brand and ratio of the color hardeners you mention … that would be valuable. Thanks.
Way more interesting than watching paint dry. Well done and well paced. Thanks Manabouttools
Marion Wilkinson
I agree 1000%
Thanks Kent, great video, looking forward to the next one.
I want to thank you for making this video! I learned that you can use a swazall without a blade as a concrete vibrator and was happy to see it worked as well as it did. However I think you forgot to put sand in the aircrete mix and was surprised it worked so well without it!!!
maybe try PERLITE (expanded volcanic rock) or LECA pebbles (expanded clay)
Or Dry Stall - a naturally occurring lightweight volcanic aggregate. Very lightweight.
Pumice may work better than perlite. Panels can be used to build a fruit tree box. Removing the panels every few years to prune the roots can extend it's life
You answered one of my main questions with air crete; thanks...
Thank you for all the test!
You should try a perlite mix. It's used as a refractory in diy forges and pizza ovens. Finding a recipe on line shouldn't be a problem.
Wow, at 17:24 that's exactly what I wanted to know about aircrete. Thank you for saving me time and resources. I'll continue searching for just the right material. Excellent video, thumbs UP! Thank YOU!
Thanks! In Part 3.6 the Aircrete worked out very well. Much denser, stronger, and more durable. Have a look.
Am Italian... Watching concrete being mixed is in the blood. Thanks for the informative video. Have always wondered about a more simple way to make aircrete. Shall now move to the next video. Love the practical design of your forms in making attachment simple. Thanks again
Not boring at all! Love this series and appreciate all the time you’re putting into it. Looking forward to next episode! Thank you
The red material that you called lava rock is not rock at all, it is called cinders and it is foamed volcanic glass, the red color is an iron contaminate, it come in three colors, red, black and white, the white being called pumice and most commonly seen as a bird accessory that floats on water, crushed lava rock is very heavy.
Very informative.
One of the best how to videos on UTube! Thanks!
you made my day, I suggested the aircrete (among others), I am a stroke survivor and ill appreciate the lightness,,,,,thank you sir!!
You are very welcome! I appreciate the comment! Cheers!
You have to think of cement itself as being glue. It has little strength on it's own. Aggregate (well graded) is what gives concrete it's strength and durability. Blending cement with fine sand (mortar sand) and even using fly-ash or silica fume will greatly improve your aircrete's strength.
The updated Aircrete panel mix used by Honey Do Carpenter also contains Perlite /(not vermiculite) Hydrated lime /J-Lube .I bought the 3 recipes from him but it would be unfair to publish the exact ratios as this is his payback for research. He also uses Rabbit wire mesh not mini rebars. This mix produces lovely panels .
Coldtrader 47 how can I purchase the receipts
@@emileouedraogo494 Go to Honey Do Carpenter page and in blue underneath is a link to his Etsy Store .He has panel only mix for sale or 3 mixs for panels, a high temperature mix for forges/ rocket stoves and a mix for aircrete raised garden bed ( these are individual linking blocks not panels as shown here .The mixes are basic/ simple but having the correct ratios will save you days of failure trying other combinations
I've watched this same video 2 years ago...now that I'm building a garden I'm glad I can look back and use your technique. Thankyou for making my yard look very professional.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for a very interesting video. I found your channel while looking for information on aircrete and foamcrete and have been bingeing ever since. Keep up the great videos and can't hardly wait to see episode #4.
Great video and on a project i am planning to do, i did aircrete side walks around the house , with 3 parts foam, 2 parts sand 1 part cement, they hold up well to foot traffic , but did gough from my lawnmower deck and the 2 places someone mistakenly hit with a car tire it cracked .
I've often wondered why more people don't try putting sand in their aircrete and reduce the amount of bubbles.
This is a great idea! Maybe do a 1x4 (or whatever) form just far enough to give you a 2" concrete side, with a 1" top across the aircrete sidewalk for lawnmower protection? Just a thought. But I LOVE this idea! Did you do a gravel base or footing beneath it?
Oh, I have been waiting for this episode -- lets see the verdict :)
A lot of time and effort went into this video -- thanks for your effort.
Great series - thanks for doing all the tests...
These videos are excellent. Thank you!
The lack of strength on thinner pieces is why I'm experimenting with graphene as a reinforcing additive. And you could also improve the outside facing surface by mixing up a painting hard facing slurry to coat the inside of the mold like a mortar mix with the fibers then fill it with the aircrete mix. That should solve the surface softness. As for the curving while curing I haven't personally experienced that but I add durabond 20 joint compound to my aircrete mix. It helps the aircrete set faster, keeps the bubbles from coalescing if you're using shampoo and helps reduce slump.
Doorbond 20 is that the stuff that makes new concrete stick to Old concrete cuz I was considering trying that I forgot to add in my first test though today plan on trying it tomorrow see what it does PS I'm using a mixture of cement pumice sand and hand soap with vegetable glucose any advice would be nice
@@morganflaherty9552 durabond 20 is a plaster in powder form that needs to be mixed with water and has a cure time of about 20 min, it's typically used in drywall or wall plaster repair applications. On any exterior applications if I could get away with not using it I wouldn't use it but if used sparingly, just enough to help keep the foam from collapsing on you, you might be ok.
In what way will graphene help with strength?
@@randybobandy9828 it acts like tiny carbon rebar through the whole mix turning crumbling Aircrete into a stronger product.
Hydraulic cement will work better also leave them in the forms for 5 days this should help the flexing and as soon as you take them out cure them with a sealant like tile sealer or better yet concrete cure this should do the trick I'm going to try your vermiculite panels and see how they work thanks for the video and I do not find it like watching the paint dry can't wait for part 4
I'll look into hydraulic cement too. Thanks for the comment! Cheers, Kent
I just saw this video in my recommended and due to a bit of ocd I had to start at part 1. So I just watched all 3 back to back and didn't fall asleep. Great series since I have some planter boxes in my backyard that my grandfather built in the very early 60's that really need rebuilding. I think I might just give this a try. Keep up the good work.
Thanks again Kent, well done! Jimmy.
when part 4 is coming? can't wait. I am ready to make some.
I am editing Part 4 right now. Should be done within 2 weeks at the latest.
I was able to make a very lightweight gypsum wallboard compound by simply dissolving a small amount of TSP (Tri-sodium-phosphate) in the water. TSP is often available at paint suppliers for cleaning. There was no need to mechanically create foam. Just the mixing of the gypsum powder in the solution, seemed to accomplish that. It has been years, so sorry for the lack of exact ratios but the dried compound was about half the weight.
There are also some commercially available admixtures designed for air entrainment, in concrete.
Thanks for doing these experiments 👍
I very much appreciate your experimentation! 👍Thank you for sharing, truly! Juli, Tucson, AZ
Could you do a known strong mix but add a pipe into the large area of the panel?
Pretty darn cool how you keep working on improvements for these. Nice work, great results.
Wonderful testing !! , Thank you , good job !!!
Thanks for sharing. Nicely done
ACTUALLY Fascinating :: you have taken a useful and interesting project/product and turned it into an exploration into processes and materials that has uses far beyond the initial and obvious. You are to be congratulated on great and thoughtful work. . . . . See U later !
Yea, What George Ray said (no need to repeat). Excited for part 4!
I just said “Fascinating!”
I don't have time for this
Great video. Have you considered trying to use a Styrofoam panel in the center, with wire reinforcing
on each side, surrounded with a thin shell of concrete?
Doing that would make the block very weak and easy to snap, but grind up the styrofoam panel and mix it through the mix and it should work well.
Modern.. Easy. N sleek beutiful..
Was not boring at all. Loved it.
Thanks for sharing your ideas. Why not use pearlite & 1 can of shaving cream instead of lava rock?
No idea about the warping, but for durability you could coat first with a cement slurry to smooth the surface, then coat with a concrete sealer. Not sure how hard those sealers get, but they make kitchen counters that way.
Thanks for this video. Very useful, clear instructions.
You are amazing! Thank you so much for this series of videos!
Awesome video! Sure wish the Aircrete was more durable looks wicked light. What if you used perlite instead of vermiculite that would make lighter.
I'm going to revisit the aircrete panel. I'd like to try a few more options. I really like aircrete and want to get a good panel from it if I can.
@@MANaboutTOOLS ideally Aircrete would be the ultimate. Please keep me informed plan to start building 3 ft. forms soon, I have a few projects that need finishing up first. From the looks of your channel, you know all about multiple pans on the 🔥. Truth be told, I didn't notice the music on part 1 until you mentioned it in part 2 😂.
@@MANaboutTOOLS how about, when setting up the air crete panels lay in a veneer of regular concrete on the exterior side for the weed whacking edge or do a decorative pea gravel on the edges that need extra durability, or use a high strength mortar mix like in ep 4 for the edging with or without the pea gravel that might help prevent the bend/flex issue... I can't hoist 80# bags of cement anymore, but rather use something like this than treated lumber in the garden
Great video. Appreciate your experiment and findings. As you know vermiculite absorbs water so it absorbs the cement slurry. If you used perlite.. which does not absorb water the same as vermiculite does you may find it better than vermiculite. I use perlite in my hypertufa mix for lighter weight. Best wishes.
Hi Sandy, what is the formula for that? Thank you
@@BackyardStoneArt lots of videos on RUclips on Hypertufa. I use 1/3 portland cement (not concrete), 1/2 perlite, 1/3 peat moss (or Coir, coconut fiber and water.
@@BackyardStoneArt Many RUclips videos on Hypertufa. I use 1/3 Portland cement (not concrete), 1/3 perlite, 1/3 peat moss (coir coconut fiber) and water.
@@BackyardStoneArt 1/3 perlite, 1/3 Portland cement, 1/3 peat moss (or coconut coir).
Wow, great video! Great information! And very cost effective and doable.
thank you for all work
I've really wanted to try this for a while! (get rid of my wooden garden beds). Have you ever tried silicon molds for you concrete so they last longer? Would love to see a video on that
Great video, excellent explanation & communication. Now, to improve your results.
1. Don't know if you did in the previous videos, but spray form release or even diesel on your boxes for easier removal and for extended life. Better yet use melamine with the white part being the area that meets the concrete. Melamine produces fantastic results if you use it in conjunction with point #2 below.
2. Mix and BRUSH on a coat of a concrete patching compound on to the sides and bottom of your form boxes (don't use the fiber in the patching compound). Make sure to get in the corners really good and you only need it to be about 1/16 of an inch thick but basically if you brush it on and don't see the form peeking through you are good. Then once it sets up, but before it dries, pour in your concrete mix and finish as usual. Just make sure the compound has a fine sand. Quikrete's Architectual finish is one of the best options (paints & stains real good), or their standard Concrete Patching Compound, even their Vinyl Concrete Patcher (won't stain paint will peel off eventually). Personally, I apply some oil to a rag and wipe it on the forms beforehand as patching compounds tend to adhere really good. What this does is it produces a smooth, dense, veneer with a very nice finish, free of voids, but since you are pouring in your concrete before it dries you end up with a monolithic structure.
3. If you are using fiber, never mix it in a wheelbarrow with a shovel. The fiber has to be broken up into almost individual strands, and a shovel doesn't produce near enough agitation to break up the clumps. You can break it up by placing your sand and the fiber in a bucket and using your drill with a mixing paddle attachment and drilling them dry until you see the fiber evenly dispersed and broken up into individual strands. If you're having a hard time you can add your water and that will help. Alternatively, use a small mortar mixer (drum type) to mix your concrete with the fiber, just make sure to let it mix for about 10 minutes to allow the mixing action to break up the fiber. The mortar mix won't work for the Aircrete though.
4. The reason for most of your cracks is too much water in your mix. Use a water reducer or superplastisizer in your mix. Fritz-pac makes all kinds. Or just use less water, since you brushed on the patching compound you don't need too worry to much about flowability, and getting a smooth finish on the top of the form, which is the backside of the planter wall, isn't as important as reducing cracks.
5. Add a bit of acrylic concrete bonder to your concrete mix. This will help it bond better to the patching compound, or mix it 50/50 with water and put it in a sprayer or spray bottle and spray the patching compound after you have brushed it on the box.
Keep it up! I just subscribed.
Staining gardening box (which could be used to produce consumables) walls with diesel or any other aggressive and potentially harmful chemicals doesn't sound like a good idea. Even this shampoo , I have mixed feelings about it...
@@staweks Note that the diesel, or if you prefer, form release, goes on the outside of the box, not the inside (gardening side). A minimal amount is used, though if your sensitivity is extreme it might still be an issue. It will also dissipate over time.
I loved it, as well the clarity for understanding direction.
Im still cant understand those dislikes. 10/10 to this video. Thnx so much for your time.
Best regard from Argentina
Excellent! I agree that the Vermiculite would be superior but wondered if getting a pulverized lava rock would have some benefits for mixing and smoothness ..... can't wait to see part 4!
That's what I was thinking as well or using pumice instead of lava rock because of the weight and density .
@@royalspin does pumice lava rock weigh less than the black kind?
Don't use Portland cement. Use hydraulic cement it is a lot better for durable air Crete construction.
James, that's worth a try. Thx
@@MANaboutTOOLS can't wait to see you test this one in episode 4!
@@MANaboutTOOLS Also use liquid sodium silicate. And let the concrete dry for at least a week. And wet it with water every day.
Hydraulic cement expands after set so maybe a few adjustments to forms to compensate? A more relaxed angle on the decorative keyed face, maybe a couple of rubber washers under the heads of the screws that hold it together to allow for a bit of expansion and looser pins for the PVC?
@@Timoshim could you explain this idea further? Why do this and why wet it everyday?
Incredible video. So much valuable information. I would like to try the vermiculite mix for some of my garden projects. Looking forward to your 4th part. Thanks.
Great study! Impressive job! Thanks, Man About Tools.
Man, I am loving this series. I have made a more primitive version of this mold casting system, and I can say it works well. I have several walls now, but am very interested in this low weight idea. So very clever. I have heard good things on Vermiculite. I will try that myself.
Thank you for the ideas, and processes. Very fun.
I love this series! The whole system design is so impressive - I can't wait to make my own! For me, I see them as a great durable, non-permanent solution for edging between my lawn and planting beds. Thanks for doing all the tedious R&D for us!
Amazing! You helped me make my decision on custom pillar caps.
Great job. Clean, concise and to the point.
Just a suggestion would be to try perlite instead of vermiculite. Perlite is white and doesn't absorb water.
the romans made light concreat using pumice covered with blood. blood makes light concreat stronger...plz dont use human blood!
Perlite is a god option
Looks like I need to do a follow up to this specific episode to try more options. I will do a perlite version for sure. I try to keep my videos under 20 minutes. So, it's tough to fit everything in. Cheers, Kent
Vermiculite , depending on where it is sourced, is also a source of asbestos. Many gardeners are favoring perlite for that reason.
@@terrywereb7639 Wow! I did not know that.
Concrete shrinks and cracks because of too much water in the mix, drying too fast or not enough cement.
You also need more fiber-mesh in the mix.
Dry it up, add more fiber-mesh, and more concrete.
archangel20031 right, I was surprised how little fiber mesh he used
I'd try 2 pieces of rebar #4 bar that would add very little weight yet would do well along his bowing issue
@@lukasjackson4739 I was concerned that heavy wire would sink. The lighter galvanized fence section looked like a better option at the time.
@@Juanro_7 The "pinch" of glass fiber was the amount recommended for that volume. A third of an ounce, which I eyeballed based on weighing it with a smaller scale. The glass fiber blended well throughout the mix.
In the trade we would use chairs it would be a lengthy explanation if you're not familiar. just Google rebar chairs I believe that could give you some ideas
a second option would be to suspend the rebar using rebar tie wire, wrap a little Loop around the rebar let it extend up out of the top of your form. lay a temporary piece of rebar across the top of your form and then wrap the wire around it, after your concrete has set up a little while, you could just snap that wire . I love your project I like what you're doing I poured my grandson a concrete overpass for his Tonka trucks it doubles as a nice little bench near my garden.
Also you were correct in assuming the concrete set up faster on a warmer day.
the hotter it is the faster concrete will set up, the faster it sets the more it will shrink crack and bow. Awesome project! I've been in the trade 25 years but had never ran into the aircrete very interesting
You do a great job with the video + editing of this series. Eagerly anticipating part 4! (and no sleeping ;) )
Subbed at 1.30. Impressed. Thank you for sharing your accumulated wisdom.