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Posted
  On 08/10/2019 at 08:18, bassanclan said:

I bought some from the manufacturers and when I went to pick them up I could see how they were made. There's no mesh inside, just soft or silver sand and cement.

 

The moulds have the look of being painted with liquid rubber, which I imagine is a release agent. DPM would be too thick and wrinkly, but if you have any tanking liquid from your bathroom renovation that might do the job???

 

Make sure you buy all your sand in one go to make sure you get colour consistency 

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The new ones are made from Silicone rubber and are flexible to allow them to remove the mould from fairly complex castings. 

 

Out of interest, what colour have you got as I’m trying to come up with a “blend” to match some sandstone and I’m looking at using Snowcem with yellow sand but it possibly needs some mortar colour in it. 

Posted
  On 08/10/2019 at 08:37, JSHarris said:

I've seen a concrete coffee table made using a mould made from laminate covered boards.  The finish on that was pretty good. 

 

I think that one challenge maybe how to ensure there are no air bubbles on the surface.

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Moulds I've seen made from Melamine or Formica topped material are pretty good - release agent used in them was WD40 ! They put in a 10mm or so layer with just sand and cement from the looks of it,  and then used a roller docker to settle it into the bottom of the trays and remove air, then topped them up with a mix with some 10mm gravel in. 

 

@Onoff you can buy these.... 

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 08/10/2019 at 08:55, PeterW said:

 

Out of interest, what colour have you got as I’m trying to come up with a “blend” to match some sandstone and I’m looking at using Snowcem with yellow sand but it possibly needs some mortar colour in it. 

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I think you'll need some mortar dye to get the colour right.  The render on our retaining wall is a mix of white cement, yellow sand and hydraulic lime, and is a fairly pale cream colour.  It's a fair bit lighter than the honey coloured "sandstone" that we've used for garden walls.  The colour is about the same as magnolia emulsion, maybe very slightly darker.  The sand we used was a very deep yellow.

Posted
  On 09/10/2019 at 19:16, Onoff said:

 

It's telling isn't it when lying on a scrap of dpm in the dark is preferable!

 

So useful this little Parkside welder.

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You must be in trouble to stay outside so late ..... ? 

Posted

thats why led head torches were invented for.  Got mine out this week - great to have an old friend back....

Posted
  On 09/10/2019 at 19:57, CC45 said:

thats why led head torches were invented for.  Got mine out this week - great to have an old friend back....

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I need at some time to add some bright LEDs around the welding mask which many people do. Amazing the difference good strong light makes to seeing the weld pool even when the mask auto darkens. I might invest in a cheat lens too.

Posted
  On 09/10/2019 at 20:17, Onoff said:

 

I need at some time to add some bright LEDs around the welding mask which many people do. Amazing the difference good strong light makes to seeing the weld pool even when the mask auto darkens. I might invest in a cheat lens too.

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What’s a cheat lens. 

Posted

Honestly, as a start, improve the lighting on your work area it makes a world of difference. Try and focus it on the weld area.

 

Buy an ESAB Sentinel mask too if you've £200 ish to spare. Just look at the field of vision! You can get it air fed too:

 

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Who wouldn't want to look like this?

 

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Posted

Do a bit, it rains, repeat! ? Being under the tree is a double edged sword. A bit of protection but light not so good and then there's the leaves:

 

20191012_151230

 

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Temporary halt to proceedings whilst I knock up a ply former for this pillar's junction box and drill the stainless steel plate lintels with my new Chinesium hole saws...if they work!

 

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"Stainless steel is special?

 

Posted

4 holes out of 42 drilled for my plate lintels! 

 

Quite impressed with the hole saws so far in 5mm 304 stainless plate. No blunting or loss of teeth! Used with cutting fluid in the small pillar drill. They're stamped Hss rather than Hss Co. Cut as clean as a whistle:

 

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Posted

Well the Chinesium bits did their thing. Make that Chinesium BIT as in I only used one. Forty two 25mm holes in 5mm 304 stainless plate aided by the odd squirt of finest Machine Mart cutting fluid from a Lucozade bottle. It's still SHARP FFS!

 

Bench cleaned up and the plates all degreased in the kitchen sink when SWMBO wasn't  looking:

 

2019-10-15_07-45-53

 

Pity I should have drilled 44...

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Posted
  On 13/10/2019 at 16:57, Onoff said:

 

Matches the holes in the bricks to tie everything together.

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Wow.  Never seen this before.  Is it just mortar?

 

Looking forward to seeing the flint infill (although obviously not trying to rush you).  The panels look more substantial than I imagined.

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