DIYbanter - View Single Post

wrote:
Andy Evans wrote:
Hi,

If I wanted to make my own garden ornaments using a latex mould:

1. can I just use bog standard concrete or cement?

2. how do I frost proof it?

3. how do I colour the cement?

4. anybody had a go at this?

Thanks,

Andy.

Ian answered pretty thoroughly. I'll just add there are various
decoration methods such as including glass crumb in the mix for a
little sparkle, brick dust for red colouring, and of course the mould
could be lined with red/white./etc cement or mix then filled with the
cheaper grey.

Also if you mix soil in you can get plant life to grow on it, giving a
very natural type of finish.

Metal powder can be included in the slip lining to change appearance
once again - dont use steel/iron though, it expands with force.

Finally one can dump a fair amount of rubbish into the core with
non-hollow ornaments. Stones, broken bricks, general rubble.

To make glass crumb, put glass and a brick in the cement mixer and run
it for a bit before adding the cement and sand.

Finally if you have limbs etc that are prone to breaking off, adding 1%
plastic fibres increases tensile strength of the crete. Or 5% alkali
resistant glass fibre.

NT

Steel wire in the limbs also works as it puts half of the limb into
compression when force is applied. Mild steel quickly rusts and breaks
the ornament if used, which may be a good thing in some cases.

Ah yes, if you want to imitate stone, use that stone as powder or
flakes instead of as much sand as possible.

I suppose you could also cast a stripey jacket by alternating layers of
grey / white / red mortars, but I hope no-one would ever try it. Candy
cane fence posts anyone?

NT