Post #612911 by MadDogMike on Sun, Nov 6, 2011 8:59 AM

Thanks Linda and Tiger, that water trick seems a bit crazy but it works!

Some more work on my Hula Dancers concrete bench. A lot of techinical mumbo jumbo here, you can just come back in a month and see the finished project if you want :lol: Here are the completed tiles in the 16"x32" bench mold

This is my second bench I am casting, I had a few problems with my first one and want to experiment to see if I can fix those problems.

The concrete has to be vibrated really good to get it to settle around the tiles and give it a good smooth finish. That means the tiles have to be stable in the bottom of the mold so they don't move around. On my first bench, I stuck the tiles to a high tack adhesive film and put it in the bottom of the mold. It kept the pieces from moving around but the film is thick, it left an impression in the top of the bench and it chipped the concrete a little when I unmolded it. This time I am going to try to adhere the piece directly to the bottom of the mold. I need a glue that stick well enough to hold but not so good that it pulls the tiles out of the concrete when I unmold it, also something that will stick to smooth plastic and ceramic, something that any residue is easily removable. I am giving rubber cement a shot. Rubber cement placed on the face of the tiles and on the bottom of the mold then stuck together. When it was dry, I rubbed off the excess glue so it doesn't leave a mark in the cement.

The dancers are made from more than one piece (3 for the guy and 2 for the gal) because long flat pieces tend to warp in the kiln. I glued some steel rods to the back of the tiles to help keep them in line relative to each other. The rods will stay there, embedded in the concrete.

OK, enuf boring details for now. I may pour concrete this afternoon if the rubber cement ever dries :D