Concrete Mix Question Fire Clay

[Taye]

So I have been messing around with stuff to get a vertical mix to work so far nothing is going well.

It just seems that the mix is not sticky enough so it is hard to stamp and hold. It would slide off  all the time. I do use a scratch coat and diamond wire.

My question do you think fire clay would help make it more sticky? I read that fire clay can be be added to mortar to make it more sticky.

If not what can I add to make it more sticky and hold better?

any admixture?

My mix

I use  1part portland, 2 part sand, 1 part perlite, some polymer, some plasticzer.

It so hard to stamp and it slide off all the time.

any help would be great, i am on the end of the stick and am about to quit.

premix bags are out of the question because they are too expensive to ship.

Other products like SpecMix, customFloat is not sold at my home depot or lowes.

Thanks!

[Taye]

Is there a difference in Silica sand? and Masony sand?

I only purchase silica #30 cause i read somewhere that the best stuff to use?

What do you mean by it too fine? does it mean too small? 

Are the masony sand bigger?

Do they sell masonary or mortar sand in a bag?

Don Hansen said:

Silica sand is too fine and expensive for rock carving. Use masony or morter sand that you can get at a  block  (building material) company.

[Mike Vernelson]

"Richening the mix up with a little more portland cement and a bit of bonding agent can help. Lime and yes fire clay because of  its very "silky" body will add stickiness. If your carving it , lose the pearlite. Dont waste your money on silica sand unless your work will be veiwed through a microscope. Mason or playsand is a good way to go and as stated before I too love the flyash. I use as little chemical "preferably none" additives as possible because in the longrun they tend to have negative effects on the finished product. Sand, cement, flyash or clay and good'ol water. I may vary the mix slightly depending on  the rocktype.

[Taye]

Thanks!!! i recently found some fly ash.

If someone can help with a mix.

Would this work?

1bag of mortar type s  60lb

1 shoval of clement

1 shoval of fly ash

a bit of polymer

and water.

or

3 parts sand

1 parts clement

1 parts fly ash

a bit of polymer

Would i be able to carve with this? how far do you think i can build out?

Please edit my mix!! thanks!!!!!

Mike Vernelson said:

"Richening the mix up with a little more portland cement and a bit of bonding agent can help. Lime and yes fire clay because of  its very "silky" body will add stickiness. If your carving it , lose the pearlite. Dont waste your money on silica sand unless your work will be veiwed through a microscope. Mason or playsand is a good way to go and as stated before I too love the flyash. I use as little chemical "preferably none" additives as possible because in the longrun they tend to have negative effects on the finished product. Sand, cement, flyash or clay and good'ol water. I may vary the mix slightly depending on  the rocktype.

[Brian Bobik]

@Jeff and @Mike, did you use the mix you described for your projects in your pictures?

[Mike Vernelson]

Yep, thats it.

[jeff kirt/ kirtbag Carving mix]

Kirtbag carving mix is cheap and will stick and hang on the side of a plastic barrel. You wont have to store 5/6 different products in your garage. Give me a call and i can see what i can do for you.

[Hobby Carver]

Hi Taye,

Im new to this too and have alot of trouble with my mix cause i live in australia and cant get any premix bags either,

All I use is 1 part portlant cement, 2 parts sand, then polymer that i have pre mixed with water in 1 litre bottles at about 70% water 30% polymer.

This I use for scratch coat and carve coat and i find you need the mix to be like about a peanutbutter consistancy.

It does help to use fly ash to though.

But yeh it takes patience but it does work for me. I bought a mortar sprayer to now and that makes it 10 times easier!! money well spent.

Hope this helps but im no expert by any means hahaha.. good luck dont give up....

 

[Bruce Rogers]

Hey Matt, I live in Oz too, but South. Sydney area.

Wondering what kind of compressor, and how big (horsepower, litres/minute etc) you use. Do you hire one, and if so, how much does it cost for a compressor that big?

I saw somewhere you need a compressor about 10 horsepower.

So it really makes the job that much easier/faster?

Thanks,

Bruce

Matt Lewis said:

Hi Taye,

Im new to this too and have alot of trouble with my mix cause i live in australia and cant get any premix bags either,

All I use is 1 part portlant cement, 2 parts sand, then polymer that i have pre mixed with water in 1 litre bottles at about 70% water 30% polymer.

This I use for scratch coat and carve coat and i find you need the mix to be like about a peanutbutter consistancy.

It does help to use fly ash to though.

But yeh it takes patience but it does work for me. I bought a mortar sprayer to now and that makes it 10 times easier!! money well spent.

Hope this helps but im no expert by any means hahaha.. good luck dont give up....

 

[Mike Vernelson]

You need at least 90 cfm, and your regular sise airhose dont cut it. I bought a honda compressor that is the wheelbarrel style 12 horse and rigged it up with the 1/2" hose and it makes the mud fly through that gun.

[Hobby Carver]

 Hey Bruce,

Good to chat to someone from oz who is into this haha

Yeh mate i used my mates compressor it was a trade tools petrol

167litres per min, twin 8 litre tanks, 4.8hp

but it had trouble keeping those small tanks full. Im looking at buying a single phase 310 litres per min, 63 litre tank 3.2hp from trade tools around $800 should work well. I mean with my mates one it sprayed great it just lagged a bit.

Hope that helps ya mate id be interested in chating to ya about some to do with getting things here in Oz other stuff to mate so ill add you as a friend cheers mate.

Hey Matt, I live in Oz too, but South. Sydney area.

Wondering what kind of compressor, and how big (horsepower, litres/minute etc) you use. Do you hire one, and if so, how much does it cost for a compressor that big?

I saw somewhere you need a compressor about 10 horsepower.

So it really makes the job that much easier/faster?

Thanks,

Bruce

Matt Lewis said:

Hi Taye,

Im new to this too and have alot of trouble with my mix cause i live in australia and cant get any premix bags either,

All I use is 1 part portlant cement, 2 parts sand, then polymer that i have pre mixed with water in 1 litre bottles at about 70% water 30% polymer.

This I use for scratch coat and carve coat and i find you need the mix to be like about a peanutbutter consistancy.

It does help to use fly ash to though.

But yeh it takes patience but it does work for me. I bought a mortar sprayer to now and that makes it 10 times easier!! money well spent.

Hope this helps but im no expert by any means hahaha.. good luck dont give up....