Hypertufa Trough
Source of Recipe
country living
List of Ingredients
Materials Needed:
Heavy-duty rubber gloves
Dust mask
Measuring device (a 1-gallon plastic milk jug with top
cut open or a large empty coffee can both work well)
5-gallon bucket with a lid
Portland cement
Builder’s sand
Perlite
Peat moss
Water
Plastic container for mixing
Mold (plastic dishpan, lid, or container)
Old tarp, sheets of plastic, or plastic dry-cleaning bags
Plastic trowel
1/2" wooden dowel cut in several 4" pieces
Large plastic garbage bag
Wire brush
Putty knife
Mixing
Wear rubber gloves when handling the mix and a
face mask to prevent breathing in the dust of Portland cement. Mix dry hypertufa ingredients in a 5-gallon bucket. Use a plastic milk jug (cut into a measuring scoop) or coffee can to measure ingredients 1 gallon
at a time. Thoroughly mix equal parts Portland cement, builder’s sand, perlite, and peat moss. Scoop out premix as needed for each project; store the remainder in the covered 5-gallon bucket.
Transfer 2 gallons of dry mix to a plastic dishpan
or similar reusable container, and make a well in the center of the mix. Slowly add water, blending it
with the dry mix until mixture holds together but isn’t
sloppy (the consistency of thick mud). The measurements may vary—you should be able to squeeze a handful of the mixture to form a ball which holds together with just a few drops of water coming out as you squeeze the ball. If the mixture is too
dry, the trough will not be strong. If too wet, add
more of the dry mix.
Building
Line the mold with plastic. Wearing gloves, place handfuls of the hypertufa mixture in the bottom of
your mold and pat it firmly into place (about 1 to
1 1/2 inches thick for a small container, 2 inches for
a large one). Continue by building up the sides carefully until all sides are the desired height and an even thickness (at least 1 inch thick). Level off
top with trowel and smooth with water. Place several wooden dowels in the bottom to create holes for drainage. Place the mold in a plastic bag and leave
in a shady place or in a garage or shed to harden.
(The mold should not be moved at all during this period.)
Curing, Unmolding & Texturing
After 24 to 72 hours (for an average-size trough,
24 hours is enough during warm months) the trough should be hard enough that your fingernail does not leave a scratch. (*Note: Total drying time for the mold varies according to humidity and temperature. The mold will sound hollow when tapped if it is completely dry.) Remove from the mold carefully; it will still be
a bit fragile at this point. Rough up the exterior with a wire brush or putty knife until it has the look you want.
Final Curing
Place the container—without the mold—back into
the plastic bag. Allow to cure as above for at least
1 week (letting it cure for 1 month will give it 25% more strength). The trough can now be removed
from the plastic and used. Some directions call for allowing the container to weather (lean it on a fence
or the outside of the house) for at least 2 months to
leach alkaline chemicals from the cement which
might be harmful to plants. Other sources feel that
the amount of alkaline material in the cement is not significant enough to harm the plants.
Experiment a little to see what works for you.
Recipe
|
Â
Â
Â
|
member logon
