Concrete Counter Top

So that was 2 full bags of cement?

I'm looking to do this in my kitchen this fall possilby so I'm following closely...thanks for the update. :thumb:
 
jeff, i did some counters for a friend in his kitchen, approx 50 sqft of counter. i believe it took something like 30 bags of 80lb quikrete. it was quite the workout

depending on what type or method you wanna use I may be able to save you from a few heart aches. let me know if you give it a shot


brent,

looking good. did you read somewhere to let it cure for 2 weeks. I used Cheng's mixes which help strengthen the concrete but I was able to remove from the forms after 4 days. full strength is reached after 28 days. just curious

chris
 
Okay okay anything to get to buy a new tool Eh! Brent.

Oh Sharon .....I see Brent is also one to do this kind of thing in his white socks.:rofl: Somehow i find myself in my shop in all my good clothes and loml keeps telling me i will have nothing left to wear if i carry on this way.

Way to go Brent but on this one i would have ordered a piece of granite and spent my time in my shop.:D I aint a fan of concrete. But you look like you enjoying yourself. Brings back memories of preschool in the sandpit or was that mudpit.:rofl::rofl:

Hope it comes out well.:thumb: Sharon I am sure my wife would love to commiserate with you. The two of you have the same problems to deal with.:D and it aint got to do with kids....at least not little ones.:D
 
So that was 2 full bags of cement?

Probably just 1 1/3. Used the rest of it to shore up part of the front patio where critters were digging under it.

did you read somewhere to let it cure for 2 weeks. I used Cheng's mixes which help strengthen the concrete but I was able to remove from the forms after 4 days. full strength is reached after 28 days

I think one of the sites I read said to let it sit for 2 weeks. Not sure why I picked that time frame, but just figured it can't hurt to let it sit for a while. Not in too big of a hurry...

Okay okay anything to get to buy a new tool Eh! Brent.

You got me! But I've got a fair amount of concrete work coming up, so it'll come in handy. Plus it did a great job of evenly mixing the colorant with the mix.

Oh Sharon .....I see Brent is also one to do this kind of thing in his white socks.:rofl: Somehow i find myself in my shop in all my good clothes and loml keeps telling me i will have nothing left to wear if i carry on this way.

I try to only wear 'shop' clothes. But I find I keep getting more and more shop clothes as time goes on...

Way to go Brent but on this one i would have ordered a piece of granite and spent my time in my shop.:D I aint a fan of concrete. But you look like you enjoying yourself. Brings back memories of preschool in the sandpit or was that mudpit.:rofl::rofl:

Hope it comes out well.:thumb: Sharon I am sure my wife would love to commiserate with you. The two of you have the same problems to deal with.:D and it aint got to do with kids....at least not little ones.:D

It's just for the 'mens' bathroom, I made the cabinet out of poplar and ply and making the countertop. Just used to be a cheesy porcelain sink hanging on the wall. Not trying to make the bathroom into something it isn't. Just wanted a utility sink to clean out paintbrushes and stuff and to have a countertop that is durable.

So no matter how this turns out, I have a feeling this one is going to get installed anyway... :rofl:

As far as problems go, Hoo boy, Don't get Sharon started... :rofl:
 
Lucky you having a harbor freight in easy reach.:D:thumb:

Or not as the case may be... :rolleyes:

I do have to admit, I've never really been burned by anything I've bought there. Probably because I don't buy anything 'mission critical'. Most of the stuff works just about how I expect it to. Heard lots of the horror stories, but the mixer is pretty much dead simple and for 120$ hard to go wrong. Just a motor, a belt, a frame, and a drum. As long as I keep it clean and lubed, it should work fine.
 
Decided to see what the counter looked like today so pulled it out of the form.

Seems pretty solid, no cracks yet. But I do have some air bubbles in the top and sides. No big deal, I'll pick up some more colorant at the Depot and some cement. Mix up a slurry and use that to fill in the voids, then it'll be on to polishing and finishing.

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Yeah, There's one site that recommends doing the 'slurry fill in' method, and they say to acid etch it first...

Sounds like an opportunity to add some contrasting color, if I want.

We'll see how it works out. The whole thing is just an experiment after all, and not meant for display to the 'general public'. I can always do an epoxy 'bar top' type coating if I don't like how this works our...



Link to Article

Finishing the concrete

Release the concrete forms by carefully separating the joints with a small, flat prybar. Unscrew the blockout, but don't remove it unless you plan to install an undermount sink and need to finish the inside edges. Otherwise, wait until you've actually installed the countertop.

Ease sharp edges and corners of the slab by sanding with a random-orbit sander and 100-grit sandpaper. Wear a respirator to avoid inhaling the silica particles.

Etch the surface with a 1-ounce-per-gallon solution of muriatic acid and water. For tops made with pigmented concrete, such as this charcoal-gray unit, the acid wash exposes more of the color and texture variations. Be sure to follow the safety precautions on the acid label regarding eye and skin protection and ventilation. When you are done, rinse the countertop slab thoroughly with water to remove the acid residue, then let it air dry.

Prepare a mixture of Portland cement, latex additive and liquid pigment to the consistency of peanut butter and apply it to the exposed surfaces using a rubber-faced grout float. Then plow (or skiff) the surfaces with the leading edge of the float raised so the material remains in all of the small voids but is removed from the flats. After this filler dries and cures for an hour, sand it with an orbital sander and 180-grit discs until you are satisfied with the smoothness. Plan on going through a lot of discs!
 
I've seen quite a bit of slurry fill done on architectural concrete. Instead of an acid etch, I've seen plain ol' concrete bonding agent use to prime the surface, and also mixed into the slurry.

Lots of brands out there...here's one that came up in a Google search.

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Dap-35082-Bonding-Liquid-Concrete-Bonding-Agent-3332384.html

I've not researched it, but I suspect bonding agent is made of the same ingredients as regular white Elmer's glue. The smell is identical.
 
Well, patched the holes tonight.

Etched the surface with some acid.

Then mixed up a slurry of cement (not concrete :D ), some bonding agent, and some black iron oxide.

Worked it into the holes with a trowel and rubber float.

I'll let it dry for a while before I start the polishing regimen...

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Looking good, Brent. :thumb:

I like the way you used the stripes for added interest. :p

...Then mixed up a slurry of cement (not concrete :D ), some bonding agent, and some black iron oxide...

Iron oxide. Fun stuff. Years ago I was involved in lab testing some concrete that was made using magnetite for aggregate. They were using it to build nuclear bomb-proof computer bunkers at Sandia Labs. Not only was the stuff heavy -- about twice the weight of regular concrete -- it was incredibly strong. In some cases the 28-day test samples were pegging the compression machine (somewhere over 10,000 psi) without breaking. And when it did break, it was exciting, to say the least. The machine operator (that'd be me) was behind a shield, but one day I broke glassware on the other side of the lab with flying chunks of concrete.
 
you did appear to me to be a destructive character vaughn:) looks good brent,, how did yu get those neat stripes on it? that looks like a straightened out zebra skin..
 
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