Grampa Pete's Blog

Astilbes from Dianne’s Flower Garden

Pete — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:54:15 +0000

This video shows how Dianne grows and cares for her astilbes.

Children Playing on Custom Concrete Hopscotch Stones

Pete — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:31:56 +0000

This video shows our neighbor’s children playing on Pete’s hopscotch stones. Each stone has a different image, plus the number. The images were added to the molds the same way as the concrete bench molds, shown in previous posts.

Custom Concrete Garden Bench Top

Pete — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:07:08 +0000

Custom Concrete Garden Bench Top

This is a custom concrete bench top that was recently completed as a special order. The buyer asked for a bench with the words “May Joy And Innocence Prevail.” The bench mold was made just like the one in the previous post. The photo was taken in our shop just after the top was pulled from the mold – the buyer will pick up the bench this weekend, and we may get another photo of how it looks in her garden, after the bench is all put together.

The buyer saw the benches during our annual back yard plant sale.

Pouring Your Bench Top

Pete — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:11:46 +0000

All the easy stuff is done so now it’s time to go to work. Put release agent on all surfaces of your mold. Put a pipe across the mold and hang the cage in it leaving clearance top and bottom and on sides and ends. (See my previous post on reinforcing for your concrete bench mold.)

I use Quickcrete and if your dimensions are the same as mine it will take one 80# bag and one 60# bag. I add a little Portland cement to make it stronger and easier to finish. Best to use a mixer if one is available.

Mix concrete until it is workable. The less water you use the stronger your concrete will be.

Using a Concrete Mixer

Concrete Ready to Fill Bench Mold

Fill mold till the cage is covered and vibrate by bouncing the mold on the floor.

Filling Mold with Concrete

Vibrating Mold to Settle Concrete

Fill the mold to the top and vibrate some more.

Filling Mold to the Top

Vibrating Filled Bench Mold

Now you can cut your cage hanging devises loose and get rid of the pipes.

Removing Cage Ties from Bench Mold

Finish your work with a magnesium trowel.

Finishing Concrete with Trowel

Put in place the threaded inserts. They should be centered 9″ from the end of the bench top.

Inserting Threaded Inserts

Clamp the hangers to the mold so they will stay in place.

Clamping Insert Hangers

Tap the top of the bolt that holds the insert till the concrete works its way around the insert.

Tapping Inserts

Wait until concrete starts to set and finish it with a hard trowel. If you want to sign your work now is the time.

Let set for 2 to 3 days. Turn your work over on boards or foam blocks. Take the nuts and washers off the mold bottom and lift the mold straight up. If the mold gets on the bolts it will scratch the finish. Take the corner bolts out and the mold edges will fall away.

A view of this finished bench can be seen at the top of this website.

Here’s another finished bench, made with a different custom-made mold:

Imagine - Concrete Garden Bench

Reinforcing Your Custom-Made Bench Mold

Pete — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:42:55 +0000

For reinforcing of concrete in bench top I use 3/8″ rebar ( #3) four bars the length of the top and seven bars the width. There should be 7″ between first and second short bars on each end. This will make room for the connecting hardware that will be placed in the concrete as it sets. This hardware is needed to connect the top and legs together for safety.

Rebar for Reinforcing Concrete Bench Mold

I use cut to length tie wire with a small loop on each end.

Tying Rebar Together

Pictured is the twister used to tie the bars in place.

Twister Tool for Tying Rebar

When you cut bars to length you should leave about 3/4″ to 1″ clearance from mold. Put some kind of release on all surfaces of the mold and then hang your rebar cage in the mold. It should be in the middle of the mold so you have coverage top and bottom.

Rebar Reinforcing Ready for Hanging in Mold

Rebar Reinforcing Hung from Pipes Laid Across Mold

My bench top is 2-1/8″ thick. Do not put release on the rebar because you want it to stick to the concrete.

How to Build a Bench Mold

Pete — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:00:35 +0000

I use dense pressed board 1″ thick for ease of carving the bottom of the mold ( top of bench). The top can be either plain or with a carved-in design. It needs to be in profile so it doesn’t stick up too far. ( Hard to sit on those large bumps).

If you use letters or numbers in your design be sure to remember that you are looking at a negative so everything will look backward.

Spraying Paint Over Design on Bench Mold

Design Ready for Carving

Carving Design with Power Tool

Using Chisel to Finish Carving Design

Design Ready for Sanding

After carving and sanding your work you should put on several coats of tough varnish or enamel.

Coating Mold with Enamel or Varnish

The sides of the mold I made of straight grain fir and put radius top and bottom with a router.

Sides Cut from Straight Grain Fir

Radius Cut in Side Boards with Router

Side Boards Clamped Together Before Drilling Holes for Bolts

Mold Sides Coated with Enamel or Varnish

Sand your work and put on several coats of varnish or enamel. I use hangar bolts to fasten sides to the mold. You can use the same bench sides for any of your benches.

Building a Concrete Bench – Molding the Legs

Pete — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:45:58 +0000

Foundation should come first so I think we should start with the leg. The leg I use has a oval hole in it and a 1/2″ hole through the upper part for the bole that holds the bench together. The bolt threads into an insert cast into the bottom of the bench top. (Mold shown below.)

There are bench leg molds available but I have not seen any with this connecting feature. You might want to design and build your own and make it more personal. The concrete I use is Quickrete and I add a little Portland cement. (about 2 pounds per 80 pounds of Quickrete). It makes it a bit stronger and easier to finish.

I hope this enough to start. We will get to the bench top mold next.

Antique concrete bench leg mold

The mold after it has been filled with concrete - with pipe temporarily installed. The pipe will be pulled out just before the concrete sets, and the resulting channel will be used for the connecting bolt that holds the finished leg to the top of the concrete bench.

Installing the bolts in the top so it can be connected to the leg.

Connecting the top to the molded leg for safety.