Rockset is a product made to have a quick setting cement mixture used to
fill brittle holes when using draw-bolts or to fill up cracks in cement
floors etc.
"it looks like Quickcrete and DAP are two manufacturer's that have
comprable products that are readily availble in the US. And for Canada
and the EU one should browse the LaFarge catalogs to see what is offered
there. Hydrolic Cement is the right search term to use. And the
products labelled for setting machinery, key being that it flows and is a
polymer-cementitious composite material is what you need to look for." - Thanks Leo.
It sets in about 30 minutes and have the consistency of
condensed milk when mixed correctly.
Here is a few unsealed examples of my experiments with the medium:
Here is a step by step how-to:
1. The Rockset, the FB10 sealer and the the mould - in this case plastic plant pot dripping trays:
The lip of the inside tray is cut of to make pouring of the Rockset easier.
2. For holes I have used very small dripping trays, but rubber washers or any other flexible material can be used to make removing them later, a bit easier:
The thickness of the drainage holes stoppers will, in a mould like this, determine the thickness of the pot.
3. The first Rockset is prepared and coloured by using an oxide. A teaspoon is used to drip it where needed. Brushes can also be used - creativity is here the magic word:
4. The second colour:
5. The third colour:
6. Now the inside mould is put in place and a weight placed on top of it to prevent the onside tray from floating on the Rockset:
7. The Rockset is then poured into the space between the two trays. If the cavity is very thin, it is quite difficult to pour the mix without spilling. Rather mix a few small amounts of Rockset at a time because it does sets quickly. The cavity filled up:
8. The curing takes a few hours and the mixture gets quite warm. After about three hours it would be safe to remove the trays. Plastic or aluminum moulds comes free easily. At this stage the top of the pot will be uneven and the top few millimeters will be soft:
9. The stoppers are now removed and the rim leveled by using a sharp knife first and then sandpaper. If the pot is thick enough a small die grinder may be used to carve a lip if needed.
10. The pot from the side:
11. The pot will be left to dry out overnight. The inside will be brushed to remove any dust and then the whole pot will be painted by using a thin layer of the RB10.
This tree was planted in the sealed pot a few months ago and the pot (a little dirty now)seems to be holding up fine:
Rockset can be used for making slabs also - have fun!
Lennard, Instead of pouring the rockset, cant it be just brushed on several layers, till thick?
ReplyDeleteThe mixture is too runny, leaving you a very thin layer on the walls and most of the Rockset on the bottom.
ReplyDeleteI do believe it has to be at least 3mm thick to cure properly.
I have painted it on one of the landscapes I have made, but the foam on the inside strengthens it.
Lennard
Lennard, could you fill up the bottom part of the mold with rockset first, until the stoppers are more or less covered, then push the inside mold and weight it down like normal? The excess rockset should run out the sides, wipe up (I guess do this part on top of newspaper to catch spillage) and then let it set. Might be quicker and less painful to accept that you're going to waste a certain amount anyway.
ReplyDeleteHi Dilan.
ReplyDeleteYou will still have to fill it up a bit because the heavy parts of the mix settles quickly on the bottom of the mould pushing out the watery part of the mix to the top. Interesting enough while curing I have noticed bubbles forming. It seems the curing process pushes out the watery part. That is also the reason for the softer outer edge of the rim that has to be scraped away.
Best to experiment with smaller pots first - there is some experience needed.
Lennard