Home Improvement Today?

We used a concrete countertop mix (Quikrete countertop mix in a blue bag). It doesn't contract much. It's also a fairly dry mix. You don't really pour it so much as place it in clumps. It also has fiberglass strips in the lower half of the countertop to improve strength. The Buddy Rhodes mix is very stable and it sets up fast but it's pricey (about $40-60 per bag). The Quikrete countertop mix was about $15 per bag. Buddy Rhodes has some older YouTube videos on the process. Blue Concrete also has a lot of how-to videos. We did the laundry room countertop as a trial run (4 80lbs bags). When we got a good countertop we knew we'd be able to do the kitchen (11 bags).

We did use the Buddy Rhodes powdered pigment to dye it. It gets mixed in with the concrete so it's colored throughout the whole countertop (not just the surface). The color mix was about $35 per can and one can was good for two 80lbs bags.

 

The class we took they showed how to do a glass-reinforced concrete countertop. They sprayed a thinner concrete mixture on the concrete form with a hopper (like you'd use to put drywall texture on a walk). Then you'd back fill it with glass reinforced concrete by hand. When you popped it out of the mold, it was smooth as glass.

Here's a sample sink project we did in the class. They demonstrated making a form for a sink project. The form was made with melamine. It was then sprayed with the thinner concrete mixture and back-filled with the dryer concrete-glass fiber mix by hand (it's called GFRC or Glass-Fiber Reinforced Concrete).

Here the instructor is placing glass fiber concrete on the back of the surface to give the sink thickness


Here's the finished sink project we did:


The groove in the middle of the sink was just to show how they changed the shape of the sink during mold construction.

There was a guest instructor at the class that taught as well. He's done some amazing things with decorative concrete:
http://www.concretedecor.net/decora...han-smith-set-in-stone-concrete-design-house/

 

^Nice job on the counters! I'm been thinking of giving this a shot for our bathrooms.


Insulation question for the gallery...

First off I have an A-frame house. My question is how to or not to insulate the knee walls that square off the living spaces. The roof (r-30 insulated) goes to just above the ground and is exposed in the cavity behind the knee wall. Problem is the wall gets quite cold and drafty. What are my best options for insulating the walls? I'm thinking standard fiberglass batting but should I use the ones that are faced? Should I use a separate vapor barrier?

 

... ^^^ ... Thank you very much.

 

Cord was shot on the shop fridge..and as things tend to go the whole thing got taken apart cleaned sanded and hit with primer to stop further rust. As much as Id like to turn it into a kegerator. Having beer on tap in the shop doesn't seem like a good idea... So now I'm figuring out colors.

 

Philco! Love to see it when painted.

 

Was thinking copper and flat black. Now I'm thinking that.

 

Looks great

 

That there has a classic look. Good job!

 

That's not his fridge guys.

 

I said it looks great

as in " that colour combo looks great "

 

Lol so mine is shaped with a ridge down the center so I'm thinking copper and then playing with pinstriping

 

Need some suggestions folks. I'm wanting a 10 inch miter saw. The Hitachi seems like a good buy and get pretty good reviews. Anyone have any experience with them? Also looking for a smaller air compressor. Really like the smaller sencos. The question is are they capable of running a flooring nailer?

 

I like the Makita LS1013

 

I don't have experience with senco compressors, but I picked up a 6 gal bostitch pancake compressor from Lowes. It came with a brad nailer and 10' hose. I think I paid around $120 for the combo on sale.I specifically got it for the brad nailer and it works great.

I know, I know, Bostitch isn't that great, but so far works good for my DIY needs. It it was my business, I would look at Makita like OZ mentioned.

 

My folks bought a Porter Cable kit with compressor, 2 nailers and a stapler (I think) for $199. Worked great.

I used a Senco twin tank and Senco nailer at my house, and it worked great too, but 70 lbs for the compressor it was a bit of a hassle. Next time I'll grab another length of air hose.

 

My small conpressor is a twin tank Bostich

 

Pockets aren't that deep. Wish they were.

 

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=CM10GD

I have an older hitachi that's worked well for years. I have not used any off the newer stuff.
And for most homeowners a pancake compressor and gunset from porter cable will work just fine.