Advice on concrete molds - Mold help

[Tony McC]

They were being phased out as I started serving my time, but they were common in my 60s childhood, especially on low-grade civils jobs where 'mass concrete' in irregular quntities were needed.

Great fun to watch when in action. I remember trying to build a model of one with my Meccano!

[TheRockConcreting]

Hi if you are still looking to design your own pavers here is some info.

This design is for a 60L batch. (300mmx300mmx60mm) 11 pavers

CEM I 42.5N = 19KG (dont use CEM II)
20mm gravel = 60KG (dry)
.4 sand = 48KG (dry)
Water = 9L (wet)
pigment = 1KG
fibers = 1/10 of a bag (ask your local readymix batcher for a bag)

Hope that helps

you are going to need to build a vibrating table aswell!

[TheVictorianCobbleCo]

Billy used to or still does manufacture.

I regularly get asked about recommending a concrete recipe for making paving. Occasionally it's someone such as the OP who has acquired the moulds from eBay and assumed they can save money by knocking out their own stuff, which never, ever turns out to be true. Economies of scale alone mean that you can't make good paving in your back garden for less than it is made in a dedicated plant. However, over the last couple or three years, it's been 'overseas' enquirers who are either setting up in their own country or looking to import into Britain.

I have to tell them all the same thing: there is no guaranteed-to-work concrete recipe. All of the successful manufacturers have spent a small fortune in developing a recipe that works for them, with their moulds and other kit, using their aggregates, with their preferred cements, their local water and all to suit their chosen market. There is no way they will give away this knowledge, especially not to a potential competitor.

Finding the recipe that works for you is a matter of trial and error, and it's no exaggeration to say that you can easily churn out 50 batches of flags or blocks or whatever before you find the recipe that works. Making fence posts and base panels is a bit easier as there is no colouring and they aren't subjected to trafficking, which is why so many small manufacturers stick with fencing and don't venture into paving.

A few years back, there was a rogueish type on eBay flogging crappy moulds and an A5 sheet of 'instructions' on how to make your own paving at a fraction of the cost allegedly. I had quite a lot of correspondence about that scam, and one woman in particular became quite stroppy when I explained all of the above, with her insisting that I was part of a conspiracy with the big manufacturers to deter people from having a go themselves. The last I heard, she'd bought a bulk bag of building sand (WRONG!), a bulk bag of Cotswold Chippings (WRONG!) and a half-pallet of cement. No plasticisers, no colour, no mould oil....no frigging hope of it working!

I assumed that her sudden silence following a fortnight of almost hourly emails indicated that she finally got the message.

Hi Billy here. Back after 18 months of cancer treatment, well on the way to recovery. As Tony says, this requires years of trial and error, but as a starter, he needs a vibrating table and a mixer. If the moulds are Harristone or of equal quality, he could make a go of it. If still interested I will take him thro a simple but successful regime, wait for your call.

[lutonlagerlout]

good to hear that bill
are you in south africa still?
cheers LLL

[Tony McC]

Yeah, good to hear from you again, Billy.

Are you back in production yet?

[bodgeitandscarper]

When I did the Groundwork (construction operations) course at CITB Construction College @ Kings Norton, Birmingham, they had a drag shovel mixer and that was in 2000. The deadly handle start dumper was also good fun!

[TheVictorianCobbleCo]

Yeah, good to hear from you again, Billy.

Are you back in production yet?

Hi Thanks for the friendly "welcome back", makes me feel like family. I'm still in Cape Town, and the company has barely survived the cancer/economy onslaught. So each day is still tight rope walking. Still hope to return to the UK, as, for all the negatives, I still want to busk on the Thames Embankment once more, and drop a line in the river near Eltham. (AND, oh, for a pint of Sussex bitter, or London Pride, or even John Smiths extra Smooth!

[Tony McC]

Once a Brew Cabin Irregular, always a Brew Cabin Irregular!

[lutonlagerlout]

Yeah, good to hear from you again, Billy.

Are you back in production yet?

Hi Thanks for the friendly "welcome back", makes me feel like family. I'm still in Cape Town, and the company has barely survived the cancer/economy onslaught. So each day is still tight rope walking. Still hope to return to the UK, as, for all the negatives, I still want to busk on the Thames Embankment once more, and drop a line in the river near Eltham. (AND, oh, for a pint of Sussex bitter, or London Pride, or even John Smiths extra Smooth!

theres a man who values the proper things in life
is it hot in cape town now?
I bet you wouldn't miss the snow we are having?
LLL

[cookiewales]

Some nice beer down on the water front bill we have been to Cape Town on a rugby tour great city and area all the best

[TheVictorianCobbleCo]

@LLL - Yup, it's about 36 - 38 degrees c here, we actually live in Somerset West which is about 50km from Cape Town on the coast, a big wine growing area. When we lived in Tonbridge, we didn't see much snow, but I do remember doing the turkey on the weber one fine christmas morning in about 5 degrees. Living here is quite comfortable, though very expensive, the main summertime bugbear being that with the huge squatter camps around, the blue fly proliferates, and one's forever killing flies - must be shades of Australia by now.
Local beers are simply AWFUL but its made up for by the very many drinkable wines one can buy and at extremely reasonable prices - less than 2 Pounds on average. 5 litres of table wine (boxed) can still be got for between 7 and 10 Pounds.
BTW, our prices for Paving at the moment runs to GBP10/sqm (450x450x38 Bradstone type), and our cobbles GBP8.50/sqm, so if anyone wants to import a few containers, please shout.

[lutonlagerlout]

I couldnt live in a place that is routinely above 30 degrees
10-20s does me fine
I heard that oz has gone savage expensive,£7.50 a pint and a tenner for a pack of smokes
big mining boom on,apparently the cleaners in the offices are earning equivalent of £50k a year
but then the cost of living is high
I guess SA has gone a similar route
LLL

[Leeco]

Found him Leeco but he hasn't been on here lately
http://ext.pavingexpert.com/cgi-bin....d8d7025

Hi

:laugh:

[Leeco]

I agree with the posts on here. I sold loads of my moulds and still selling them today. It's very hard work to try make money making slabs as you have idiots on ebay making them and selling them for very little money like 6ft star circles for as little as £50 each. If you want to make your own then fair play. I got some good advice on here how to make 2 tone slabs. I think I was told to make a 80% 1 colour and 20% other colour concrete and mix the with ony a couple of turns in a mixer. As for the colour fading try concrete sealer but you can't beat the real thing. Download these free books on ebay you should find all the info you could ever need. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm....0457e20

[Leeco]

Billy used to or still does manufacture.

I regularly get asked about recommending a concrete recipe for making paving. Occasionally it's someone such as the OP who has acquired the moulds from eBay and assumed they can save money by knocking out their own stuff, which never, ever turns out to be true. Economies of scale alone mean that you can't make good paving in your back garden for less than it is made in a dedicated plant. However, over the last couple or three years, it's been 'overseas' enquirers who are either setting up in their own country or looking to import into Britain.

I have to tell them all the same thing: there is no guaranteed-to-work concrete recipe. All of the successful manufacturers have spent a small fortune in developing a recipe that works for them, with their moulds and other kit, using their aggregates, with their preferred cements, their local water and all to suit their chosen market. There is no way they will give away this knowledge, especially not to a potential competitor.

Finding the recipe that works for you is a matter of trial and error, and it's no exaggeration to say that you can easily churn out 50 batches of flags or blocks or whatever before you find the recipe that works. Making fence posts and base panels is a bit easier as there is no colouring and they aren't subjected to trafficking, which is why so many small manufacturers stick with fencing and don't venture into paving.

A few years back, there was a rogueish type on eBay flogging crappy moulds and an A5 sheet of 'instructions' on how to make your own paving at a fraction of the cost allegedly. I had quite a lot of correspondence about that scam, and one woman in particular became quite stroppy when I explained all of the above, with her insisting that I was part of a conspiracy with the big manufacturers to deter people from having a go themselves. The last I heard, she'd bought a bulk bag of building sand (WRONG!), a bulk bag of Cotswold Chippings (WRONG!) and a half-pallet of cement. No plasticisers, no colour, no mould oil....no frigging hope of it working!

I assumed that her sudden silence following a fortnight of almost hourly emails indicated that she finally got the message.

That might of been me