Melody, yes I use wooden forms. At first I thought they would need to be treated with some kind of oil to keep the papercrete from sticking but that hasn't been a problem. I'm not near my forms right now so can't measure them but I believe they are 30"x12'x6", which means they are made out of 12 foot 2x6 boards. I use the 33" board at the front end and put a piece of metal strap at the back end to keep the boards at the right place. I have a video on YouTube which gives the amounts of ingredients. If you put Judith Williams in the search space it will come up. I've changed my method but the amounts are still the same. As the mixer (200 gal) is filling I put in one bag of portland cement, sprinkling and mixing it as it's added. after that I put in a 22" high stack of newspapers and about 15 shovels of ground pumice. You can leave the pumice out or use sand in stead. I drive the tow mixer about 2 miles at between 5 and 15 mph and that is enough to pulp the paper and mix everything up. I drive over the form and let it out. The water leaches out right away and the forms can be removed. I put the dolly under the front edge and just pull it forward. I have an edger I use to cut the blocks just as you would a pan of brownies. I used to make 1'x2' but have decided that a square foot works better because my walls are curved. There are some things about your project that I'm not sure how to advise you about. For one thing when you make a long straight wall you have to buttress it somehow so it won't fall over. Some people use rebar both horizontally and vertically to keep the wall up. You have to wait untill the blocks and mortar are dry then drill down through them and put the rebar in. I would think the vertical pieces could be 2' long thereby going through about 4 layers of blocks. I was using rebar for a while but don't enjoy working with it and didn't feel it was necessary so gave it up. For the horizontal get the slimmer stuff and tie it to the vertical every 4 feet or so. I would suggest that you get advice from other papercreters who have more experience with straight walls than I do just to make sure I haven't given you any bum steers. I would recommend a rubble trench foundation. What I did was dig down 2 feet and put in about 8 inches of crushed rock. Then I used 50# bags (made of polypropylene) that I ordered from a bag company and filled them with large chunks of pumice. I don't think you have pumice available there and don't know what I would recommend as a substitute. You could go ahead and pour a typical concrete foundation and build a cement block stemwall on top of it. Just make sure you keep the papercrete far off the ground to protect it from water. You may even want to put a barrier between the papercrete and the top of the stemwall. Take a cruise throught the home store and see what might work. If I were closer I would come by and help get you started. Good luck and keep in touch. Judith PS After reviewing your message and noting the bedrock etc. I think it would be good to hear from some who have dealt with this situation.
To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
From: Melody@hillcountrytx.net
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:36:00 -0500
Subject: [papercreters] Re: New photos
Judith,If this info is posted somewhere, I apologize. I'm curious about the size of your papercrete blocks, and if you constructed your forms out of wood.PC experts,I live just west of Austin in what is apparently the New Tropics. (It's been raining almost nonstop since March.) I want to experiment with a freestanding wall made of Judith-like blocks. I have caliche and limestone soil, with solid bedrock only a few inches below the surface. What sort of foundation would you recommend?I've never built anything in my life, so use small words and large gestures.Thanks,Melody in TX
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