Welcome to the group.
1. Papercrete is absorbent like a sponge unless you seal it after it is cured.
2. Freeze/Thaw doesn't bother papercrete after it cures.
3. You can form papercrete over a negative mold as long as you remove it once it becomes firm enough. It does shrink while curing (depending on formula used), so might crack if left on the mold.
4. Recipes vary according to the use. A basic recipe would be 2:1 paper to cement by weight, and lots of water to mix. The water drains away leaving the cement in the paper fibers. There is a database of recipes (a work in progress) at http://papercreters.net
5. Throw a bucket of latex paint into the mix. That'll seal it. Recycle your drain water into the next batch. Other sealants used include silicon caulk dissolved in turpentine, asphalt emulsion, deck seal, elastomeric paint. The AE is mixed in like the latex, the others applied after curing.
6. Days to weeks, or even months depending on your climate, temperature, humidity, airflow, and of course thickness.
7. Wet papercrete works a lot like clay. Staining is no problem, it's paper after all.
Papercrete is just a fraction of the weight of concrete, depending on the exact formula used. Send us pictures of your experiments : )
Spaceman All opinions expressed or implied are subject to change without notice upon receipt of new facts. mad4glass wrote:
__._,_.___Hi everybody, 1.Is papercrete absorbent after curing (a most important issue for mosaicists!). 2. Can papercrete resist the elements in a climate with hot summers and cold winters (freeze/thaw cycle)? If not, are there any proper sealants you can recommend me for use? (Not an issue in my current project). 3. Can I form papercrete over a negative mold (well prepared with a release agent of course)? 4. I need recipes/mixes for my project in planning. Anyone there who can help me? 5. Can you recommend the use of latex/acrylic admixes as a fortifier or are these a no-no in papercrete? 6. Approximate time of curing (depending on thickness and wetness of course)? 7. Surface treatment - like "wet carving", staining,...?
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