>>it seems you have too much cement...<<
I'm all for using less cement, but I was shooting for an all-purpose mix as I'm pouring molds for two projects. The large 6" x 12" x 52" blocks are insulation for a DIY heating unit I'm designing. Not shown in my last pics are smaller molds for my garage insulation project discussed in an earlier post.
One poster suggested that I use "lots" of cement to guard against termites and I also wanted to ensure the fire retardant properties. Other materials indicate that 1:2 paper to cement ratios should be used for outdoor and high-wear projects, so I figured 1:1 would be conservative yet adequate for my purposes.
>>looking at your forms if you can roll your mixer over them to load them would be your easier way...<<
I'm a suburbanite and this is a back-yard project. So I don't have room for a proper tow mixer. I'm currently using half a plastic barrel as my mixing bowl and a hand-held heavy duty electric mortar mixer. About 10 liquid gallons is the most I can make in a batch. Boy is it a lot of work!
If there's a "medium" sized mixer I could buy or make, I'd sure be interested.
Anyone have insights into my original question? Should I pour the molds a full 6" deep on the first pour, then backfill the shrinkage, or should I fill the mold in smaller increments?
Thanks
Dan
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