Different methods for different projects. For a large structure with thick walls, molding panels (blocks, slipform) is easier than spraying or hand applying slurry. For a tiny little playhouse that will probably have relatively thin walls, spraying might be just fine. Several sets of little hands could splat and pat a layer pretty quickly. For the frame that I referenced, covering with molded pents and triangles would work as well IF a large mixer was available to make quantities of slurry to cast the panels. Bucket mixing would not be very effective for larger panels, IMHO. I haven't done much bucket mixing, so that is just an opinion. The molded panels still have to be either sprayed or hand coated to fill in the gaps and give a monolithic top coat.
I have had success spraying up to 2" lifts. Exact mix affects this, and on more than one occasion I have watched several hours of work suddenly slide off and make a mess on the ground. The amount of work involved with spraying vs. molded panels depends on your setup. A large compressor, a good sprayer, and a pump feeding the sprayer make it easier than a hand filled hopper. There are several sprayers to choose from, like the Tirolessa sold at www.mortarsprayer.com, or various home made ones that are linked on the group pages.
For a large project I still would cast panels first. It's a lot easier (and faster) to dump a mixer into molds than to hold a ten to twenty pound sprayer full of slurry for hours at a time, moving it up and down and back and forth. YMMV. For upper body building, cancel your membership at the gym and spray PC a few hours a day. For faster production mold panels and only spray (or splat and pat) the topcoat. It's basic physics - move heavy wet slurry down from the mixer to molds, and gravity is on your side. Later move a fraction of the weight in dry panels up from the ground to the final resting place.
If I were building in CO I would want walls thicker than 6". R18 or so is not enough for cold areas, I would want at least double that. Around here our average ambient temperature is about 68 degrees, and R18 is minimal.
The best place to learn more is in your backyard! Do a couple of small projects, and try different methods for yourself. See what works best for you. Be sure to post your results. : )
Spaceman
mountainfair wrote:
__._,_.___I have seen Spaceman's dome project and read his posts about the labor involved in troweling or spraying pc. I believe it was you that also had pics up of helping a friend make a geodesic pc dome with pre-cast triangles... And yet it appears that today you are recommending spraying a dome. This concept of covering and spraying a dome is one that has interested me for some time. I have a lot of experience building domes, large yurts and hybrids, out of wood, conduit and pvc. I have built some 2 series domes that have vertical walls - could be good candidates for casting triangles, as the triangles are very big, roughly 8' per side. Can those with experience spraying pc or making pc domes offer the benefit of your experience? Or can anyone direct me to websites or resources where I can learn more? If I want to get a wall thickness of at least 6 inches (it gets cold here in CO in the winter, and I want the dome/s to be insulated), would spraying pc on the dome be a LOT more work than casting triangles on the ground? I helped with a block based dome project and it took a long time - casting square blocks, then making them into a dome by hammering rebar stakes through the blocks and using a string to keep the distance constant. Seems like there must be an easier way. How thick can you spray a layer of pc? What sprayers are available, work best, and cost what? Would those with experience recommend sticking to casting pc on the ground over spraying if I am interested in saving time and energy? Where can I learn more? Thanks! -Eli Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:papercreters-digest@yahoogroups.com mailto:papercreters-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: papercreters-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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