The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

[Insane Reefer]

Boker,
Yes, "Jiffy Rock" is the name I have adopted for the new baking method.
If you want to bake, you need to do it as soon as possible (24-36 hours seems to be the best age to bake at) - the more moisture that escapes the rock, the less cure you will get in the oven, hence my advice to mist it before baking.

And added note - you may want to boil that rock for salt release - I'm sitting here, imagining how you did it, and I think you had to have had fairly stiff, putty-like mud to get the shape you managed, without using a mold material - am I correct? If this is so, then you will probably have a harder time releasing the salt. Taste test the rock - a drop off the bottom after it has drained out and just drips a bit will tell you if there is still salt, usually.
Boiling is the fastest way to remove salt, so you may wish to try that route.

 

[BOKER420]

well i just put it in the oven. Is it supposed to smoke really bad? What would be burning?

 

[Insane Reefer]

Shouldn't "smoke" at all - possibly some previous spillage in the oven "baking off"? This method Will produce damp, acrid fumes (not harmful if you don't sit in there breathing it the whole time), and they will make your eyes burn a little - but the others that have baked said they didn't find them to be much at all - I seem to be the one who complains the most about the fumes, lol.

You might also be burning off the tissue paper - when it gets wet, it sticks to the cement, and you might have left a bit behind...

Block off the kitchen door as best you can, put a fan in the window, blowing out, and you should be ok.

 

[unbreakable]

just finished making some batches of this stuff, pretty sweet


btw, is it possible to put this on anything so the bottom wont be flat? or at what hour can i pick it up and rount out the bottom? seems like no matter how long i wait i cant seem to do this.. i waited about 4hrs or so but it breaks apart if i pick it up

 

[Insane Reefer]

Of which type Nietzsche? Tell us about it

If you read the "Tips and Answers" post from a few pages back, most of those sorts of questions are answered.

4 hours isn't enough time to allow you to handle them - you need to leave them alone over night.

 

[unbreakable]

so far i'm just doing the salt and cement 4:1 ratio with a little bit more cement since i always add too much water. I have an old 55 gallon tank that's been sitting outside, so all these rocks are going in there

 

[BOKER420]

I forgot about the tissue paper. I wasn't able to get all of it. That must have been it.

Nietzsche,
If you are using a bucket like I am, just put a bowl upside down in the center of the bucket and then pour the mix over it and you will end up with a nice void on the bottom of the rock.

 

[Insane Reefer]

You will need to just sit tight and be patient - it takes around 24 hours for the beginning bonds to form - until then all it will do is fall apart if you try to handle it.

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10085149#post10085149 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BOKER420
I forgot about the tissue paper. I wasn't able to get all of it. That must have been it.

Yeah, when I last wrote the 'Tips and Answers' post, baking wasn't part of the equation - those left-over bits of paper weren't even worth thinking about in a typical kure.

I might want to warn folks about the tissue paper issue in the future though.

No harm though - just probably more stinky than usual.

 

[Azazael13]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10085004#post10085004 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nietzsche
just finished making some batches of this stuff, pretty sweet


btw, is it possible to put this on anything so the bottom wont be flat? or at what hour can i pick it up and rount out the bottom? seems like no matter how long i wait i cant seem to do this.. i waited about 4hrs or so but it breaks apart if i pick it up

The next batch I make I am actually going to make flat bottomed and try a plastic bolt and nut. (since no one here had experience with it when I asked twice ) Basically I will cast one with the bolt half way in, and then cast the other with the nut flush on the bottom and a space behind it.

I will let you know what happens.

 

[unbreakable]

how hard would it be to remove the cement from something like a plastic shopping bag? maybe i could hang it out or have it lightly setting on something until it sets?

 

[BOKER420]

i used a garbage bag for mine. It peeled right off just fine.

 

[unbreakable]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10085456#post10085456 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BOKER420
i used a garbage bag for mine. It peeled right off just fine.

i'm going to have to try that on my next batch tomorrow, thanks

 

[Insane Reefer]

The plastic/nylon nuts and bolts are fine as long as you don't plan to bake the rock, Azazael.

 

[sunkool]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10081557#post10081557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BOKER420
Here is my first attempt. I have a few questions. I used Portland Cement type 1A is this the same as type 1? Is it ok?

I casted this 24hrs ago. So now I bake it or to I boil it?

I just used regular softener salt crystals that are 98. somthing percent salt. Will that be ok?

And I have access to a small creek. Would that be the ideal place to kure it?
Thanks

The bottom pic looks like a face lol

 

[sunkool]

with a flat hat!

 

[BOKER420]

I see the face. I noticed my rock looks more like a tree than a piece of live rock. Hopefully it will look better after I give it a scrub.

I can't make any sense of all of this but someone with some concrete knowledge might know. Take a look at the link. http://www.cement.org/tech/cct_admixtures_AEA.asp

So what I get out of it is that Air entrained concrete is good for us because it has a higher volume of air making it more porous and lighter weight. I didn't see anything about it being toxic.

But what does it mean on the chart under concrete by increase in alkali content? Is that because of the air entrained mixture or is that just for any concrete? And I suppose that will keep the pH higher fore longer.

 

[Insane Reefer]

Ok, Boker what you have found is simply an explaination of the process of entrainment, but it never mentions the chemicals used. Many are used - from soaps to other less savory things. You need to contact the manufacturer of your particular cement and ask them what they used - and then look it up and see if it might be safe. Chances are that it will be safe, but better safe than sorry...

And the alkali thing just means that the addition of alkalis during the mixing stage will produce more trapped air.

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10085799#post10085799 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sunkool
The bottom pic looks like a face lol

And what were we smoking?
:bum:
LOL

I see it now that it is pointed out...

 

[shookbrad]

Molding sand

Molding sand

What color of sand is everyone using for the molding sand? I am one of the lucky ones and found white portland but my molding sand is red. It leaves an awfull color to the rock. I washed it as much as possible but could not get all of it off. Here are some pics of my project. I am using the suggested 1.5 cement, 1.5 CC, 1 sand, 1 salt plus about .5 broken up base rock.


Crushed Rock



Wet Mixture

Mixture