The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
- Thread starter JohnL
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Insane Reefer
New member
Awesome, Kinghokus! I was starting to think it was a pipedream or something...
Insane Reefer
New member
Yeah, mine is "spent" as well, I'm just on the hind end of things with my SS# 
I'd have liked to have stimulated the reef hobby industry, but the parts for my new rig will run around $600, so the PC industry gets my share...
I'd have liked to have stimulated the reef hobby industry, but the parts for my new rig will run around $600, so the PC industry gets my share...
TurningTim
New member
Hello all from a long time lurker! I've pretty much followed this thread from the outset.
Here is my first rock. I have had all the stuff for well over a year but never got around to it. I have saved some ingredients from old tanks (CC, Crushed shells, Sand) that I throughly cleaned and then sun dried.
I went with an Ol' Skool mix b/c I had the stuff. I also used some string trimmer string for holes.
The pic is right out of the mold (set for 7 days) and now is air drying for another week, then to the water bath. Meanwhile I very interested in the steamer b/c I want to make about 200 lbs of this stuff for my new 80 and 120.
I'm a retired concrete guy. I ran a foundation post tension company for 3 years and placed about 2 million bucks worth of mud a year while I was there. Unfortunately we used all kinds of admixtures and "stuff" so I'm kinda new at the straight cement mix.
I have more on my mind about setting (cure) and then Kuring. But I think this post is long enough!
Starting to "Rock out"!
Tim
Here is my first rock. I have had all the stuff for well over a year but never got around to it. I have saved some ingredients from old tanks (CC, Crushed shells, Sand) that I throughly cleaned and then sun dried.
I went with an Ol' Skool mix b/c I had the stuff. I also used some string trimmer string for holes.
The pic is right out of the mold (set for 7 days) and now is air drying for another week, then to the water bath. Meanwhile I very interested in the steamer b/c I want to make about 200 lbs of this stuff for my new 80 and 120.
I'm a retired concrete guy. I ran a foundation post tension company for 3 years and placed about 2 million bucks worth of mud a year while I was there. Unfortunately we used all kinds of admixtures and "stuff" so I'm kinda new at the straight cement mix.
I have more on my mind about setting (cure) and then Kuring. But I think this post is long enough!
Starting to "Rock out"!
Tim
TurningTim
New member
Thats cool and thank you! but man its been a while since I've tried to post. I need to learn how to do pics and such so you guys can see them. right now I'm a bit bleary eyed trying to get back in the swing here!
Insane Reefer
New member
LOL - Welcome to the thread, TurningTim! You will figure posting out - it isn't too hard. If you don't have one, a Photobucket account can help with pictures.
Nice rock!
Cool! A cement guy. Most cement guys I talk to are good at mixing up the typical cement mixes used in fabrication and construction, but when I start asking questions their eyes glaze
Would love to hear your thoughts, and if you have any questions about steaming, I'd be more than willing to answer them...
Nice rock!
Cool! A cement guy. Most cement guys I talk to are good at mixing up the typical cement mixes used in fabrication and construction, but when I start asking questions their eyes glaze
Would love to hear your thoughts, and if you have any questions about steaming, I'd be more than willing to answer them...
TurningTim
New member
Tim will do just fine IR! And thanks for the welcome! Thank you for your un-dieing devotion to this thread!
The guys you really need to talk too are the quality control guys and the ones that are in the labs doing research and the crunch tests. Its been several years since I've been in the game but I may be able to score a couple of contacts.
Have you tried to contact any of the independent private testing companies? CTL Thompson and Terricon are the ones I had to deal with.
Let me see if I can find any of my "La Concrete" guys from "La past" from "La Farge"! LOL!
Tim
The guys you really need to talk too are the quality control guys and the ones that are in the labs doing research and the crunch tests. Its been several years since I've been in the game but I may be able to score a couple of contacts.
Have you tried to contact any of the independent private testing companies? CTL Thompson and Terricon are the ones I had to deal with.
Let me see if I can find any of my "La Concrete" guys from "La past" from "La Farge"! LOL!
Tim
Insane Reefer
New member
You got it Tim. 
I spent a couple of weeks corresponding with Nick Winter from http://www.whd.co.uk, a company that does microscopy of cementitious materials in the UK. It was actually sort of funny. I sent my first email right after my first "steam" experiment, and told him of my interest and what I was trying to do, and he thought that some colleague was pulling a prank on him - "having him on" as he put it. He replied, in what he thought, was kind. I was not amused, and wrote him, telling him so. He was sooooo embarrassed and after that bent over backwards to answer my questions. I also have spoken with people over at http://www.cement.org, and they were helpful in the beginning too. But you are right, at this point I've pretty much tapped what the guys who work with cement daily know and now need someone more into the research end of things - those who really understand the chemical aspects of cement. If you can turn up contacts that don't think we are nutz (or even if they do, will still talk to us
), that would be awesome!
I spent a couple of weeks corresponding with Nick Winter from http://www.whd.co.uk, a company that does microscopy of cementitious materials in the UK. It was actually sort of funny. I sent my first email right after my first "steam" experiment, and told him of my interest and what I was trying to do, and he thought that some colleague was pulling a prank on him - "having him on" as he put it. He replied, in what he thought, was kind. I was not amused, and wrote him, telling him so. He was sooooo embarrassed and after that bent over backwards to answer my questions. I also have spoken with people over at http://www.cement.org, and they were helpful in the beginning too. But you are right, at this point I've pretty much tapped what the guys who work with cement daily know and now need someone more into the research end of things - those who really understand the chemical aspects of cement. If you can turn up contacts that don't think we are nutz (or even if they do, will still talk to us
), that would be awesome!TurningTim
New member
Well I know there out there. One of the sales reps that used to "woo" me for my business. Once told about his R/D dept that just for fun made a 30,000 psi mix! Yep they're geeks just like us!
I made some calls. But it would seem that all my contacts are gone from back in the day. I got a couple more cards to play. We'll see!
One thing I did want to ask is have you messed with adding CA (I was thinking kalk) to the mix as an accelerent? You probably have and I just missed it.
Tim
I made some calls. But it would seem that all my contacts are gone from back in the day. I got a couple more cards to play. We'll see!
One thing I did want to ask is have you messed with adding CA (I was thinking kalk) to the mix as an accelerent? You probably have and I just missed it.
Tim
Insane Reefer
New member
Wow! 30k psi. What would you even do with something like that? Build in space?
I've found that geeks are universal
Yes, some of us dabble with calcium chloride and a few have used micro silica as well. I've personally written micro silica off as not being very suitable for our needs (densifies cement, and in the trials I ran, only seemed to help a very small amount, plus makes very dark cement). I haven't really included CaCl2 in the Super Long Post, other than in passing, because I have been trying to figure out a good way to post it's usage as far as how much to add - too much can ruin good cement and make it even more susceptible to various attacks (and with the rock sitting in saltwater, it needs no help in that direction!).
If you can recommend a nice easy to understand rule of thumb for it's usage, I'd gladly include it in the next Super Long Post.
I also use a bit of Type "S" Lime in my personal mix - 1/3 of a "part" blended with 1 part cement. Seems to make a more porous rock and kures fairly fast too. Plus the added calcium should in theory, help the cement to a small degree, resist chemical attack. The downside is that it does weaken the rock somewhat. I played with several differing amounts and settled on 1/3 as being the best compromise.
Would you know about other accelerators? Maybe something with a magnesium base? I read a book on google books a while back (that I now can't find) that suggested that coral reefs in the wild seem to grow better on rock with a higher magnesium content, so if we could add it in, as an admixture that might be cool and be even cooler if it had an added advantage such as helping the cure.
I've found that geeks are universal
Yes, some of us dabble with calcium chloride and a few have used micro silica as well. I've personally written micro silica off as not being very suitable for our needs (densifies cement, and in the trials I ran, only seemed to help a very small amount, plus makes very dark cement). I haven't really included CaCl2 in the Super Long Post, other than in passing, because I have been trying to figure out a good way to post it's usage as far as how much to add - too much can ruin good cement and make it even more susceptible to various attacks (and with the rock sitting in saltwater, it needs no help in that direction!).
If you can recommend a nice easy to understand rule of thumb for it's usage, I'd gladly include it in the next Super Long Post.
I also use a bit of Type "S" Lime in my personal mix - 1/3 of a "part" blended with 1 part cement. Seems to make a more porous rock and kures fairly fast too. Plus the added calcium should in theory, help the cement to a small degree, resist chemical attack. The downside is that it does weaken the rock somewhat. I played with several differing amounts and settled on 1/3 as being the best compromise.
Would you know about other accelerators? Maybe something with a magnesium base? I read a book on google books a while back (that I now can't find) that suggested that coral reefs in the wild seem to grow better on rock with a higher magnesium content, so if we could add it in, as an admixture that might be cool and be even cooler if it had an added advantage such as helping the cure.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
It's basically finished already. I have a few little tweaks to do, but its all in working order. I splurged last night on a HUGE order for all my tanks. I won't calculate it in to the total cost because it's frivalous stuff that isn't dependent on the tank working. Some time this holiday weekend, I'll take the time to get my entire 29g switched over to the 75g and maybe even make a pillar or two.
Insane Reefer
New member
Very cool, Travis! You'll have to post a new pic when it is ready
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I don't know if I want to. Since there isn't a cleanup crew in there, with the exception of a single turbo snail, the first phase of microalgae has shown to be prevailant. The dinoflagellates have grown to strands of 2-3". It's already showing sign of dissipating in the sand on around a few rocks, so that's good. I just need to get some more cleaners in there to keep it all in check. Of course, when I combine tanks, there should be enough to get me by until I pump up my clean up crew.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12602668#post12602668 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
Very cool, Travis! You'll have to post a new pic when it is ready
Insane Reefer
New member
Well, when it meets your approval, please post for us 
