Frags / Cutting Bases

Hello,

First, sorry for my English, I miss some practice.

As Madfish wanted to do a post about our cutting tips, I start here, as I've tried to do today my first bases for frags:

I took an old sand, that I washed many times with tap water, and then let it a day in osmosed water (I don't know how we say it in english).
I've done a mix with about 50% caribean sand and 50% cement (a little bit less than 50% cement), you can see here the two results and just before doing the forms, I added a bit "big sea salt" (then I can let my bases in water, the salt will go in the water and let little holes, to give more porosity to my socles (less weight and more volume xD)):
The first try (upwards), add water when your sand is already humid is NOT a good idea

By taeslash, shot with DMC-FX33 at 2010-03-15
The second try (downwards), I just added cement to sand that was in osmosed water, without adding water, and also big sea salt. The mixture has still a little bit too much water.

I don't know if the first series will be usable, but the second series, I think they will be ok, we'll see.

One thing I should have done, is to add a little bit Calcium Hydroxid to my mixture, ton help coralline to grow on it.

The cement I used is the simplest with less additives possible:
By taeslash, shot with DMC-FX33 at 2010-03-15

PS: Don't forget it's my first try

Hello,

The second attemp look greater then the first !!!
The first look like an old pizza

Good idea the salt !

One Tip:
Be patient, and don't try to move them before they are dry


By taeslash, shot with DMC-FX33 at 2010-03-15

After how much time can we manipulate them?
And after how much time can I put them I water (osmosed water I think) to prevent the raise off PH when using them and dissolve the salt that is inside?

You got to wait about 24h before to move it.
Then you put it in water (normal water is sufficient to rinse it) you change the water 2 or 3 times during 2 or 3 days and it's ok.

EDIT: you use quick cement, normally after a few minutes it should be hard, perhaps the salt create a problem with the cement ?

EDIT: you use quick cement, normally after a few minutes it should be hard, perhaps the salt create a problem with the cement ?

Perhaps, but I don't think so.

I think it's more my mixture that had too much water, we'll see tomorrow.
The part that is broken, when I push on it, it goes as if it wasn't dry.

So my two mixtures didn't work, the cement hasn't taken.
I don't know why, perhaps too much water, perhaps the salt added, perhaps not enough cement...

I will do another try today.

If you mix the cement for too long you "kill" the cement.
This means that you prevent hardening when it should!

Or perhaps the salt interact in the process of hardening ?

I prefer to use normal cement so I have time to prepare the supports quietly

I need to try it. It looks really good, thanks for posting.

achillesmf a écrit:I need to try it. It looks really good, thanks for posting.

Thank you, but the result is a failure for the first try.
The second try doesn't seem to be much better, but I let them get dry.

But take "quick" cement is not a good Idea I think (1've bought only 1kg at Obi, for 3 Sfr).
Its called in French "mortier" (mortar) and not "ciment" (cement), but the guy told me it's cement.

One thing possible: The sand I put with the cement is already humid, and I do the mixture letting humidity in the sand, this is largely enough to do the mixture (I have to drain it well, if not the mixture si too humid I think). Perhaps my failure comes from that.

But my wife knows how to do cement, she will teach me tomorrow

Hello, try perhaps to do just one without sand ?

Impossible to do a base with this shitty mortar

Don't listen what vendors say and just choose by yourself!

The guy told me that mortar was cement.... But mortar is cement with sand...

Every try that I've done, when I push on the dry base, it goes sand....

I'm going to buy another one today, and to make eat the first one I've bought by the vendor

Even if I do the mix with only water, the result is the same.

I went to Obi, and talked to the vendor that advised me the mortar.
He said to me: "Is it me that advised that to you?", I said: "of course, on monday..."...

The difference between cement and mortar is that mortar is cement with sand (and of course, what I've bought was mortar).
I think it's better that it didn't work, because we don't know which kind of sand is inside.

I asked for "Portland Cement" or the more "basic" cement they have.
And what I took is (6chf90):

By taeslash, shot with DMC-FX33 at 2010-03-18

The first try with real cement, on the left with too much water, and on the right seems better:

By taeslash, shot with DMC-FX33 at 2010-03-18

I hop it will work now, Samy told me he never had this problem.

Nice shot !!!

Now you're ready to make cookies

Samy a écrit:Nice shot !!!

Now you're ready to make cookies

I hope so!

How much time do we let them dry with normal cement? (when I read on the pack, the only thing marked is: The maximum resistance to pressure is reached after 28 days ; I'm asking me if I'v took the right one...)
Bullshit material