I soooooo want to try this. I have tons of places where I'd like put some of these papercrete containers. I think my 8 and 10 yr olds would LOVE to help. :) Thanks so much for the information and the photos.
Michelle
How to make papercrete containers.
Excellent! Thanks for the info, happy! I'll give it a try and report the results. I've been saving my shredded paper......
Moses WAS a wanderer...
I do have a question, since I'm going to HD or Lowe's to get my cement . . . when I get to mixing the slurry and cement, do I first mix the cement according to directions, or just use the water that is in with the slurry to mix with the cement powder?
Sorry if it seems a silly question . . . I've read thru the thread twice, but couldn't find where it might have been mentioned - and I don't want to mess it up!
Nichole
I believe the dry cement mixed with the water produces what they are calling "slurry." You keep adding the water to the dry cement until it's the right consistency and produces a "slurry" that won't collapse on itself as you mash it against the walls of your mold. It should have enough "body" to it to stand up, but not be so stiff you can't mold it.
Hope I'm on track here...
It is the newspaper that makes the slurry, you add the portland to that. Wether it is wet or dry when you add it, I dont know. When I made the hypertuffa, I added dry portland to my wet mix.
Someone who knows will come along.
chris
Syrumani,
click on the link below. It's a picture from WAAAAAAAAAAAAY up above of what TomTom meant by "slurry." Click on the picture in that post. The third one down looks like a bowl of smooth oatmeal. That's the slurry!
Thanks, lcf530. The slurry is made from mashing up the strips of newspaper with the water, until you get that oatmeal consistency!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=1177374
This message was edited May 18, 2007 5:36 PM
This message was edited May 18, 2007 5:37 PM
Syrumani,
If you click on the pics in TomTom's posts, there are more pics there than in the little thumbnails. She shows you step-by-step most of what she's talking about. Don't forget to click on a pic!
SOS210_14your plant is a tropiclal perennial hardy in zone 9 and 10
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/650.html
Rhoeo, Moses in a cradle or Oyster Plant.
I grew lots of it in FL and you will see it heavily used in landscapes there. Make sure and bring it inside before a hard freeze and it will live quite a long time.
Looks lovely in your papercrete pot!
Well done!
carol
PS Thanks for your responses regarding traveling with newly made papercrete works of art. I've decided to provide plywood bases to make transport easier for my quests.
My DH thinks I am soooooo insane! I have my bucket of slurry just about ready. I am glad he went with me to HD this morning - that bag of PC looked awful heavy! I also got liquid dye - one charcoal and one red. I am just waiting for the kids to go to bed tonite so I can have some peace mixing everything together, and into the pots!
Nichole
Good luck, Nichole. I've got my fingers crossed for you. I am so glad you're doing it!!!
Carol, thanks for the information about Moses in a cradle. It sounds like it grows like a weed in South FL, but I don't think we have to worry about it being invasive in 7b. I'm particularly glad to learn about the toxic aspect. We don't have children around, but it sounds like I need to be careful handling it. Best wishes with your papercrete party! Hope you'll post some pictures.
Nichole, you'll be hooked when you see the results of even your first pot! I hope you'll post some pictures, too.
Hi papercrete lovers,
So glad this thread has had such a number of visitors.
It's my GREAT pleasure if the thread is of some use to you.
Tomtom
Tomtom,
That is great, I need to make one that is tall like that. What did you use for the outside form instead of the twisted newspaper?
chris
I think I am ready to try one, but I don't know why we need the stick across the bottom of the pot? Can anyone tell me?
rustyswoman - I think it's to give the water a way to get out, once it gets thru the hole . . .
Tomtom - I'd like to make bigger ones, too . . . what is the biggest you have made w/papercrete?
I don't know . . . is it supposed to look . . . juicy?
Thanks, I understand now.
Those pots are simply beautiful! I am jealous, I just don't have the room to take up a project like that.
Oh but when I buy a house, it's on. ;)
kalika22,
I like your spirit! I bought my first home in December 2004!
Equilibrium
May 31, 2007
Another definite to add to my ever growing "to do" list. Spectacular!
Bump, for you Carol......
Nifty!!!! TomTom, do you get your irregular shapes by just wadding the newspaper differently???
I think there are a couple of woment doing this here in Hawaii and they call them Lava Pots (because we have the active volcano and lots of lava) and they sell them for a fortune!!!
Can anyone think of a reason why an interesting planter bed of irregular shape couldn't be made???? Maybe with a form out of wood...hmmmmm....can you smell the smoke of brain cells frying??????
Thanks so much, Stella.... and all of you for your great creativity!!!
with some imagination and ingenuity the possiblities are endless with these
For irregular shapes I think a chicken wire frame has a better chance at longevity than wood.
Chicken wire weighs a lot less, too.
KEWL!!!! I really need to get some time!!!!!
I can't wait to see what you create Carol.
Tomtom you totally rock! Linda you totally rock too for passing me the link! :D this is so coool....and ah_hoya you totally rock for the link you posted on here too... I'm wanting to sculpt something with this. These pots would also look wonderful around my lil koi pond I'm building in the front yard - its a 90 gal preformed... been piecing it together over a few months now.
Also after reading the thread up to here it would seem that if people make buildings out of this material, that it could hold up to quite a bit of water. Please tell me if I'm mistaken.... I'm thinking rain water, or even, why not build a waterfall out of several 'leaning' pots???
Did Linda want moses in a boat? Dstarz (I think) gave me one at the meetup, If you'd like we could meet up sometime with a cutting... (I work in the med center on Fridays)
This is pretty exiting read, thank you very much :)
This is an awesome thread... Totally gonna try it.
I think the water issue has been addressed wa-a-aaa-ay up there somewhere - I think Tomtom said you couldn't grow plants in water in the papecrete or something along those lines. But I still haven't gotten around to trying it, so I'm no expert.
xx, C
Water drains out of the papercrete very well, so it is ideal for alpine or rock mini gardens.
chris
just wondering
Am I thinking that it's no good in standing water?
x, C
I'm sure you're correct, Carrie, I read at some point way up on the thread that water would deteriate it sooner or later. They would make beautiful planters for a covered porch though. I've been saying to myself that I'd try this technique but I just haven't gotten around to it.
I thought of this thread when I saw this article on msn--it must be durable, because they build houses with it: http://realestate.msn.com/Improve/green/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid=5545522>1=10534
Wow, Ky, I started with your msn link and wound up wanting to take a tour of Uzbekistan (sp.?)!
That's great. Only read the article. the links will be later. What a find.....
Hap
Heck yeah, with all the junk mail I get, I may have a house sooner than I thought! LOL
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. We send ours to The Town.
xx, C