Casting seating wall in Concrete

[jhobbs]

Those are great I have just started building a small retaining wall, but I think I am going to try and make those. Would you please go a little more indepth with making the mold. Thanks for sharing and they do look great! I think you should make the columns out of concrete, to keep the look uniform and the decking would keep it from looking cold and uninviting. cedar would be a nice alternative also, and maintance is not that high with cedar.

[christo]

Thanks!

I will dig through some more pics and post them. The benches were poured first and then the columns were poured second. - the form for the benches lasted for the 5 benches and would likely last longer if you leave them on for a day and clean and dry them well after removal.

The columns were trickier and had some inherent strength issues - The columns overlapped the benches on each end and fit over them like a saddle. The sides that overlapped the front and back of the benches did not have support like the benches, I added 2x4's and after the first pours started to stake them in with rebar. Even then, I had 1/4 inch of spread on one or two of them. No Biggie there.

The funniest thing that happened (funny now) was on the end column (my second pour). I filled the column form and as I tapped it the level kept getting lower - then I realized the bench was like a piston and was pushing the form away from the bench with every mallet tap. I stopped tapping and when I removed the form the next day the column had moved almost even with the end of the bench - any more and the column form would have separated from the bench.

It's been a few months now and I'm still very happy with the benches and columns. I'll get the pics posted this week.

Christo

[christo]

Here are some of the column form pictures. My wife was out of town that weekend so I used the camera phone.

The first pics show the completed form with styrofoam knock outs that I made from laminated 1 inch thick pink house insulation foam. I cut it on my tablesaw (not recommended - I had a piece kick back and scare the crap out of me when it melted a bit and stuck to the blade). from there on out I used either my radial arm saw (another scary tool) and my sander to round the edges. I dressed the edges with duct tape so all faces were smooth. I stuck the pieces to the form with silicone caulk and screws to hold it while it dried. I ran a bead around the blocks and used my finger to create a nice clean radius. it looks great in reverse. I used some trim stock to create a baseboard effect between the two pieces of foam. Its fun to think in the negative space.

The silicone caulk separated easily from the form and styrofoam when I removed the forms and I was able to reuse them for all 5 columns.

Pic 179 shows one of the forms on it's side getting ready to be put into place. it shows pretty well the amount of bracing I added to the outside of the form. It still needed more based on the flex at the bottom.

180 and 181 show the form part way through the pour. I have not inserted the center core at this point. There is a block of styrofoam in the bottom and aftre the concrete was poured above the small arches I put a piece of rebar in and then placed the center core between the two large pink foam knockouts for the glass block.

[christo]

ok bear with me just a few more pics.

183 is the fully poured column with the center core in place.

184 is the picture of the end column that tried to extrude its self off of the bench. It shows the lessor amount of bracing the first column forms had.

185 is the same column as 184 with most of the bracing removed and inner core removed. - one detail - inner cores - terribly hard to remove onthe benches. For the columns I tried somehting different and cut 1x1x25inch strips of styrofoarm and used these as the corners of the inner core forms. I taped them togheter with masking tape (not duct tape - too hard to separate later) and put spacers inside to keep the shape. removal was very easy. I did not take any pics of these but can make a sketch if you like.

186 is what the inside looked like when I removed the inner forms. They flexed a bit but the concrete was so green that it was easy to clean up the inside with a brick used like a sanding block.

Hope this helps!

Christo

[jhobbs]

Is your oven built out of block or did you make it like the seats, and how did you built the cabinets around the frigde and stuff Steel and concrete board? It realy looks good, I might have to steal you designs dude, I really like it!!

[christo]

Base is dry stacked block and sides are concrete board and metal studs. Metal studs can differ by the thickness of the metal used - since I'm making concrete countertops I used a heavier guage stud during construction.

There are more pics and details at the link below in my signature block.

Steal anything you like - I've been doing the same since I've joined!

Christo

[houseofparliament]

newbie here.....just getting started and this thread seams dead but it shouldn't be... this is amazing work! love it!

thanks for the time in uploading photos on this project...very useful

[IAmBrassman]

That is beautiful work!

I'm a newbie... love cooking outside, and love working with my hands.... me and my dear wife both decided it's time my two hobbies meet.

Oven and outdoor kitchen in my near future.

Just starting on ideas... and this one for cast bench supports is superb!!

[man7sell]

What a fabulous build. Any final photos? Must try some of this