how can i turn cement into concrete for a planter

[jj4091]

You'll get a better finish if you use these instead of any size ballast.

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[SpiderTrev]

thank you for the link.
i don't really care too much about the finish at the moment, i am primarily aiming for functional, while keeping costs as low as possible (and green)


i found a link that suggests using 6 parts ballast to 1 part cement. but then i found another that says 1:3, and another that says 1:5

 

[Mottie]

maybe the cement will come in useful some time for another project.

Get creative.

 

[cdbe]

Ballast will be 2 sharp, 4 stone to make a standard concrete mix with 1 cement. You can increase the proportion of sharp which will reduce the strength a bit (but you're not making a motorway bridge) and make it a bit smoother so easier for your mold and better finish.

You could always do some trial mixes to see what you like.

 

[SpiderTrev]

Get creative.

what a great idea! thank you! that has sparked some other ideas too

 

[SpiderTrev]

Ballast will be 2 sharp, 4 stone to make a standard concrete mix with 1 cement. You can increase the proportion of sharp which will reduce the strength a bit (but you're not making a motorway bridge) and make it a bit smoother so easier for your mold and better finish.

You could always do some trial mixes to see what you like.

thank you
i will do a couple of small trials.
I'm not sure if that would be 6 or 4 parts ballast? if the sand falls between the gaps of the stone then i assume that is still 4 parts ballast to 1 part cement?

 

[johnny2007]

I use bricks for planters.
They look a lot better than concrete.

 

[cdbe]

6 ballast to 1 cement.

 

[mattylad]

Get creative.

I was thinking about a snip of this method I had seen recently, the channel in that video has a lot of good ideas on how to use a bag of cement to make plant pots.

Cement Craft Ideas

Cement Craft Ideas Cement ideas for garden How to make flower pot Creative ideas Cement pot making at home Cement ideas Cement pots Craft ideas Flower pot

www.youtube.com

 

[stevie888]

Ballast is a blend of sand and (usually 20mm max size) shingle.

At 6 to 1 with cement you'll get a decent mix which is fine for most diy purposes but which tends to be a bit on the sandy side for maximum strength. (For high strength structural concrete we would use blends of sand and separate shingles or crushed rock or increasingly crushed down recycled concrete.)

What you might find for your proposed use with fairly thin sections is the 20 might be too big. In your situation I would start with 20/10 shingle and sharp sand at 3 shingle/3 sand/1 cement, but you need to do some trials to fine tune.

Fibres worth adding for strength but won't affect finish.

 

[stuart45]

The binder in that video looks like ciment fondu, which goes hard really quick. Used it on drain repairs to the joints on salt glaze drains.

 

[SpiderTrev]

thank you all for the responses, what a great community it seems to be here .
i collected my ballast and will start with a 6:1 test mix and see how it goes from there.

i am getting so many ideas looking through the videos on that channel!

 

[SpiderTrev]

any opinions on tarp vs bucket for mixing?

 

[noseall]

any opinions on tarp vs bucket for mixing?

Belle

 

[Cheslea2010]

Buy "10mm All in Ballast" which is basically the gravel and sand element mixed together. You can then add cement and water, et voila, it's concrete. Standard concrete uses 20mm Ballast but this will probably be too large for a planter.