<div dir="ltr">I started by watching several youtube videos explaining the process of creating concrete counter tops in various ways. <div><br></div><div>I ended up choosing quikrete 5000 for concrete. This comes in 60 or 80 pound bags with cement, sand, and a small rock aggregate already mixed together. Only water has to be added. We used a pretty dry mix that was hard to work with, but should turn out strong. The concrete layer is at least 2" thick, some of the videos I saw said one could get away with 1.5" thick.</div>
<div><br></div><div>We used a welded wire concrete reinforcing mesh inside the counter-top about 1/2" from the bottom of concrete. Most instructions recommended using reinforcement to control cracking. Although I couldn't find it nearby, another recommended reinforcement material was masonry block ladder wire.</div>
<div><br></div><div>The forms were attached to the table, protected with polyurethane, and we poured directly onto it. The other popular way of making these counter tops is to pour into a form that is separate from the counter so that the nice flat bottom of the form becomes the nice flat top of the counter.</div>
<div><br></div><div>After removing the forms, I patched any large voids with pour stone. If we used a slightly wetter concrete mix and more vibration we probably could have greatly reduced these. </div><div><br></div><div>
The top was finished using hand trowels during the pour and a masonry grinding wheel with our grinder/polisher after 7 days of curing. Then covered with a generous coat of penetrating concrete sealer.</div><div><br></div>
<div>Cheers</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 3:46 AM, Frantisek Apfelbeck <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:algoldor@yahoo.com" target="_blank">algoldor@yahoo.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif">
<div>Hi Jarrod,</div><div>Thanks a lot for the info! I'm actually going to build table with concrete top in next few days and it is my first time. I wonder could you recommend me how shall I approach the top concrete layer? Is it just cement mixed with water no sand no iron for strengthening? How thick do you think I should go? There is no stove in it, the propose of the table is to serve as a preparation place handling however hot stuff (it is suppose to handle the thinks coming out of the oven). Also I wonder what is the concrete finish which you are mentioning in the how to?</div>
<div><br></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:13.333333969116211px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif">The table is going to be used in a small hostel here in
Jeju (island South of South Korea - part of the country) next to the concrete oven which I helped to build. I'm one of the cofounders of Tastebridge so it is really nice to see any project like this to help to keep the food hacking in the game in the place!</div>
<div style="font-style:normal;font-size:13.333333969116211px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif"><br></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:13.333333969116211px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif">
Many thanks for any info and your time and effort with the project!</div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:13.333333969116211px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif">
<br></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:13.333333969116211px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif">Sincerely, </div><div></div><div> </div><div>Frantisek Algoldor Apfelbeck</div>
<div><br><br></div><div>biotechnologist&kvasir and hacker</div><br><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.frantisekapfelbeck.org" target="_blank">http://www.frantisekapfelbeck.org</a></div><div><br><br></div><div>"There is no way to peace, peace is the way." Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi<br>
</div><br> <div style="font-family:'bookman old style','new york',times,serif;font-size:10pt"> <div style="font-family:'times new roman','new york',times,serif;font-size:12pt"> <div dir="ltr">
<hr size="1"> <font face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> jarrod hicks <<a href="mailto:hicksu@gmail.com" target="_blank">hicksu@gmail.com</a>><br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> NoiseBridge Discuss <<a href="mailto:noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net" target="_blank">noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a>> <br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday,
September 4, 2013 10:10 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> [Noisebridge-discuss] Made at Noisebridge - Concrete Stove<br> </font> </div> <div><div><div class="h5"><br><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Here is some photo documentation of the new stove that I installed yesterday. Big thanks to all that helped, and those that resisted writing their names in the concrete while it cured.</div>
<div><br></div>
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://noisebridge.net/wiki/Concrete_Stove" target="_blank">https://<span>noisebridge</span>.net/wiki/Concrete_Stove</a><br><div><br></div><div>Cheers.</div><div><br></div><div>(If anyone feels the urge to send some cash my way to help offset the materials cost, that would be sweet and it would likely end up spent on the next <span>Noisebridge</span> improvement anyway. No worries though, it was a fun project.)</div>
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