Color Cement Handicraft 16

Color Cement Handicraft 16

TO FINISH THE FLAGSTONES the color mixture is spread over the first

portion placed in the scraped area and spread with the trowel until it

covers all the surface of the first pouring. When this strata has

partly set, it can be surfaced with trowel marks or a few twigs or weeds

can be held in the hand and whipped over the cement surface, producing a

roughened texture. The stone should then be covered so as to protect it

from being walked upon and after the second day it should be sprayed

with water to help its hardening process while drying. Do not permit the

sun to prematurely dry the stones as the slower a cement dries the more

durable it will be.

 

BRIDGE WORK FOR THE GARDEN can be constructed with cement, and the use

of color combined with cement will enhance the project if used

reservedly and in good arrangement. Iron posts or supports can be used

as under parts of the bridge or a temporary support of wood can be used.

A wooden barrel has been used successfully to form the opening under a

cement garden bridge, the staves being knocked in to remove the barrel

after the bridge was completed.

 

Stones and tree limbs can be combined with the cement bridge toward

creating informal effects. The Japanese garden is delightfully arranged

with many surprise effects of stone work and pools, all of which can be

duplicated with cement.

 

NATURAL EFFECTS can be secured with the proper use of cement and the

possibilities are only limited by the time and interest of the worker.

It must be remembered that cement and concrete is a process of creating

stone and the stones can be formed in pleasing shapes and finishes and

colors according to the wish of the worker. There is great opportunity

for the worker with color cement to create garden ideas either for

pleasure or for remuneration and any enthusiastic worker can plan and

direct such work for neighboring needs or for those who are always

anxious for the different but pleasing garden creation.

 

A TILE EFFECT for walks or courts in regular pattern can be made by

pouring a color layer over a concrete solid layer. Previous to the

pouring thin strips of wood are placed so as to divide the space into

the tile shapes. These strips are afterwards taken out and the tile

edges scraped round, and the spaces where the wood was placed is then

filled with gray cement. This produces at considerable less expense the

same result as the inlaid tile surface.

 

THE DECORATED GARDEN TILE is where the color cement is poured onto the

square or rectangular concrete stones and while it is semi-moist other

color is dripped on or stroked into the surface with a brush, forming a

design motif. These motifs may appear at regular or irregular intervals

depending upon the pattern arrangement of the stones, and can be of

flowers, quaint birds or animals, preferably in abstract arrangements.

 

CHIMNEY STONES or flat stones for surfacing fireplaces or stone walls

can be made by pouring out the concrete mixture to which color has been

added. These should be poured onto a fairly hard ground surface which

has been previously watered. The stones can be of varying shapes and

sizes and with varying tints of colors. Gray cement alone will give a

good color to which may be added those made of Venetian red, Indian red,

and lamp black or yellow ochre.

 

When dry they should be immersed in water and then added to the brick

undersurface of the chimney or mantel by using a mortar made of a

mixture of lime and clean sand with water. To this add one-fourth to

one-sixth part Portland cement. The lime should be prepared previously

to combining with the sand by adding water to it, letting it remain for

a half day to two days in order that it will become slackened. Lime

gives adhesiveness to the plaster, and the brick surface to which the

stones are placed should be moistened with water before adding the

plaster layer into which the color cement stones are to be pressed.

 

Many other fascinating uses of color cement will develop into successful

applications in the hands of the craftsman who is interested in

beautifying the garden.

 

[Illustration: Helps in Cement Garden Pottery]

 

[Illustration: Application of Cement Tiles to Architectural Use]

 

[Illustration: Color Cement Flagstones Used for a Bridge, Garden

Pathway, and Entrance.]

 

[Illustration: Color Cement Used for Chimney Stones and Flagstones]

 

 

 

 

[Illustration]

 

CHAPTER 14

 

The Making

of Candlesticks and

Book Supports

 

[Illustration]

 

 

TO MAKE A CANDLESTICK WITH STRAIGHT SIDES the molds should be made in

sections, the divisions occurring where the corners come. This results

in the object coming from the mold with the mold lines where they can be

easily removed.

 

THE MOLD FOR A CIRCULAR CANDLESTICK or round base can be made in three

divisions similar to the making of a mold for a round vase. The mold

lines occurring on the surface can be obliterated as soon as the object

is removed from the mold.

 

A MOLD FOR A CANDLESTICK DIFFERS FROM A VASE MOLD in that it is made

upside down. As a candlestick is made solid instead of hollow like a

vase, the mold is filled from the bottom, the open part to hold the

candle being a projecting section into the space of the mold into which

the cement is poured.

 

TO MAKE THE MOLD SECTIONS the small section to reproduce the hole for

the candlestick is first made. The original model, made either from clay

or modeling wax, is placed upright and a strip of oiled cardboard or

metal fastened around the top and plaster poured into the candlestick

hole and up above the top to the level of the cardboard or metal which

should extend at least an inch above the top of the candlestick.

 

AFTER THE MOLD FOR THE TOP IS MADE each side should have a key space

bored into it and then the mold is placed back into the model, the

exposed portions of the plaster are oiled and the side section (round or

straight section) is next made, leaving the bottom open. The completed

parts of the mold are assembled and dried before using them for the

cement cast.

 

TO POUR THE CANDLESTICK CAST, assemble the molds after they have been

immersed in water and oiled and after tying them firmly together turn

them upside down and pour the cement into the opening. If a color is to

be used, the color should be poured in and the mold rotated until the

color covers the inner surface. Surplus color should be mixed and kept

to use later in completing the bottom. After the lining has set, a

mixture of sand and coarse cement should be poured into it and permitted

to settle. Jarring or tapping the mold will help the cement to settle.

If it settles, more cement should be poured in. After it has settled,

the color surplus similar to the surface lining is poured on to finish

the bottom.

 

WHEN THE MOLD IS OPENED the sides are opened first and the small mold

section forming the candlestick hole is carefully twisted out. If when

making this part of the mold, a T shape wire has been inserted it will

strengthen the mold.

 

TO MAKE THE BOOK SUPPORT, a model should first be designed and modeled

in clay or modeling wax. This design must be considered from its

practicability and the structural design therefore must be carefully

planned. The base on the book support should be heavy enough to

overbalance the upright portion so as to prevent the book support from

falling over. The upright portion may be of any simple shape and

enriched in any of the methods previously described for the decorating

of tiles.

 

A WOODEN BASE OR BACK FOR THE MODEL may be used on which to place the

modeling wax. A thin layer of the modeling wax may be placed over the

entire surface, and variations to the shape also can be made with the

modeling wax. A panel of plaster or a tile design can be incorporated

into the model instead of modeling. This method has been often used and

found to give good results.

 

GESSO OR RELIEFO MODELED PANELS CAN BE USED for book support designs by

attaching them to the surface of the model. If the gesso or reliefo is

first shellaced it will be found to be an excellent material with which

to produce modeled designs for color cement handicraft.

 

 

AFTER THE MODEL IS COMPLETED the first part of the mold to be made

should be the portion with the design. The triangular shape of the

design and base portion should be placed in position and supported so

that a single pouring of plaster will produce a mold of the design and

the upper surface of the base. Different shaped bases or irregular

shaped bases will require individual consideration when planning the

molds. The main thing to consider is that the parts of the molds must be

made so that the cast will release easily from the molds.

 

 

THE SIDES OF THE BOOK SUPPORT are next made, casting the sides while the

first piece cast is kept in close position over the model and drilling

keys in the sides to produce locking holds in the mold sections. The top

of the model is also cast, the bottom being the only portion not made,

as the book support like the candle is cast upside down.

 

 

PRECEDING THE POURING OF CEMENT the mold sections are soaked in water,

taken out and oiled, assembled and put closely together, and tied firmly

in position. The colored cement slip is then poured in, the mold is

rotated and the concrete or cement filler is poured in and permitted to

settle. The bottom or last layer is then poured on in the same color as

that used for the lining.

 

 

TO INSURE QUICK ASSEMBLY OF MOLD PARTS when working, the molds should be

marked with corresponding numbers so that the correct parts can be put

together rapidly.

 

 

TO FINISH THE BOOK SUPPORT it is removed from the mold, trimmed as

needed, placed in water to harden for several days, taken out and

permitted to dry slowly and then brushed well and waxed. A thin coating

of shellac may precede the wax. Two sets of molds for book supports will

enable two book supports to be made at one time and in this way the

color of both can be made to match each other.