jamaicapeg

Welcome to the forum.
You will find lots of great ideas here and lots of helpful people.
I look forward to finding out what you are doing with papercrete. I have read a little about how to make it and will try it when it get warmer. ( Snowing right now)
If you can post some pictures. If you have never posted pictures - Up load you photos to a photosharing web site , like webshots ( there are many sites to choose from)

Plantman
I will try to post some pictures soon. The high tourist season has just kicked in and my life ceases to be my own for the next few months, so please be patient with me.
Happy holidays

I am interested in learning more about papercrete. I want to know how well your pots are weathering. I hope you don't mind sharing your recipe/technique.
I am ready to start but the weather here isn't ready. (12 degrees tonight) wind chill 9.
Hope everything is holding up after being sealed. What kind of sealer do you use?
thanks for any info

Hi Brendak: I've been making papercrete mushrooms using 2 parts portland cement, 1 part sand, and 4 parts mashed paper. I unmold them when they're firm enough (2-3 days) and just let them air dry in my sunroom. They're usually thoroughly dry in about two weeks; then I 'paint' them with Thompson's water sealant. I apply the sealant out in my shed to avoid the fumes in the house. I have an unsealed mushroom outside that has not shown any deterioration in spite of lots of rain and snow.

Here's a hint to simplify mashing paper: Last fall, I purchased a long metal tool (used by commercial painters and drywallers for stirring) that fits into an electric drill. I took it to a local machine shop and had them sharpen the spiral sides and the connecting 'blades' in the bottom circle . After packing a 5 gal. pail with shredded paper and soaking it overnight in very hot water, I can mash the whole bucket in less than 5 minutes. (One rule I adhere to religiously is to ALWAYS UNPLUG the drill before ever touching the tool to remove plugged paper!!) Then I let the 'mash' drain in strainers and it's ready to use.

Thanks for the info lava ns. I can't wait til it warms up here to try this.
What kind of molds do you use?
Good tip on the drill--I'll try to remember that.
I've already started saving paper. Does the paper that you run through a paper shredder to small?

Here is a picture of the last few days projects. I use 1 3/4 parts paper well pulped, 1 part portland cement, and 1/2 part perlite. Seems to make a very strong mix. After making the mold for the larger square containers I am working on more molds. The largest containers are 11" X 19" x 5" Thank you everyone for the inspiration!

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Lee

Very nice. Just to get your recipe straight, you used no sand or bonding agent? How heavy, strong are the cured pots? I would imagine very light if you used only perlite. Would love to try this recipe but perlite is not readily available in Ja. Anybody have possible alternatives?

I would like to know what everyone uses for molds.
Noxtra--love your containers. What do you use for sealer?

Brendak, my molds for mushrooms: small is an 8" plastic mixing bowl; medium is a 10" wok lid; and large is a 12" old wok. I line the molds with plastic bags (Saran wrap for the small bowl) because I like the crease lines in the finished mushrooms. Re your question about paper, I always use shredded paper, which is very plentiful at the local university! My stems are made from large and medium sized Blizzard cups from Dairy Queen.

Noxtra, I love your pots and am curious to know how you make your molds, especially how you get the lovely extended lipped edges of the large planters!

I would like to know if you can use magazines for papercrete?
Or is there something about the paper or the ink used that will not let it break down enough to use for papercrete?

Hi Brendak I found the following information on http://www.livinginpaper.com/
Cardboard, glossy magazine stock, advertising brochures, junk mail or just about any other type of "mixed (lower) grade" paper is acceptable. Some types of paper work better than others, but all types work.. Newsprint is best. Waterproofed paper and cardboard, such as butcher paper, beer cartons, etc. are harder to break down in water. Catalogs, magazines and other publications are fine in and of themselves, but some have a stringy, rubbery, sticky spine, which is also water resistant.
I use a combination of newspaper and bond paper. Old phonebooks work great. I think the glossy magazines will work if you give them a 2 to 3 day soak as I described in my jan 10th post re papercrete recipe/technique.

Noxtra, I would like to know what you use for molds as well. Can I use an old recycling bin?..but then what for the inside? I really need some large pots for my patio and if you would share your secret for making them have the thick lip at the top, that would be wonderful! Great info here everyone, thank you!

Here is a picture of the mold I use for the rectangles. It is just scrap 2X4'S run through the tablesaw to create somewhat of an angle to release better with some scrap lumber used to create the lip at the top. Scrap plywood for a bottom. I spray it with cooking spray and unscrew the wood to release.

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Below is a pic of a fresh turned out piece I molded in a storage container I found at Lowe's. It is 11" X 17" X 7"
I let them dry in a warm spot for about a month then set them outside on a pallet and let them weather for a while before I plant in them. This one will get a small Japanese Maple and a miniature hosta or two in about April.

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I use no bonding agent. I thought that was what the portland was for. I use no sealer although I have spray painted a few in the past but just on the outside for looks.

I'm working on some new molds guess I need to take pics start to finish???

Lee

Noxtra-thanks for the pics of your molds. What do you use for the inside of the rectangle mold after you put in your papercrete to make it smooth?

Brendak
Good question. For some of the round bowls I would guess that Lee has a smaller bowl. I have only done a few papercrete containers and the consistency of the mix is sometimes thicker and clay-like and an inner mold may not be needed. I have used a large garbage bag, cut into a single layer and then cover the inside ( over the mix) and then fill the container with sand. The weight of the sand will hold the walls from collapsing.

Lee if you have anymore pictures of projects please post - great job

Mike

Here is a set of instructions I put together to accompany the classes I teach on making papercrete. Post any questions you might have.....

Lee

Here is a link that might be useful: Papercrete Instructions

Thanks Lee
This is a great instructional guide.
I have only made a few projects and found that using paper - papercrete - is really pretty easy and its free.
My first attempts - I made a mistake and purchased cellulose ( paper) insulation and found out after I began to mix that there are chemicals added to the paper to keep it from burning. The amonia smell was bad.

Some questions -
Have you or anyone else reading made anything else besides containers using papercrete? Stepping stones, mushrooms.
I assume that this would hold up about the same as hypertufa.
Do you add much water to your mix, since the paper has obsorbed a great deal of water already? Or do you try to drain some of the water before you add it to the dry portland?
In comparison to hypertufa making, what do you think are the main differences. Does it take a little longer to cure, My projects seems to be moist for a long time.

BTW - great web site.

Mike - Thanks again

Hi Mike
It's been almost a year, but I finally got my act together and have managed to post photos of my papercrete projects.
My link is http://s1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff364/JamaicaPeg/Projects%202010/Papercrete%20projects/
Some of my pots have been in use for over a year now and seem to be very durable. They survived several tropical storms that brought sea spray and waves onto our porch.

I too tried the cellulose insulation after reading about it somewhere on the net with the same results you experienced and you are absolutely right about the ammonia smell!!! I now add a handful or two to each batch of newspaper strips I put in to soak if I remember.

I find there is a considerable difference in papers. Plain newsprint printed in black and white is by far my favorite. It has nice long fibers and pulps well. White copy paper when pulped ends up seemingly fiberless and paste like. Papercrete items made with copy paper can be molded or sculpted to an nice smooth finish but takes longer to dry because it seems to soak up more water than papers with high fiber content.

I've not had any problems with items left outdoors all winter. I usually leave things in the mold 24 to 48 hours then tip them out and let them dry for a week or two and place them outside to weather for the Winter. I just allow the weather to leach out the excess lime from the portland and make them plant friendly.

The recipe I use makes a fairly smooth final product and if I didn't use any perlite I could make it extra smooth. The only difference I can see between papercrete and the standard hypertufa is the type of fiber. Hypertufa typically uses peat for a fiber source and sand for a filler. Hypertufa is much heavier. Papercrete is light and easy to handle and move being about a third of the weight of hypertufa.

After seeing some of Mike's pictures I anxious to make a few dish gardens full of succulents come Spring.

Lee

J peg-
These pots are very nice. How did you do the paint wash?

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Thanks Plantman, it's always nice to get positive feedback.
I find the painting process quite daunting but it's getting somewhat easier after a lesson and continuing critiques from an artist friend.
I loaded a well moistoned sponge with acrylic craft paint that I had smeared onto my mixing surface. I did a quick swipe from bottom to top with the base coat of light blue, then added white highlights. I sealed the pieces with transparent concrete sealant.

Lee - Thanks for the great tutorial!
I really like how papercrete gives a smooth surface, and the fact that it is even lighter than tufa is also a nice feature. Love the pots and other things you have made, and had to laugh at the expression on your cats face in that first picture - use that bowl as a bird bath at your own peril :)

Can't wait to try this in the spring!

Sheryll

Ooops, sorry....my comment about the cat in the birdbath should have been directed to jamaicapeg!

Ok, I know. I'm late. This is because I'm from Brazil and I'd Need one year to read it. My English is terrible, yes I know. But where the pictures goes? I cant see it! You say about amazing pots and your friend agrees, but I cant see it. II'm dying to see, please? Please?