make Thin CSA Concrete Garden Boxes PART 4 - cast garden forms
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- Make your own Thin, Lightweight CSA Concrete Garden Boxes! Build the forms and cast your own reinforced high strength concrete panels that join together to make long lasting and durable garden boxes. I'll make a thinner, stronger, lightweight concrete panel for my garden from CSA Concrete. This is Part 4 of the series.
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#csaconcrete #concrete #thinconcrete
I now have molds ready-to-go here: manabouttools.com/store-plastic-concrete-molds/
Are the molds based on the original design or the thinner version that you made in your part 4 video?
@@nate11718 Hi, I have molds for both the original and the thin design.
This man must be the kindest soul on youtube. He's the Bob Ross of concrete garden beds
Ha! Thanks for that! ;o)
Those look like happy beds to me
Or gay....🙄
Yep! A gentle voice explaining clearly and plainly - without background music - is so pleasant to the ears! I subscribed.
@@terrijuanette486 I don't like background music either, he speaks succinctly even my mom can understand him
Thanks for the video.
Design suggestion #1. Since you switched to 2 x 12 lumber instead of plywood, you can take advantage of the wood grain. If you torch the lumber and then wire brush in the direction of the wood grain, you will pull up the wood grain. This texture will transfer to the concrete. You could then do a color wash, and dry rub paint job to bring out the look of wood grain in the concrete. This would leave a more nature oriented vibe to the garden, instead of an industrial vibe.
That's a great idea, Frank!
Yeah but that would make it grip the form more too.
@@petertrezza9456 use a concrete mold release agent from a concrete building supplies business
I used to see this technique at a pre cast concrete panel factory I used to work at. Looks good. Also, you could get very creative with designs on the mold that leave the impression on the mold
Wow thats on a whole new level. Amazing!
As a diy home handyman, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. Thank you. The obvious (to me) thought is that there must be significant market value in supplying these panels in a ready-made format. While many of us will enjoy making our own panels, I expect ten times more people would prefer to just buy them at a local building store. Great product idea.
ditto, my thoughts too.
Absolutely correct, I believe, about the ten times more people wanting to buy them premade. I'm one of them. In fact, I stopped the video and came to the comments to see if anyone had mentioned buying them. I agree with what you said 100%
How much one should go for? Any ideas?
Someone could make a nice little home business with this idea.
Vibrating out the air bubbles with a reciprocating saw body - absolute genius!
just use a sander
you could use your wife s vibrator too...lol
Did this with a concrete counter top using the same rapid set for a vanity... Works like a champ
@@tkstruck Did you use the same type of concrete for your counter top? MY son has been wanting a portable kitchen island with a concrete countertop but I was concerned about the weight. This sounds like a viable option....but how did you seal the top?
Genna Hargis
Hi there! I used the rapid set mortar mix with flow control and a little set control for a vanity. If you care about the finish use melamine for the form it’s sacrificial and gives a smooth finish. This guy does a good job m.czcams.com/video/T7mYB6x68DY/video.html I sealed it with food grade granite and stone sealer. The vanity was approx 42x 27 with a cut out for the sink and I could manhandle it into place, though it’s not light! Hope that helps
As a computer scientist working with abstract ideas all day long, I can only say I love seeing something concrete. :-)
BOOOOO
*badam tissss
LOL!
😂
Man, that was _almost_ funny...
Hi Kent... Once again, a FANTASTIC and comprehensive effort for solving the rot problem on wooden raised beds. I love how you tested many varieties of mixes and thickness for optimal structural integrity and density to arrive at the thin CSA solution. While all of them look to work well, my back spoke loudly, "Go with thin CSA...!"
Thank you very much!!
A tip. The compressive strength of the concrete is keeping the centre fairly stress free. Better to lay the reinforcement one third from the outside edge.
I agree. It's just a bit of a challenge to get the grid placed exactly where it's most effective.
you could also use the finished cast to create a silicone rubber mold that could be used repeatedly it wouldn't be strong enough to hold the form by itself, but when inserted into a box for rigidity, then filled, it could be popped out of the box when the concrete is set and peeled of the finished cast. one of the advantages is that you would not have to keep dismantling the mold every time you made a cast.
I was curious about this too! Have you tried it? I have only seen this technique used for small molds. I wonder how thick the silicone would have to be to hold up to repeated uses, and whether you would have to cut the wood larger to compensate for the thickness of the silicone. I was also curious about using silicone spray over the mineral oil.
I did this to make a urethane rubber mold of a foam arrowhead stepping stone I sculpted a few years back. I cast several of the arrowhead stepping stones for my wife's flower bed. I don't think the CSA mortar mix would affect the urethane any. It pulled right off the cement I was using - no trouble at all. A quick rinse & paper toweled dry, then I sprayed it with PAM cooking spray & it was ready to go in just a couple of minutes.
Smooth-On has the rubber that I used for the mold.
I thought about this, too, because I’d like to emulate his process for making benches for gifts, but I’m concerned about how the pvc pipe could be incorporated using a silicone or urethane mold?
I love how meticulous, clear, and thorough and accurate you made this video, good job!
Exactly!
Exactly!.. I have learned so much. Thank you so much.
@@brandyf1932 ùttyýt555545r
I agree, extremely detailed instructions.
Very nice
I am using this project in my year 1 construction technology class. After poured the students will sell these.The plans look great and the video is very clear.
This is going to be sooo useful in the garden of my near future homestead. I'm glad I came across the video and thank you for making it.
Your inserts are not only decorative, they're useful to grab the panels! Your videos are excellent!
Thanks!
Listen to meeeee: I watched the original playwood construction part one 2 hours ago and just could not stop. I have binge watched concrete drying :( I dare you to judge me. :-) HOWEVER, I am very impressed by the continuous improvement mindset of MaT. I will attempt these and the variation in part 3. Everyone who can, should grow things. (some assembly required hahahah)
I love how you have revisited this design over and over, experimenting, sometimes failing, but making it better each time. You don't stubbornly stick to your initial design in defiance of reason and experience. If all things in life could work this way, the world would be a much better place.
I was drinking my morning coffee brainstorming about how to make raised beds out of concrete. I really appreciate this tutorial!! Can wait to start😉
Liked the idea, very much! Admired your CAD skills as well!
I used your idea, and reworked the form, so its just 3 components. one side and end, complete, twice, and a base board.
I used coach bolts to hold the side and ends to the base board, as they also act like dowels.
The rounded heads can be recessed into the wood, and tapped out easily.
The perimeter shapes are on top of the base board.
I've had some formwork experience, and if the parts are painted with exterior wall paint they seem to release very easily.
For the base board, I would use 30 mm green chip board, its cheap, and doesn't warp. (Ply is ridiculously expensive in France where I live.)
An alternative would be kitchen worktop, as the melamine surface is already pre-finished, and releases superbly.
Thanks for the idea. I've also had problems with garden box rot, even with treated wood.
This: "I'm amazed at the wealth of knowledge out there, and I so appreciate everyone who has shared it." We're just as amazed and as appreciative that you shared yours!! Thank you!!!
When cutting the plastic pipe... Try turning your carbide toothed blade backwards. I was amazed at how nice it cuts.
A pvc cutting tool is the way to go: www.amazon.com/ABN-PVC-Pipe-Cutters-Ratcheting/dp/B00T3DPL2M/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=pvc+cutter&qid=1586491359&sr=8-10
Thanks for the video and the plans. I'm thinking of a modification to hold hoops up for a floating row cover tent. You know, to keep those pesky white butterflies off cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
I'm thinking the same thing. Did you come up with a good solution?
@@MarjNap haha lot has happened since I wrote that comment. No sorry Marj
Design suggestion #3. The rods at the joints are a function of the design not a feature. Make the rods a feature.
You have been cutting the rods to length so that they can be pounded down flush with the top of the garden boxes.
If you left the rods much longer, they could be used as fence posts to hold fencing to keep predators out.
or even to mount plastic film for a small greenhouse
@@miketodesco6915 good idea if you can extend the growing season for low-lying crops
Great idea
@@miketodesco6915 - Great Idea! If you were to leave the rods about 6-8" long, you could potentially bend a thin-wall pvc pipe from one to the next, creating an arch. Could add additional rod pipes at half-way along the 4' panels for additional arches. Then cover with plastic sheet for greenhouse.
Also for extra strength one end with just a hollow pipe like you did here and the other end with a metal pipe with a thread inside -> use a threaded rod or a long bolt to attach the pieces together for a solid structure.
As much as I like the content, I really appreciate the production quality. These are some of the most professional work I've seen in all my years of following CZcams. You should make a video on how to make a video!
Thanks very much Neil! I really appreciate the kind words! Kent
Check out DarkHorse Workshop. He also does a really well put together video.
He does leather work for costume and cosplay as well as leather tooling and carving videos.
I have been in construction for over 25 yrs. This is fantastic..thank you so much..great idea..
Who would have thought this ? Was really smart!!!
Evolution of this concrete garden boxes is amazing. Thank you.
Glad you like them!
What I really appreciate about your video is that although you have plans available for purchase, you also show the process with such detail that they aren't even necessary for those who are confident in their building/fabrication skills. Many hide as much as they can and only promote the sale of the plans
Cool video. I would consider putting the notch or tab on the same side of each panel so that pin removal will be easier during disassembly. This way you could lift at least one end staight up and off the steel corner pin without having to fish out the pin.
But then you would lose vertical direction symmetry if you were doing something more ornate or angled, as some would need to be upside down ?
@@tablatronix If the tabs and the relief are centered correctly there is no up or down for each panel. Same side tabs would aid in assembly and greatly aid in disassembly. With staggered tabs, once the steel pins are driven home they cannot be readly removed because the weight of one adjacent panel would still be holding the panel down and the panel could not be slid out because the pins are still achoring the panels to the ground and interlocking them to the adjacent panels.
What an absolutely amazing amount of value you are providing to your viewers with this series. I am extremely grateful for these plans and tutorial videos. Thank you so much!
This is a beautiful example of the principle of the five P's - Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Great Video, well done.
Mix in iron oxide with the mortar to achieve different permanent colours - like dark green, terra cotta, etc.
Btw Great work!
I'm a woman. Great idea. Thank you! More than an idea, I surely wouldn't have thought of adding color pigment/metal oxide. Does the Iron Oxide actually create green color too? Terra Cotta and rust colors are nice as well.
Great idea!
I would imagine you could also use the same tinting powders used for coloring clear epoxy.
Traci Scheelk if you add colour you will need to seal the concrete. UV will eventually remove the colour if you don’t.
I tried coloring Rapid Set with integral pigments made for portland cement. It did not work. Do you know something I do not?
You can use a sheet of plastic food wrap off a roll to line the forms. No chalking required and the finish is very smooth.
Then throw away the plastic?
@@Eggs4ckley
When you take off the forms save the plastic and use it to cover the new uncured concrete after you wet it. This helps the cure and is a second use of the
plastic wrap.
Plastic food wrap leaves wrinkles in the cement. But I guess that could be part of the design :-)
Thoroughly enjoyed the video, the idea, and the instructional format...great job...Just cannot understand why anyone would put a thumbs down on this entire presentation. Even the comment suggestions are worth taking on board.
Since we are talking raised beds . A great free way to make beds . Look for old pressure treated throwaways such as deck and pool deck tear downs .Having been out in the elements already , you will know what parts of the pt won’t hold up . Then acquire an old
Above ground pool or two , not soft ones . That metal is great for many things not the least of which is lining the frames that you build from the old PT
A little stain on the frames , you have great looking raised beds for just about nil
The ideal bed is just over 30 inches high imo
As a first time watcher, I immediately subscribed. This was an outstanding video presentation, and I love the way you do your work so precisely and beautifully. Thank you!
Typically, I never watch videos over 10 minutes. But there's something about this man that draws and soothes me to keep watching. Awesome tutorial. Thanks!
This is a much lighter way for making these boxes! You are doing such a great job, thanks!
Man, never thought about using the saw-z all for an agitator! Excellent! Thank you sir!
This is probably the best and most useful video ive seen about creating concrete blocks and frames for them. Thank you for sharing.
This guy is just a great teacher. I subscribed just because I like his style. Not sure ill ever pour concrete (unless MaT has some system for keeping the work area clean) but I enjoy watching and learning what he is putting out.
I didn't catch if there was a cost comparison between the different tests. I would personally prefer what you have done with this video. Strength wise and function seems better with the wire mesh.
Thank you for the videos!
Right now a bag of Portland is $3.70 and a bag of Rapid Set is $22.57
I watched your first video on these forms and thought they were Awesome! Then I spotted part 4 and these are even better. Please sell this forms premade so I can pour these at home. Bravo!!!
Thanks Chris! I appreciate your support. It's a DIY project so I don't make or sell the forms.
These boxes stacked up would make a pretty good compost container, thanks for sharing. One of the cleanest, tidiest small construction jobs I’ve ever seen.
Thanks! Others have commented as well about the compost bin idea.
I am quite surprised this product is not marketed and sold. Gardeners all over would want rot proof raised boxes.
Absolutely brilliant. I am replacing my wood framed raised beds every six or seven years. Thank you for your clear demonstration of how to build these.
Best Raised Garden Boxes ever !!!
Okay. I keep watching these raised bed videos and each time I think “that’s awesome, I’m building it.” And, then up pops another video improving it. At this point, I don’t care what other improvements you come up with, these are easy, durable, and cheap. You’ve reached the point of garden bed perfection!! (As far as I’m concerned at least). Great job!!
My understanding of concrete reinforcement is that the embedded metal increases that section of concrete's resistance to tension fractures. With these garden boxes the main force to be restricted is the expansion of the raised earth on the inside. That would cause the panels to bow from the flat inside to the decorated outside. So the inside of the panel will experience compression stresses (which concrete is naturally good at without reinforcing) and the outside of the panels will experience tension.
Here is a "Practical Engineering" video on the topic (about 9 minutes) czcams.com/video/cZINeaDjisY/video.html
Long story short, I think you want your reinforcing mesh closer to the front of the panel (the outside of the garden box) not the inside.
I think your point is valid, but mainly for areas with really harsh winters. One fix would be to cover them with plastic at the end of the season and let it dry out a bit. No water equals no expansion.
@Steve Sherman pretty sure the ''glass fibers'' were basalt..
@Steve Sherman I'd use galvanized stock panels (fencing) for reinforcing. Rather thick wire and galvanized - it'll probably far outlive the maker.
Once again, this is a fantastic video. I am becoming a big fan of this series. As I have said before I have cast four of these, each time perfecting the method, myself. The last one came our excellent, and even has glass tiles inserted for decorative purposes. It was a test to see if the glass (as used for a splash guard for a kitchen) would cause it to crack, and no, it worked well and looks sharp. Now, going forward I am going to make mosaics in the cement walls. I must thank you for the series, and request DON'T STOP!!
Hey we would like to see those. Ceramic tiles would a nice contrast to the gray concrete.
@@toododd I would like to, but am not sure how. I know how to share a video, but sharing a picture not so much. I would like to do a video response and when I do I can share that with you if you like?
Here is a video of the mosaic wall. The volume is very quiet because I used my phone, so I am sorry about that:
czcams.com/video/vn6azPQ1lcs/video.html
If you have any idea how to share this with Man About Tools, I am game. Maybe I will just post it above.
I hope you enjoy!
Maarkaus J Looks great! Your garden is going to look awesome next year.
@@fishsquishguy1833 Thank you! I love to garden. The bigger the better.
Wow these animations are fantastic. By the way, thank you so much for not overlaying all this with cheezy distracting music ... very nice and serious presentation.
I just had a good idea, to create a space to drive a pin down on corners use a long thin candle in wet conrete, then melt it away!
Great videos. You should always include the steel grid. It gives the panels tensile strength. Try to push the grid to the very center of the walls. This gives the grid maximum cover from the elements. Any service cracking will have less chance of reaching the steel reinforcement. It also will provide additional tensile strength, getting the steel farther away from the inside of the panels. Having the steel closer to the inside of the panel reduces its effectiveness, since the inside of panel will be in compression. The pressure of the soil against the forms is creating tension on the outside of the panels, so moving the steel closer to this point will have a positive effect on the strength of the panel.
Do you think it might also be worth spraying the steel grid with rust paint? I've seen many concrete structures that seemed to fail where the rebar started rusting away.
@@keithmoore5512 Better to replace it with glass fibre rod then.
Hardware cloth such as this;
www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Actual-25-ft-x-3-ft-Rolled-wire-Galvanized-Welded-Wire-Garden-Hardware-Cloth-Rolled-Fencing/4780957
You have such a wonderful product with so many other uses other than for garden boxes. You said they are stackable, so I imagine you can stack them high enough to form concrete boxes that will function as sewer leeching with plants cultivated on top. In places where hot climate is more of an issue rather snow or very cold weather, houses can be built fast and cheap by stacking those blocks. In fact my house is prefab with blocks similar to yours. Concrete fences also comes to mind.
Ever tried to stand up chain link watch bracelet... It tips over with waves... Also the cost of each panel is about $5
I was just thinking make one 8' long and one 10' long stack them and you have a nice shed. Put solar panels on them. Removable.
@@freetrailer4poor how is your idea better than standard 2x4 structure... Concrete blocks Will cost about $150 per side. 10' Wood wall will cost $20 lumber, $40 plywood, $20 siding
Concrete exposed to freeze thaw action requires air entrainment. You can do this with an air entrainment additive or a bit of Dawn dish soap. Doing this will help to prevent surface spalling when water trapped in the concrete expands as it changes from frozen to liquid state. This is a great idea. Thx for sharing
Thank you! And thanks for the comment.
Dear Sir you’re Genius thanks so much I can see that adding a longer iron role on all four sides I can add a trellis above. Such an awesome idea will be ordering my mold soon thank you
If I had my own yard.. and tools... I would be making these TODAY ! I'm even thinking ... Much smaller forms for flower boxes.. of all sizes ! Love this series .. esp part 4 so far ... : D
You can use soft clay pushed into the corners instead of calking. It seals just as well, creates the fillet, and makes cleaning and breaking open the mold easier. You can even reuse the same clay a few times if you are careful. Using melamine coated fiber board for the forms will give you an even smoother surface finish than the wood you have been using, but there might be an increased cost. These are the methods used to make glass fiber reinforced concrete furniture, high quality countertops, and even architectural building panels, although some of these are made using spray guns onto mold instead of pouring.
KnightsWithoutATable I think the clay would work better than caulk both by reusing and no waiting for the caulk to dry. I used modeling clay for molds in cultured marble years ago it creates a nice bond and can be smoothed with a clay tool. If you were making numerous units it would pay to buy a clay extruder.
Yes! Good points here! Much appreciated. Kent
@@paulbrody5727 Why buy one? They aren't exactly difficult to make.
I watched your initial video several years ago. I loved it! I am not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but I was trying to figure out a good way to make a fire pit. I used your idea and built several panels and placed them in a 2'X2' square, then placed a metal 50 gallon barrel cut to height in the center and filled the space between the barrel and panels with sand. It has worked wonderfully for several years. I'm now interested in making the light weight and thinned panels to form up a couple of old window wells. Thanks for the excellent videos and fun!!
I did a search for concrete forms and 3 hours later I finished your series. Great job on the videos, the research and the sharing of your abilities with the rest of us. I look forward to making some molds and casting my very own raised beds in the future. If you put out more videos I’ll be sure to watch them. Thanks
You should get a small 1 gallon weed sprayer and buy some form release to apply to the forms, this will make releasing much easier.
Thanks! I spray on veg cooking oil like Pam.
Maybe I missed it in the comments somewhere, but it would be great to have a cost in your video description along with a cost comparison to making beds out of wood. Also, I assume that concrete will out last wood by many many years. Thanks for the video, it's awesome!
That bag of Rapid Set Mortar Mix is US$18 a bag. Materials to build two forms is about US$200 (mainly due to the lumber and the screws).
what a pleasure to watch these videos of MAN about TOOLS - a pro at work and the videos are well executed and to the point.. thank you Sir!
KEEP PRODUCING THESE, AND YOU WILL SOON BE A CONCRETE BILLIONAIRE!!!!
I cut the pvc in half and reassembled them with a pvc coupling, then cut them to the correct length. This prevents the pvc tubes from accidently being pushed out of the mold.
Thank you! This is such a resource. I can point people to this when they talk about building garden boxes. Personally, soil holds itself up so I don’t feel the need, but boxes are so popular and there are so many poor choices of material available. I love these. That center indentation is perfect for embellishment: tile, beads, glass, shells, etc.
Where can I find this magic soil you speak of? Soil that holds itself up? What a wonder!
@@idontthinkso666 They’re called hills. Smaller ones often known as mounds. There’s a German term called (taking a stab at the spelling) hugelkultur. Hugelkultur beds are about 5 feet wide, and you dig down a couple feet, lay down brush and sticks followed by manure or other accumulated compostables, followed by the sawmill he removed. The result is around it over a mound that’s highest in the center, an arc in cross section. This is a shift from the usual flat top raised bed. The ark gives you a significant increase in surface area to plant. The rough stuff buried under the soil will decompose in its own time, lowering the height of the bed somewhat. NBD, we will still retain the increased planting area from the same square footage. And you don’t have to shred your branches and brambles! Looking back issues of organic gardening magazine, I think you’ll find it. Or… rip out the deep tap Ruthy perennial weeds, cover the bed with 45 layers of newsprint (dampened to keep the wind from throwing them around.) Cover the area entirely with as much quality compost as you can muster. If you have a stock pile of fall leaves and or grass clippings free of pesticide, keep that over everything! Grass clippings of tons of nutrients, dead leaves turn soil into chocolate cake! If you can get it, it’s phenomenally good mulch for a lazy, deep mulch system. If your neighbors don’t use Weed & Feed, Take those dead leaves off their hands!
I stumbled onto this video due to CZcams "recommended" and I'm so glad I clicked on it. I used to work with my step-dad in the summers pouring concrete slabs for homes and shops. And I recently started casting bird baths from light weight concrete. This looks like a project I would really like to try. Thank you so much for making this video. Now I need to watch the previous vids in the series.
I like the corner rebar. For building trellis for support wires for climbing plants just use long rebar
Looking forward to 3.5!
For 4 maybe you could do some low profile ones for garden edging.
For 5 you could do more of the same but curved - probably need to be poured vertically.
Thanks for the great ideas and exploration.
Excellent video capture and post processing complements your craftsmanship and delivering the story. Thank you for sharing this
Thank you! I really appreciate the support!
Отличное видео!
Искал альтернативу деревянной ограды для грядки. Увидел ваш ролик, и он меня впечатлил.
Думаю, теперь себе сделать такие.
Спасибо за идею!!!
I've been looking for a way to make a border for my flower bed. I was actually thinking about making a silicone mold to make blocks, but I thought that it would take too long. Then I got an idea about making light weight concrete blocks and found this! It's awesome. I just have to rescale it for a flower bed. Great 👍 video
We thank you ! Excellent job......they make fiberglass electric fence poles so no rust issues with the corner pins.
Thanks! I forgot to mention alternative materials for the pins. Thanks for adding that! Cheers, Kent
@@MANaboutTOOLS would these be ok for a building a fire pit?
@@puppay I don't know if this type of concrete can handle the heat.
Those fibreglass poles are horrible when they splinter and degrade. It might be difficult to remove them intact.
@@MANaboutTOOLS Actually then you need to see this: www.airkrete.com/FireDemo.html
garden box? heaven, i wanna see a garden shed or even a house build using this panel..
OMG Wow You make my mouth water :-D YES!!!
I have been thinking and planning the same thing myself.
This would be the Ultimate Workshop Idea ! :-D
Glad I am not the only one who thinks of these things.
Slow your roll... that is coming up in our next episode :-)
Yes, absolut great videos! Keep it comming! And as a fella from Europe, I really appreciate that you calculate and show us the data in the metric system, M, gr, etc..
Appreciate the info on the CSA concrete. While more expensive, the results are apparently so much better. Works out perfectly since I was having concerns about plain concrete on a project coming up. Thank you so much for the video!!!
Thanks!
totally outstanding, and at a time when I have been struggling with what material to use for our raised bed systems. Thank you.
I can't get enough of your garden box videos! Thx!
We used to use transmission fluid brushed on concrete forms for ready release. But that was 1984. Maybe mineral spirits is better. But it's something somebody might have laying around in the garage already. Thank you for the video! It's a beautiful production without overbearing music. Other CZcamsrs that should take note on your style.
I have seen concrete blocks made with cement, sawdust and woodchip. The ones I saw were years old, and being used for a base for some steps, they were light, and in perfect condition, though they were directly on the ground. There is no sand or gravel in these, the wood replaces them both. You are a very good workman and thank you for sharing these beautiful concrete boxes, they are magnificent. Maybe they will keep some of the rats and mice out of the strawberries!
I have to say you are meticulous and your approach is solid. Please Please do a video on rounded segmented panels to build around say for example a tree.
Those are slick and the application could be endless.
I don't know who this guy is but he's a genius working with concrete forms and growing vegetables in raised garden boxes.
I bought your plans(out of gratitude), but probably won't follow them exactly. 🙂
I absolutely love the look of the CSA panels. People should be more generous with the likes!
I built a raised bed once using 4" block, 1 1/2 blocks high. I had to cut the blocks as well as a channel in the top to hold the rebar. It worked out well, but was VERY laborious and permanent.
I intend to use a rich sand mix of 2-2.5 parts sand to 1 part regular cement... like Ferrocement. I will reinforce with chicken wire. This should be cheaper than CSA and hopefully look as good. I will probably make them wider, so I can set them into the ground a bit to keep Bermuda grass from going under so easily. I will offset the inset so it is centered above ground.
Bermuda grass is my main reason for making beds in the first place.
Thank you very much! The biggest drawback of CSA is the cost. So if you can use your own blend then that's a good idea.
You could try fine perlite and Portland cement at a ratio of 5 parts perlite to 1 part Portland cement
He showed a similar mix comparing different lightweight options in part 3 of this series. czcams.com/video/ddedMmuj7xY/video.html
Perilite is more rigid than vermiculite although not as light. It's a lot lighter than sand though. Perilite may be a good option for making light weight concrete while retaining much of it's strength.
Perlite might be a great choice if you don't mind it failing miserably.
Did you ever think that you would get an audience anticipating your next video for... concrete garden boxes?
Francis, I never thought there would be anyone interested.
I look at it this way, he is doing all the prototyping for me. I will be batching these suckers out like crazy this fall/winter for next spring. And he is also pretty good at building things too.
@@adamliske His explanation of the process has got to be the best I've ever seen. I'm definitely going to build these!
@@adamliske Make sure you do not forget about him. Royality would help
@@MANaboutTOOLS Can you ad color?
You are awesome to share this with everyone for free.
Stay safe and get yourself a push stick.
Vibrating the bubbles out with a sawzaw is brilliant
Do you mean a "saws-all"?
I have to say thanks! Great work - camera work, sketch-up animations, plans, list of materials used. Not to mention it is a great project, and outcome. Thanks from Florida!
Brilliant! Too many termites where I live (Australia) to use wood, so my next raised beds will be made using these panels. Excellent design, and great documentation of the design process. Nice clear diction and easy to follow instructions. Well Done!
We are from Serbia .. bravo.. You made good solution .. we will follov Your ideas.. regards Mihajlo ❤
Thank you for the series. The neighbors are already asking if I could make panels for them!
I live in southern Louisiana. Any tropical system which passes through will flood the area. Because of this, my house sits at an elevation of 5 1/2 feet above the yard. The problem everyone runs into is an inch or two of standing water in the yard after a heavy downpour, such as is happening as I am writing this. Frustration sets in as year after year, people lose their flowers and vegetables. A raised bed is almost a necessity. I currently grow my vegetables in fabric bags elevated on landscape timbers. High humidity, high temperatures and bugs quickly deteriorate less expensive items.
Your videos about concrete garden boxes are awesome, I truly enjoy watching them! Please make some more, I will buy the plans, great value and entertaining! Thank you.
I would keep using the wire grid. The CSA cement, like Portland cement, is very weak in tension, which is what the wire grid is there to compensate for.
14:02; 14:54
As a proud alumnus of Cal Poly SLO,CA. I'd suggest looking at the annual national concrete canoe competition. That is a really refined use of high-performance concrete. Those boats are an engineering marvel.
For the raised bed panels, the wire mesh might just be the ticket for avoiding damage during handling and assembly. That end design does look more fragile to me than the main section, but the glass fiber reinforcement should help.
I had a friend who built a ferro-cement sailboat in the 1970's. That's such old technology now given advances in low permeable, lightweight, fiber-reinforced, superplasticized, fly ash, silica fume concrete. I wonder why we haven't seen this in boat construction.
I cast my first four 11" X 48" panels without steel and 12 hours out of mold they broke very easily . Curing must be a critical part of the formula. 1 oz of fiberglass instead of 1/3 oz seemed to be useless.
hello friend, my name and Carlos and i live in Brazil, i have been following your videos and the stress tests on aircrete concrete, i want to congratulate you for sharing all your effort in transmitting all this experience, thank you very much, i have a suggestion if you are interested, you can do with two layers, a first thin layer of pure cement and a second one using foamed concrete, I believe that this would allow a piece with a more resistant front to the lawn mower and at the same time a light piece, thanks friend and congratulations.
The wire grid seems more like a personal safety feature. If one of these slabs were to break while you were carrying it you could easily destroy your foot, assuming the jagged end hits you just right. I'd keep using some kind of reinforcement, even if were just heavy plastic farm fencing.
Concrete has high compressive strength but has low and unreliable tensile strength, it's also prone to cracking. It is for these reasons that reinforcement is used in concrete, which might span a void or be lifted (even if only temporarily). There are many in the concrete industry who argue that reinforcement is unnecessary (or even a negative) for some paving applications.
knocked it out of the park with this one! genius.
Thanks for taking the time to investigate all of these designs and concrete formulations so I don't have to.
Awesome. Thanks for doing all the work so that we can make these without all of the trial and error.
You're very welcome!
oh wow.. I love these.. What a fabulous idea/design.
Thanks so much 😊
One more thing - You might want to research "Hempcrete" - Amazing stuff ...
Don Smith II exactly. Or aircrete
I appreciate your sharing your learning process, and thoughtful and useful commentary
I have watched all your videos this morning and thinking how awesome those are. I have a pretty large (400+ plant) pollinator garden and have been using wood and metal planter boxes. I'm starting to see decay with the wood. I agree with a previous comment that there may be a market for selling the pre-made panels. I have tools, and know how to use them, but I would buy pre-made panels if there was an option. I'm going to build some this spring. Excellent, excellent, excellent!