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Just delivered the benches today to the City of Thornton, CO.
From start to finish it took a month.
I learned a lot about casting cement and sore muscles.
I needed a strong mother mould around the rubber to hold the weight of the cement so I constructed a box out of plywood and 2x4's and then poured plaster sides to form fit the rubber.
I had some trial and errors before I figured out the best method for getting the least amount of bubbles in the castings.
My first 6 casts I pounded on the frame of the mould with a hammer to settle the cement but it just wasn't quite what I wanted.
Each block consisted of a mixture ratio of 1 bag Portland Cement, 2 bags of sand, and 2 bags of aggregate.

I did a google search on casting cement and came across a vibration table for getting rid of the bubbles.
I decided I could make my own by taking the motor out of a floor fan and cutting the blades off, leaving an excess amount on one of the blades to produce a vibration. I mounted it under a short table that I made out of scrap 2x4, boards, etc.
It worked like a charm. I would mix the cement and pour directly in to the mould. A small amount at first and then I'd run the motor for a bit. Then I'd fill it the rest of the way and run the motor some more. Each block I cast was almost 300 lbs. They measured 11 inches thick x 18 inches wide x 20 inches tall.
The first set of flagstones I ordered were too small for my taste. (Pictured here) I ordered a second set that hung over the edges of the cement about 2 inches all the way around. I was too worn out to place those on top to get another picture.
Also, on any future projects, I'll be sculpting the pieces all the way around. The front and back need something in addition to the sides. I bought a cheap hammer drill and drilled 4 holes in each block, 2 on top, 2 on the bottom. The ones on bottom will hold 1 inch allthread and the ones on top will hold 1/2 inch allthread that match the underside of the flagstone.
I've got all sorts of fun ideas for casting cement now that I have the little tricks figured out. Hope you all like it!

Description
Just delivered the benches today to the City of Thornton, CO.
From start to finish it took a month.
I learned a lot about casting cement and sore muscles.
I needed a strong mother mould around the rubber to hold the weight of the cement so I constructed a box out of plywood and 2x4's and then poured plaster sides to form fit the rubber.
I had some trial and errors before I figured out the best method for getting the least amount of bubbles in the castings.
My first 6 casts I pounded on the frame of the mould with a hammer to settle the cement but it just wasn't quite what I wanted.
Each block consisted of a mixture ratio of 1 bag Portland Cement, 2 bags of sand, and 2 bags of aggregate.

I did a google search on casting cement and came across a vibration table for getting rid of the bubbles.
I decided I could make my own by taking the motor out of a floor fan and cutting the blades off, leaving an excess amount on one of the blades to produce a vibration. I mounted it under a short table that I made out of scrap 2x4, boards, etc.
It worked like a charm. I would mix the cement and pour directly in to the mould. A small amount at first and then I'd run the motor for a bit. Then I'd fill it the rest of the way and run the motor some more. Each block I cast was almost 300 lbs. They measured 11 inches thick x 18 inches wide x 20 inches tall.
The first set of flagstones I ordered were too small for my taste. (Pictured here) I ordered a second set that hung over the edges of the cement about 2 inches all the way around. I was too worn out to place those on top to get another picture.
Also, on any future projects, I'll be sculpting the pieces all the way around. The front and back need something in addition to the sides. I bought a cheap hammer drill and drilled 4 holes in each block, 2 on top, 2 on the bottom. The ones on bottom will hold 1 inch allthread and the ones on top will hold 1/2 inch allthread that match the underside of the flagstone.
I've got all sorts of fun ideas for casting cement now that I have the little tricks figured out. Hope you all like it!