# aluminum foil over cement



## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

We have been putting down chicken wire with burlap soaked cement over the chicken wire for the last four weeks and getting close to putting the finish layer of cement over the burlap.I recall seeing and reading about some folks on this site using alum foil over the cement to help make impressions in the cement to give it the look of rock formation. I remember they said about spraying the foil with pam but i donot recall how long you let the cement set before you start to work with the foil over the cement. If anyone recalls this article or knows how this process goes i sure could use your help. We being my wife and myself have put some time it on this project and are getting close to the finish work and donot want to screw it up at this point. Thanks for any and all help./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 

Try this topic 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/18/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/31523/Default.aspx#32133 

and this one 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/18/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/31523/Default.aspx#32167 

and a final one 


http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/10/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/9807/Default.aspx#9969


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

How are you using the foil? 

Do you use it as part of the form? 

Do you dab it on the wet cement like a spunge? 

I hope to do some this week end


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

John we have not started to do the finish layer of cement where we will form the cement into rocks. I remember reading about using aluminum foil to form the rocks. You spray pam or some type of vegable oil on the foil so the cement does not stick to the foil . But i don,t know how soon you put the foil over cement after you apply the cement to the cement /burlap form. In other words how long do you let the last layer of cement sit before applying the foil.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are a few shots of some of the chicken wire covered with cement/burlap


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

And a couple more


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I've done several of these. I use NO lubricant, but I do use "non-stick" foil. 

Some mortar sticks and some doesn't. BION, the areas where the mortar sticks to the foil and comes away with it leave the most realistic impressions.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd i have never heard of a non-stick foil what is the name of this product and where can we get it and try it out. We finished all of the chicken wire covered with the burlap soaked with cement and are ready for the next step taking the cement and trying to form rocks,mts and hopefuly end up with something that looks the southwest. Moab or painted deseart a little Utah througth in who knows will it will end being.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

So you form a depresion with the foil. Then you pour the cement mixture in the depresion over the foil. You let it set up. Then you apply the results to your wall or stand it up and back fill?


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

No john the way i read it was you put the cement over the burlap then you wrinkle the foil put the foil over the cement and press into the cement and you get a inprint from the foil. I think if you crumble the foil up tight you will get a bunch of little rock inprints and if you do not crumple it up tight you will get larger rock formations. I think that,s how it works. If someone else knows if i have explained it rigth or wrong please jump in and ad your comment the more help the better. John where are you located.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

John 
It is applied after cement has been applied to the base, you wrinkle the foil and press it on the cement, if you squeeze the foil you can make some different shapes with the foil impressions, it gives some good results. If you apply cement a couple inches deep you may get some deeper results.  
Still planning on coming to Marty's and how did your canyon walls turn out. 
Dennis


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By pete on 07/17/2008 4:02 PM
Todd i have never heard of a non-stick foil what is the name of this product and where can we get it and try it out. We finished all of the chicken wire covered with the burlap soaked with cement and are ready for the next step taking the cement and trying to form rocks,mts and hopefuly end up with something that looks the southwest. Moab or painted deseart a little Utah througth in who knows will it will end being.


Supermarket. 

http://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20020717alcoa0717bnp2.asp


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I used the following method to add a simulated rock texture to the interior of my tunnels, and on the concrete stairs at each end of my layout: 

First, crumple a piece of heavy-duty foil and then carefully spread it out. Spray it with Pam. I prefer to use the non-stick foil + Pam. 

Next, mix up some mortar and add a small amount of concrete colorants. You can get these at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. Some types are powder, some are liquid. Use the colors sparingly - it takes very little to get a nice rocky color. The choice of color will depend on the rocks you are trying to match, and whether it's supposed to look like natural rock or broken rock (such as a tunnel interior). 

Spread the mortar onto the foil about a quarter to a half inch thick. Wet the surface to which it will be applied. Then carefully lift the foil by one end, and slap it onto the surface. Press it in place, making sure the mortar makes good contact without any air bubbles. 

Let it set. The time required will depend on the type of mortar, how thin you mixed it, and most of all, ambient temperature. In hot weather it will set a lot quicker. On a cold day, it may take hours. 

Then peel off the foil. It's possible to let it set completely hard before removing the foil, but I find it's a bit easier to remove when it's at the "green" stage - solid, but not rock-hard. 

Bob Treat used a slightly different method to create rock mountains for his Snow Creek Railroad. In a nutshell, he used two layers of foil, laminated together with spray adhesive. Then he crumpled it into rocky shapes, laid it into a hole in the ground for support, and added the concrete/mortar. He let it harden, removed the foil, then cemented these artificial "rocks" together to build up a mountain.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray thanks for the reply and another way to use the foil now we have three different ways to try and form rocks. #1 wrinkle foil and press it into wet cement #2 apply cement to wrinkeled foil and apply that to the burlap/cement form. #3 the way that dennis did it putting cement on the burlap/cement and sculpt it in to rock formation. We will try all three and hope we will end up with rock formations and not just a bunch of cement looking crap.Thanks again for all the advice and information all we have to do is get out and do it.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Thank you all for all this woderfull information. Tomorrow I will go out and try some of your ideas. 
I am inspired


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