# Making concrete buildings



## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

Feeling a bit of color at the moment so I thought I might let you all know what I have been experimenting with over the last few months. A friend at the club was disposing of a building from his indoor layout, so I scrounged it, as I thought it would make an ideal structure on my outdoor layout. It being made of stirrer sticks clued onto polystyrene it would not have lasted long. So i decided to make one in concrete. This is what it looked [email protected] url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

I made a mould out of blue dense insulation board cut into 2" x 2" strips on the band saw clued onto property for sale boards. @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

Making a mould. I first made a drawing of each side and then started to glue up the [email protected] url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

Now I started to infill the mould with timber planking. I made my own coffee stirrers from a piece of old fencing panel cut up on the band saw. These planks were then backed with another piece of timber plank glued on edge. This is so the concrete has something to grip and therefor hold all the planks in place on the front of the finished section. @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

nice! Are the planks gonna be embedded in the concrete or will they merely form a pattern on the concrete? 

Be sure to shake the mold when the concrete is added; if bubbles still occur, you can smear cement or mortar in them; but you probably know all that already 

I agree with your construction methods. Concrete has a solid permanence about it and maintenance becomes a thing of the past except for maybe a crack that adds character or can be filled 

DaveV


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

A bit of small mesh as reinforcing, fill with a 3 to 1 mix of Portland cement and grit sand. vibrated a bit with the aide of my old sanding machine clamped to the bench . Then wait 2 days ,strip mould and we have our first section of the new storage unit for the Gnome Valley Railway. Cleaning up [email protected] url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

Cleaning up the finished panel after de-molding is a bit well boring shall we say, as you have to scrap of carefully the cream of the concrete that seeps through and then a good wire brush gets the texture back. follow this with a very light rub down with fine oil and another wire brushing and you have an very acceptably weathered look. @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

panel made so [email protected] url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

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I have worked with concrete all my life and was also a mould maker, and designer, so the next part might present a few problems as I want to make the roof out of concrete but also have it removable. All things are possible if one has enough bottles of beer handy. so watch this space. @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Nice work! Interesting topic. 
Looking forward to the roof.


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

It's Pre-assembly day. First I'll show you the products I use for assembly,














The Contact adhesive is use to put on the fixing strips across the back of the timbers before filling with concrete, the Polyurethane glue is use for fixing the panels together. You will note that I put it in an old saucepan of boiling water before use as this thins it down and makes it runner to use. the Silicon is for sealing up gaps between the floors (show this later) it help prevent light seeping between the levels when putting in lights and the wood glue is used mixed 50/50 with water to help hold the timbers in place before filling.


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

Method of assembly is straight forward but a dry run is advisably.














Notice the use of a old broken grinding wheel, this I use for cleaning up the edges etc to see that everything is square. A set square to check that everything is square. and a clamp to hold it all together. @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

Now for the problems. Do not forget the edge of the end panel as I did on the first one, Rember to put timber up the edge of the panel to match up with the sides.





















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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

_nygma_


Very nice job. I like that it is a panel building rather than something which is made from a single mold. 
What is the ideal thinkness of the panels? Do you do anything to revent the wife mesh to sink to the bottom? 

Can get away with 1" minimum thickness. To prevent the wire from sinking to the bottom I usually place concrete, vibrate into position then lay mesh on top and vibrate a little more until it disappear under the surface this is usually enough. 




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## granddadgnome (Jan 18, 2009)

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Sorry for the delay in getting on with this project, but I had a little heart attack. this made going out into the shed some what of a problem. SWMBO, following medical advice, has finally given permission but the weather here is at present far to cold to be out there anyway. I have worked out how to make the roof in 2 parts and then cover the top joint with a ridge strip. Hope to make a start later this week all being well. I tried to keep myself occupied over the last 8 weeks by, don't laugh, starting to write a book. It started as a joke but it seems to have a grip on me now. It called "Gnome Valley" And is about how the railway was first introduced by the gnomes as transport was a great problem as they got more well know for their Barley Sugar Pudding and of course The Brew Known as Gnomezade. @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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