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cement wedging tables-how to make them

updated fri 14 apr 00

 

Malone & Dean McRaine on thu 13 apr 00

Aloha Mark: I have used cement wedging tables for over 10 years and no
cracks or deterioration have appeared. Cement gets harder for 40 years.
They're easy to clean either with a wet sponge or by scraping with a 6"
steel scraper such as the kind used for drywall mud. Steel won't scratch
it, ever. My tables are about 18" x 24" but you can make them any size, as
big as you want. I think my tables are about 2 1/2" thick. I used premixed
, bagged concrete with small aggregate since it seemed the easiest. No
rebar is needed. I don't know what you mean by 'in place'. The bigger they
are the heavier they get but mine are portable and there's no reason you
couldn't make a flat cement block with no legs that you could move
anywhere. I made a wooden box about 18" x 24" x 2 1/2", pounded a few
nails through the sides so they projected into the space where I would pour
the cement and hold it in place, poured the cement up to the top of the box
and smoothed it off to make a smooth working surface. As I said before if
you want a glass smooth surface cast the working surface on a piece of
glass and then flip it over when set. I also thought about casting on a
piece of wood with a slight grain pattern that would then be impressed on
any slabs you rolled out on it. I put legs on the box so it stand on the
floor at a good working height for me and it's easy to move it around. I'd
guess it weighs 50 lbs. I can drag it but a dolly is easier. I also added
a shelf underneath for storage. The mass of the cement is nice for wedging
and working clay, it doesn't budge when you slam down big pieces of clay.
It's absorbent and will dry clay left on it like plaster. The slight
texture grabs the clay when wedging and leaves an appealing surface if
slabs are made on it. I used no sealer. Cement is far stronger than
plaster and unlike plaster, which chips and wears, it's indestructable. My
tables are still like new and perfectly flat after 10 years of scraping.
You can even sharpen your tools on your wedging table if you need to. It's
easy to clean, unlike canvas, which can be very dusty. Also canvas moves
around no matter how tight. Cement is solid, like a rock. I think that for
a school situation they are by far the best alternative. Good luck.
Dean


At 12:08 PM 4/12/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Your cement wedging table sounds really cool. The glass sounds like a
>good idea for the slick surface. If you don't mind me asking-
>
>How big is the table?
>How thick is the table?
>Do you add any rebar?
>Do you have to pour it in place?
>Does it crack slightly over time?
>Do you seal it with anything?
>
>I don't mean to inundate you with questions but I love your idea and
>would like to be successful at making this happen. I appreciate you
>taking the time to answer these questions and I understand if you if you
>can't.
>
>Thank you so much for your time, Mark Brown
>
>