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Post by NatureNut on Jun 7, 2011 20:30:10 GMT -5
Billy and I were doing a walking tour around Hot Springs, AR today and we saw this.  ... and I thought, I wonder how that would look with slabs.  Not that I have a patio to try it out, but thought I'd post it on here to give my friends the idea. Keep on shinin! Jo |
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Post by roy on Jun 7, 2011 20:33:13 GMT -5
i have been toying with that idea myself i think it would look good
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 7, 2011 20:36:24 GMT -5
I wanna see someone make one of these with slabs (if somebody hasn't already).
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Post by Toad on Jun 7, 2011 20:50:40 GMT -5
Would they be set in resin?
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 7, 2011 21:00:36 GMT -5
I had a friend who used to do this with yard sale coffee tables. He'd look through everyone's buckets of
cast off slabs, and pick out anything that had interesting patterns or colors. Didn't matter how many cracks
the slabs had.
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Post by Roller on Jun 7, 2011 21:16:58 GMT -5
cool idea !!! I hope someone does it ! cus i dont own a house yet or i would!
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Post by rockrookie on Jun 7, 2011 21:20:24 GMT -5
i like it !!!!!
--paul
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snuffy
Cave Dweller 
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jun 7, 2011 21:42:40 GMT -5
Making patio table tops with slabs was the main reason I got my saws.I have been cutting slabs for 2 years now and accumulating a stockpile of cutting material.But I got sidetracked and have yet to do my first table.I do plan to do them in the future and would like to hear from someone that has done them,especially for outdoors.Seems like catmandewe did one in an old post somewhere on here,could be wrong.
snuffy
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Post by gr on Jun 7, 2011 21:58:18 GMT -5
Jo, sound like a great project to do whilst your roadin about. Then, when you and Bill finally stop, your table will be all done waitin for a cup of coffee.
I've been saving my end cuts to do a 6' bar/counter top next to the barbaque on my patio. I just need to figure out how to get the flats all the same height so I can resin them in. Some kind of a clay type substance to keep them from moving while I pour the resin.
gr
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jun 7, 2011 22:03:48 GMT -5
Gary,plaster of paris maybe? If you are really energetic you could form out and put an inch or two of cement and set your end cuts to level before the cement sets.
snuffy
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jun 7, 2011 22:14:54 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm planning to make an end table with agate mosaic but not with resin! Wouldn't it be scratched up in no time? Plaster of Paris or some other type of grout between the stone mosaic was my plan...I've done ceramic mosaic, for outdoor pots, certainly no resin involved there.
You can google Roadtrip America or Concretia Dementia and see some of the longlasting outdoor mosaics across America. I was inspired by a visit last fall to the Ave Mario Grotto in northern Alabama. The mosaics are set in concrete and have lasted for many, many years. He didn't use stone though, so I feel like there's always room for improvement. However, I ponder for a long long time before I accomplish anything, so I probably won't be building the entire city of Rome at the time of Jesus in Agate. I'll settle for some patio furniture...
I just think resin would scratch. Am I wrong about this? I've been pondering for several months so it isn't like I'm going to rush into anything. :-)
But my plan means that each piece of Agate will need to be polished. I don't see anyway around it. Also, you kind of work upside-down, so that the front is flat even if the back (underside) of the piece varies in width. Not sure how to explain this properly...
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Post by gr on Jun 7, 2011 22:29:09 GMT -5
peachfront, you've got some great ideas there about working upside down. Thanks!!!
Outdoor polyurathane is non yellowing and pretty durable and, heck, we know how to polish things, right!
Thanks for posting this Jo!
gr
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Post by roy on Jun 7, 2011 22:36:41 GMT -5
i would think you could use backer board like you would tile and thinset it down and use a grout around the edges  ? |
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 7, 2011 22:47:06 GMT -5
You're welcome... When I eyeballed it, it really looked like a cement. Thought real cement would be too heavy though. Would plaster of paris be strong enough? How about a type of mortar?
I have seen some directions on making an indoor table with resin. I think I posted the link in a thread on here somewhere that was started by Shannon.
GR, no room for it now... so for the time being, I gotta live vicariously through all you guys, LOL.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 7, 2011 23:16:25 GMT -5
I think the main trick would be having all of your slabs the same thickness. Instead of tile backer board,
which is very heavy on its own, I'd use marine plywood. Polish the tops of all of your slabs. Epoxy them to the plywood, and use tile grout to fill in between the slabs. After it dries and cures, tile grout is water proof. For added protection you could coat the whole top with something like Thompsons Water Seal.
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Post by gr on Jun 7, 2011 23:30:17 GMT -5
Snuffy, I didn't see yourpost when I replied to peachfront. I like the Idea of the cement as it is darker than P of P and would highlite the stone better I think. I have an arcadia door that I'm not using. I could set my stone flat side down in a frame and pour self leveling concrete over the top of them to any thickness I needed. Now, what could I use to keep the stone from moving around while I'm pouring?
sorry Jo, didn't to hyjack your thread.........gr
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 8, 2011 0:23:54 GMT -5
Don't apologize... this is exactly the type of brainstorming I had in mind. |
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Post by ColtChainmailJewelryDesigns on Jun 8, 2011 3:42:50 GMT -5
I resently was thinking about this type of thing. Making a low coffee table with slabs set in it. Any help on how to do this is will be used 4-sho!!!!
My cousin and his friends made a coffee table out of beer cans, legs and all, hahaha!
~Colt
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,492
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 8, 2011 7:56:45 GMT -5
I've seen a few of these projects and they were really great looking decorator items. Full of memories too if you collect the material yourself. I think the folks did say they made the top upside down so slab thickness was not an issue as all settled to the bottom at the same level. I think one guy I talked too said he did the entire top with material of similar hardness and then used one of those rotary hand polishing rigs to polish the entire top at once. He used resin as the filler and the top finishing process eliminated any excess resin that leaked under the slabs in the bedding process.....Mel
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Post by beefjello on Jun 8, 2011 8:27:07 GMT -5
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