Pot meet kettle

I told Emily because she didn't have a toilet paper dispenser in her master bath that I would make her one of concrete. She told me I was crazy. Pot meet kettle!

Top shelf

Yes concrete!








My first concrete shelf. Not as heavy as you might think. I have several design and decorative modifications in the works. More to come on this one.

A bridge to nowhere

My last outdoor project of 2009 was nothing short of waiving my magic wand to build this bridge. Thankfully I had Emily's dad Ted with me. He is a good carpenter and a valued friend.

A little help from my friends

Sometimes working in the "conex" (wherever that may be) can be lonely so it's nice to get some cheap labor from time to time to liven things up.

The Happy Couple

We surprised these two on Christmas Day with there new bench and they loved it!
There bench provided valuable challenges and insight for future projects.
I have been working on several others while the bench was being built and I can't wait to share them with you.
If you have an idea for something let me know and we will give it a try!

Finished product

The bench was actually quite easy to put together. A five gallon bucket, a helper, and less than ten minutes and we were kicking back quite comfortably.


I am looking for a nice place to set this at the newlyweds house in the next few days. I hope they will like it.

Stencil and stain

Adding the letters will no doubt give this bench a personal touch.






A good brush and a steady hand and I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Next I will dress up the sides and add a thin coat of sealer and it will be time to bring this to the newlyweds.

Form stripping

Stripping these forms was tricky. Too much force or excessive hammering could cause chipping or worse.
Notice how the color has lightened in just a couple of days.

The pour

Funny that several hours of planning and preparation come down to an hour of pour time.


Not to be taken lightly, properly proportioning, transporting, consolidating, and finishing are crucial to a successful project.


A bit on the dark side when fresh, the concrete will lighten as curing occurs.


Since the surface poured against the base and sides will be so smooth and dense, a hard trowell finish must be achieved on the top to make everything look uniform. This can take time because the concrete is hardening slowly having been poured against a non absorbative surface (unlike sand or gravel).


After a couple days of cure time, form stripping, polishing, decorative staining, and sealing can occur.

Call in the reinforcement

I reinforced the bench with 16 gauge wire and a continuous strand of #2 pencil rod.











After a thorough cleaning (a tall order after cutting all of the reinforecement over the formwork), a thin coat of oil was all that was needed before pouring.