Two times cheaper, no worse: we make an artificial stone with our own hands

Manufacturing technology of silicone molds, stone casting from cement and plaster

Artificial stone is practically irreplaceable in interior decoration, and it is used quite often for facades. However, the cost of this material can hardly be called budget. If you spend only on consumables, it turns out much cheaper. In addition, homemade products are exclusive, not stamping, which only adds advantages.

How to make artificial stone for facade decoration

According to the estimates of the FORUMHOUSE participants, an artificial stone, made by hand, taking into account energy costs, etc. costs half the price of a store. There are several different technologies. This time we will look at how to make this material using a silicone mold. The subtleties of this technology are revealed by a member of our portal with the nickname dronduletus.

To make a silicone mold, you will need:

• 2-3 cylinders of silicone;
• a piece of PVC panel.

BIG-HORROR

FORUMHOUSE member

Look for silicone in car dealerships, it is there sometimes in cans like "paint". It turns out a little cheaper and just a kilogram.

To make a stone you need:

• any stone from which the form will be cast (natural, gypsum or concrete); gypsum stone will first have to be covered with 2-3 layers of varnish or drying oil);
• cement - 200 grams (or 70 grams of gypsum);
• sand - 500 grams;
• dye - 3 grams;
• a piece of painting net (optional);
• plasticizer for concrete (optional).

How to make an artificial stone mold from silicone

For the manufacture of a silicone mold, formwork is required. It can be made from pieces of PVC panels left over from repairs, plastic ice cream containers, etc.

The piece should be marked, leaving an allowance of 4 cm (one centimeter from the edges of the stone and 3 cm high), cut out the template and glue it with hot glue using a gun. If the stone is curved, then cut out its contours with an allowance of 1 cm from the edge of the stone and glue the plastic rim on hot glue.

Followed by:

• Prepare a small container with hot water and a little dishwashing liquid (the water should become soapy).
• Coat the stone and formwork with a thick layer of grease.
• Extrude the silicone into the mold; Dronduletus uses a generic clear silicone, and does not recommend neutral.

• Then soapy water comes into play: we moisten the brush in it and thoroughly coat the silicone, first from above, and then, often dipping the brush into water and foaming it, we press the silicone into the formwork. Dip the brush in water so often that the soapy water literally drains from it. Finally, moisten the spatula with soapy water and smooth the silicone surface with it.

Our user estimates that silicone dries at a rate of one centimeter per week. If the mold is made in summer, you can dry the mold on the balcony or on an open veranda. After three weeks, you can disassemble the formwork, take out the mold and rinse it with dishwashing liquid. Cracks or small holes may appear in the mold - they should be immediately covered with silicone using a spatula.

For each type of stone, it is recommended to make 3-4 forms at once: this way they will last longer, and the casting process will go faster.

Pouring a stone from cement

The first step is to paint the form. The painted form will allow the dye to penetrate deeper into the future stone, the paint will wash out less and hold better. Our user paints the form randomly, simply applying paint of various "stone" colors to its inner surface.

Dronduletus pours the stone in two layers. Dye is added to the first layer, not to the second, to save money. The composition of the mixture for the first layer: 1 part cement, 3 parts sand (you can measure it on a kitchen scale), water and a little dye.

Dronduletus

FORUMHOUSE member

For cement stone, 2-3% of the weight of the mixture is cement + sand (without water), that is, 100 g of cement + 100 g of sand = 4 mg of dye (I measure it with a syringe). But it depends on the dyes, their intensity, the degree of staining and the quality of the cement.

If you need the stone to be especially strong, you can take 1 part of cement and 2 parts of sand.

Dronduletus

FORUMHOUSE member

I measure out the dye with a syringe at 5-6% by weight division.

The concrete mixture is prepared as follows: first, sand and dye are well mixed in the container, then cement is added, mixed well again, then water is added. The consistency of the mixture should be like thick country sour cream, in which there is "a spoon". Plasticizer for concrete C-3 can be added to the solution, but this is not necessary. Having filled the form with the first layer, you should vibrate it on a vibrating table for a minute or simply tap on the table.

Before pouring in the second layer of sand-cement-water (but already without the dye), a spatula should drive the mixture a little to the edges of the mold to make small sides. Inside, you can put a piece of masking net, a little smaller than the shape outline (this is also optional). Pour in the second layer of the mixture, vibrate or tap for half a minute.

In order for the stone to better adhere to the surface in the future, we make grooves on the surface of the mixture with a nail or a stick.

After 12 hours, the stone should be removed from the mold and placed in a polyethylene bag for two weeks - so the concrete will gain strength. After each pouring, the silicone mold should be thoroughly rinsed with dishwashing liquid and an old toothbrush. This will increase her lifespan.

Concrete stone is used for street work, therefore, to remove dust from concrete and protect the dye from washing out, it must be covered with a layer of drying oil or specialized varnish.

This is how a FORUMHOUSE user finished the plinth with such an artificial stone dronzub.

For a more or less large-scale home production of artificial stone from cement, a vibrating table is required. A simple vibrating table is easy to make with your own hands from an unnecessary motor from something. Our user used a 50 W / 220 fan motor.

Dronduletus

FORUMHOUSE member

I put a sconce from the lamp on the wire, fixed an eccentric on the shaft, carved on emery from a piece of iron, cut out a piece of 12 mm plywood 30 * 30 cm, on one side I glued squares of 50 mm foam rubber to it, on the other side I made holders for forms and fixed motor.

We pour a stone from plaster

To save dye, our user pours gypsum stones in the same way, in two layers. To slow down the setting of the gypsum, add citric acid, which is also measured with a syringe (0.3% by weight of the mixture). The mixture is prepared as follows: gypsum, citric acid, dye and the right amount of water are immediately mixed well to the consistency of thick sour cream. The dye is added to the gypsum mixture at the rate of 5-6% by weight of the gypsum. 100 g of gypsum - 6 mg of dye (metered out with a syringe).

Gypsum stone can also be made with the addition of cement, based on a part of cement to two parts of gypsum. Dye is not added to the gypsum-cement mortar - it is done for painting with acrylic paint.

Gypsum stone is usually used for interior decoration. It is recommended to lubricate it with 1-2 layers of heated vegetable oil at a temperature of 60-70 degrees.

FORUMHOUSE member with nickname glebomater uses artificial plaster stone for exterior decoration.

glebomater

Participant FORUMHOUSE

Plaster with facade paint has been on the street for several years. Not falling apart yet.

She was taught how to decorate and paint such a stone.

Glebomater

Participant FORUMHOUSE

Dilute the facade paint with a tint slightly darker than the color you need. Use a soft brush to apply paint to the bottom of the mold so that the layer is there, and not just smudge. Pour gypsum. All.

Also, before pouring the gypsum mixture, the bottom of the mold can be filled up:

• beads;
• any kind of sand;
• small pebbles;
• ash (such a stone looks very decent from a distance, but unsuccessfully close).

The most appropriate additives in a particular case can be selected in the most effective of all ways - by poking.

How not to bother with molds and casts at all is detailed in this publication.

On the topic, you can read about how to make a budget decorative brick. Also, home craftsmen can be useful master class on making a unique slab coffee table. In the video - how to revet the facade of a wooden house with stone.