So long as your mix wasn't too wet, I expect it'll be very strong. It may just be like the mix I once made, without recording exactly what was in it, & that I couldn't break with a hammer, though the hammer easily made dents in it...... Please let us know how it turns out!

One-to-one Portland and sand makes for a very dense and hard mix with extremely low permeability. Keep your water low, mist it a lot after initial set and it will yield a very strong product.

I am in the process of making a large faux log flower pot. Instead of peat, I used Pro-Mix. It's a mixture of peat, vermiculite, perlite, a wetting agent and limestone. It's a seed starting medium used in greenhouses. Home Depot has it for around $12.99 for 2 cubic ft. compressed which is 4 cubic shreaded. It's much cleaner than the regular peat.I used it with sand and portland. The best part for me is I can unmold in 24 hours but I can carve in it for about a week. You may use a brush on it but don't spray it for about 5 days. Then cure in the normal way.

can you give me the basic receipe for the mix? I get garden gate magazine and they said 1 part portland 1 part vermiculite and and 1 part milled sphagnum moss. Can I use something other than Portland cement as it onley comes in 50 lb bags and it,ll go to waste I,m sure Sue

I use a flower pot to measure all ingredients. 1-1-2. Portland,sand and peat or vermiculite. I am never exact. I use the Pro-Mix as I would the peat moss. The portland is necessary. I can handle a 50 lb. bag easily. Our HD's smallest size is 94 lbs. Actually, it's the only size.

Thank you all for your help. I love the way they turned out. Very smooth. Sue I thought the same thing about the portland....our Lowe's only had the 94lb bags. But it is addictive....I have started running around molding everything...lol. I have even started hand molding somethings. Now I need more portland...lol.Tammy

It's funny how fast that big 94# bag on cement gets used up, isn't it?

Sue

Had to run to the "store " for 2 grey and 2 white portland(94#). Yes it goes fast.
Paws

If you run out of peat, don't try using cocoa shell mulch. I only used half a measure yesterday in my mix, and it isn't setting up. Must be it has carbs in it. I should have tasted it first to see. :) WOW did it smell good! Sort of like a tufa mousse.
Jo