Making Coasters using mold/concrete mix???

18 years ago

Well, I guess I goofed here. My first time making coasters. I used a mold, and I thought I could use regular old quikcrete mix (you know, 60 lb. yellow bag)from out in the garage. I added blue rit dye powder to the water I mixed into the concrete.

Well, it is taking forever to dry (it's getting there). And the blue rubs right off on my finger when I touch it, plus it is somewhat crumbly. Will it still do this when it is completely dry?

It is still in the mold. I hope it comes out of the mold tomorrow.

I don't know what I'm doing, ugh. I have a bunch of really cute coasters ready to put into the mold, but not sure what to do. WAs trying to save money by using concrete we already have, and not spending $7 on 2 lbs of flashcrete when I already have about 120 lbs of quikcrete.

Judy

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Comments (6)

cacbeary
18 years ago
Can't help you there Judy. Was this concrete left outside over winter? I never use rit dye for cement coloring either.
hrsg
18 years ago
I use Rit dye in my grout for colorant, but I've not had that happen before.

Never used Quikcrete before either, so I'm no help there.

Is the weather very cold or humid where you are possibly?
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curbdiver1954
18 years ago
No good info from me, unfortunately, had the same problem with a couple of spheres I cast in about November and started mosaicing in January....the exposed concrete area still can be "sanded" using the pad of my finger. Hopefully someone with better knowledge than mine will pop in with the magic answer!

Pat
gcpommom
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, maybe the concrete mix was old, it was stored out in the garage...all I know is when I took it out of the mold this morning, it turned back into a powdery pile of navy blue concrete mix!
So, I will go buy something fresh and try again!

Thanks
Judy
d3bbi
18 years ago
Judy, I'll share what I have learned from Sherry Warner Hunter's book on concrete creations. I have made mushrooms and stepping stones with this recipe:
1 part Type 1 Portland cement, 3 parts sand (play sand, masonry sand or construction), and water.

Other than that I don't know much about the quickcrete.
shrty411
18 years ago
Sounds like it was old