Easy home concrete casting (hand tools only)

[@grandmothergoose]

This was exactly the video I needed to see. I've been pondering how to make hollow hexagonal bricks to fill with mud for making a stackable set of native bee houses, and this solves my problem perfectly.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I'm absolutely delighted 😁. We love native bees, we have Tawny Mining bees here

[@grandmothergoose]

@@EnglishCountryLife I'm in Australia, we have blue banded bees, they look a lot like honey bees but with bright blue stripes instead of yellow and they're semi-solitary, they build single nests with one egg per little nest, but they tend to build their nests near other blue banded bee nests. The most impressive thing about them is that they're buzz pollinators, which is what things like tomatoes need. They live in my area but there's very few around anymore, so I'm hoping if I can make a safe nesting wall for them, I'll have more around and that'll mean more tomatoes for me.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@grandmothergoose They found amazing - hood for you encouraging them!

[@donnapemberton8100]

Thanks

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Aww thank you so much Donna 😘

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you, you explain things so clearly and easily.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you - it's a subject that is surprisingly straightforward

[@lindaoostmeyer4637]

Your videos are so helpful! You make a lot of tasks seem less scary and manageable!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Honestly Linda I find them less complicated than I thought once I get over the fear!

[@BT-pn5dn]

Making your own concrete yard ornaments is fun. Moulds can be woven wooden baskets, Halloween masks, glass flower vases, Jell-o moulds, etc. I made stepping stones with an old flat Corning casserole dish. Just be sure to never use the vessels for food again. Once you start casting concrete, you'll find an endless use for it. Thanks, Hugh!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I came across someone casting their own sinks and counter top 👏

[@timothysalmon2259]

Wonderful stuff. Thanks to your videos, we have given loads of projects a go. Looking forward to whatever you do next!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's fantastic to hear! We work on the idea that if we can do it, anyone can!

[@billyw8409]

I use a old foot spa to get rid of air just put a block of wood in with a small board on it. turn it on vibration done in no time ,depending on size

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's genius 👏

[@exmoortrapper1187]

Yet another great instructional film, put into simple terms. Being a complete pedant, I have to point out that 'concrete' without stones is in fact mortar, and concrete with stones is fundamentally stronger, however, it's 100% sound advice given here. I always save up the offcuts of chicken wire etc that I accumulate around the place for jobs like this. If you add wire the concrete becomes 'reinforced' and therefore much stronger. I remember years ago having to cast stone cills onto the outside of windows on a NT job. Quite a job to get the shuttering just right, and one air bubble ruined the look of the finished job.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I agree with terms but once asked how big do the stones have to be? Sand is just fine stone ...is grit coarse enough...pea gravel? I do take the point though 😉

[@exmoortrapper1187]

@@EnglishCountryLife I would say 25mm max, but I don't have a clue why, lol. Kev has posted a superb film just now as well. You two are doing great stuff lately.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@exmoortrapper1187 Thanks mate - great to have you back with us. Looking forward to watching your tobacco stuff over the weekend

[@mattwernecke2342]

I'm enjoying your channel!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Matt!

[@angelicinspirations]

This is right up my street. I saw an American video where the woman made really lovely arty farty stuff. Names of products are all different in the USA of course, so now I have the recipe for the mix, there's no stopping me. I very much want to make little stepping stones, using wood as a base .Can I use this mix in small silicone molds for miniature garden ornaments? Ty so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

You definitely could use this in silicone moulds - do use some dish soap on the inside of the mould to stop it sticking

[@angelicinspirations]

@@EnglishCountryLife Cheers. Many thanks.

[@wh880]

Do you plan to build your chickens a new run with all these flockdowns I'm thinking of building one out of just some fence post and wire.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Definitely.We have all the materials to hand to build a Garden Life Direct run. Honestly their stuff is so cheap right now (especially with the ECL10 discount code) we can't make one for that price.

[@kwiknkleen]

How come you don’t use a pre-mixed sand/cement mix? Is something like that available in the UK? In the states we have something called sand mix. It’s usually used for pavers because it has a smooth finish and doesn’t have the rocks in it like concrete.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Lisa, you can get it here but generally not in quick set. I do use ready pix for setting fence posts though!

[@kwiknkleen]

@@EnglishCountryLife you are correct. I don't think we have it over here either.