How Long Should Concrete Stay In a Mold?

[@WilliamoCurrano]

Hi Steve. happy to subscribe. i’ve been enjoying and learning tips over the holidays and look forward to new ideas. good luck.

[@raymondjiii]

Question: I have a problem de-molding these rabbit statues that have long ears. These molds do not have the plastic backing (mother mold?) so I have to use a bucket of sand. It does not matter how careful I am, the ears always get pushed to one side or the other by the sand. If I try hang the mold (through a hold in a board) then the statue just stretches vertically and especially gets ruined around the feet because the feet on the mold are now curled due to the weight of the mold. I was wondering if I could do the pour in two days. Day1, fill the ears and head and hang the mold, then on day 2 put it in the bucket of sand and fill the rest of the mold. My concern is that I am creating a weak point where the two pours meet?

[@nurajjanitha4665]

well explained.great info thank you!

[@nunyabitnezz2802]

Great information. Thanks again.

[@harviecz]

BTW. I am using 3d printed mold made from PLA plastic. I've feeling that either cement or moisture in it is corrosive for PLA and is making the mold milky matt, brittle and deteriorating rather quickly after few uses. I guess it kinda makes sense, since PLA is acid and cement is strong base. But it's just something that i've found. Probably might be alleviated by using thicker mold release or completely fixed by using PETG plastic instead.

[@chimerahitman]

Hello Steve, I've been searching on the internet and can not seem to find the answer to my question. Fisrt, my goal is to reduce shrinkage of mortar and concrete to as much as possible. Heres the question. If using a bonding admixture or acrylic admixture can be used a 50% of the water, can I not add water reducing admixture to further reduce the content of water in the mix so to reduce double fold or eliminate the shrinkage that happens when water leaves the mix over time? And bonus question. Access to acrylic fortifiers is cost prohibitive or outright impossible for the small player, but acrylic paint primer for concrete is plentiful. Can it not be used as a substitute? The acrylic paint primer is a milky liquid that is used for roofing impermiabilization, it's almost like water. I've heard of people having used it to form a "crystaline coat over roofs" when it leaks, usage is instead of water use that with Portland cement.

[@karenblaeholder469]

Firstly I want to thank you for your videos they are so helpful, secondly After spray misting a small project the first 2 or 3 days , can I then wet cure it in a pan of water? I just learned about wet curing today from watching your videos.

[@Helen-cw1qs]

When we cast in West Africa we always wet cured. I would walk along the line of moulds with a hosepipe twice a day. It’s standard practise in Africa to cure like this. We were casting blocks for building

[@louienoble4179]

If it's in mould for 3 days how do I keep it wer

[@spherevsgravity]

I approve the answer by experience

[@1deecee12]

Submerge it water for 28 days!!! WOW!

[@Standbackforscience]

Unicorn farts, eh?