How To Make A Stepping Stone Mold

Making a stepping stone mold, or a block-shaped mold, is one of the easiest things to put together. There are so many different stepping stone shapes, but this two part series will be focusing on a basic square mold that is easy for anyone to make and use. This basic mold and concrete project is a great way to get introduced to working with concrete at home as a hobby.
Using some scrap pieces of 2x3" and plywood from the scrap wood pile, a simple 12x12x2" mold is made. With a simple square wooden mold, there are a host of concrete projects you could tackle. A basic shaped mold like this is great for experimenting with colors, textures and concrete mix designs. In this series, you will see a few of the ways you can alter the mold to make new and exciting things.
Part one of this series will talk about the materials used and other material options you could use for making or changing this basic stepping stone mold. You will see how to quickly put it together, and one way to protect the wood from water absorption when filled with a wet mortar or concrete mix.
Part two demonstrates how the mold can be used to make beginner, intermediate and more advanced concrete projects. Follow along to find out what kind of different concrete creations are made with this easy, cheap, D.I.Y. concrete stepping stone mold.
Episode 2 - • How To Make A Stepping...
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[@TheKeyringofRassilon-xz6wp]

Great stuff! I've found that when using wax, running a hot-air gun or hairdryer over the inside of the mold can help the wax run into any little divots or grain lines or corners you might've missed, before you apply the spray. And have some bits of stone and rock and tile on hand: if the spare amount of concrete you have is less than a full mold's worth, gently embed the stones etc into the upper surface of what you pour into the mould. They'll lock in when it cures and provide a key for the next bit of spare concrete you pour in to help prevent it splitting along the join line.

[@creatingconcrete]

I also use a heat gun or torch with wax quite often. Thanks for commenting.

[@JonDeth]

My plan is 1/8" masonite mold with a half dozen blocks in each large scale mold and to make 3 molds, 2 with open ends that bump up against the sides of the 1 solid mold so I can make many casts at once, have 3 to 4 removable molds and no matter what, only an 1/8" gap between the storage garage floor I have planned. *This plan isn't quite set in stone but is approximately the exact plan when the rubber meets the road.* Upon completion, rather than mortar pack the crevices, a cheap and flexible silicon caulk. *It's cheap, strong, dry and there's room for shifting since it's not intended to be equivalent to a true car garage concrete or block with mortar flooring.*

[@donsazon3608]

Hi new to this channel. Would a plastic sheet work to protect the mould?

[@creatingconcrete]

It would but it might leave lines in the underside of the stepping stone. But yes, it would stop the concrete from sticking to the mold.

[@donsazon3608]

@@creatingconcrete thank you

[@jonboypointer]

Would love to try and make some remodel pavers (5/8). Do you have any recommendations for a thin paver like that(mix, admix, etc.)?

[@CarvedTop]

Love your channel❤ I've been making flagstone pavers from molds, and your tips have been an enormous help. Question: I want to make light gray, chisel edge retaining wall blocks, that have a black speckle. What kind of aggregate can I use for the black speckles?

[@creatingconcrete]

What about paint? Any aggregate would need a reveal like an acid wash to remove the portland haze.

[@CarvedTop]

@@creatingconcretei just watched your series on making a Urn planter, and I see what you mean about using paint for the black specks. I'm going to try that👍🏻

[@criztianramirez667]

Looking to carve out an “Interior Mountain Edge Rock Wall” in the shower. Any idea on the process and type of concrete I would need?

[@Bowie.]

Steve, is it OK to use an acrylic fortifier/bonding agent (SkaLatex) together with a superplasticizer? I know in one of your vids you said there was some kind of combo to avoid but I don't recall exactly what they were.

[@creatingconcrete]

Not a lot of info about this but I think for desktop and decorative products it might be OK. For HRWR (high range water reducers) for structural and engineered projects it might be a problem. If you read the directions from the manufacturer it should list and conflicts with other admixtures to avoid.