How to make a concrete coffee table, the process of creating an old world concrete style table out of concrete. This concrete table has a hard trowel finish and is colored with acid stains.\r
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For more info, project photos, and downloadable plans check out:\r
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Determine the size of table youd like to make.\r
The table top Dustin and I made was 48 inches by 36 inches. The concrete thickness is 1.5 inches and the overall height of the table with the base is 18 inches.\r
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Cut the bottom of the mold out of melamine or plywood.\r
This piece should be the ex width and length youd like the concrete table to be. After cutting the base youll need to cut the strips. For a 1.5 inch thick top the strips will need to be 2 1/4 inches tall. This accommodates for the 3/4 inch base.\r
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Assemble the sidewalls to the mold\r
Attach the sidewalls using 1 5/8 inch drywall screws. Pre-drill to ensure the wood does not split. Use screws about every 6-8 inches.\r
I used 3/4 inch melamine for the base and 3/4 inch plywood for the sidewalls. You can use any type of 3/4 inch plywood when doing a trowel finish on the concrete top. Id recommend using all melamine when building a concrete top using the reverse cast technique.\r
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Cut Re-enforcement to size\r
Use a bolt cutters to cut the re-enforcement down to size. You can buy 4×8 sheets of re-enforcement at Home Depot for about $9. Cut the re-enforcement about 2 inches shorter than the overall dimensions of the mold. Since my concrete mold is 48 x 36 I cut the re-enforcment to 46 x 34. This ensures you will not have metal sticking out of your finished piece.\r
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Mix up the concrete!\r
Mix your concrete in a large plastic tub. Mix the concrete to about a peanut butter consistency. Simply add water to the mix as noted in the manufurers instructions. If the mix gets to runny you can always add more concrete to dry it out. I mix a max of two bags at a time.\r
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Fill the mold\r
Add concrete to the mold. An ice cream bucket works great for this process. When creating a concrete table using the “pour in place” / right side up technique youll want to fill it up about half way full or a little less than halfway full before adding the re-enforcement. Pack the concrete into all corners using your hands.\r
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Add the re-enforcement\r
Place the re-enforcement in the mold. Make sure it is centered and flat so metal does not stick out of your finished piece. Youll also want to place it in the concrete when the mold is half filled to prevent shadowing from occurring. Fill the mold and then screed\r
Continue packing concrete into the mold until it is about level with the top. Then use a 2×4 to level off or screed the concrete. Move it back and forth in a saw like motion. Do this multiple times until the concrete is perfectly level. Fill in low spots as needed.\r
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Smooth the Concrete\r
Use a trowel to smooth out the concrete. You could also use a float to help bring more of the concrete cream (portland cement) to the top. Let the concrete cure.\r
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Lightly sand the concrete\r
Use 120 or 220 grit sandpaper to remove the rough edges from the table. I also lightly sanded the top surface using 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the table out a bit. Flip\r
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Sand\r
Use an orbital sander to sand and smooth out the edges. It will smooth out the slurry you added. \r
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Gather and mix up acid stain\r
The acid stain I used for this project is from Quikrete. Id like to thank Chad from Quikrete for supplying all the acid staining products for this project. I used their English Red and Coffee etching stains. Quikrete stains can be found in select Lowes and Home Depots across the country. However, many do not stock it and I couldnt find a link online.\r
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Stain the concrete!\r
Fill acid resistant plastic spray bottles with the stain. You may want to dilute the stain with water according to the manufurers directions. I put english red stain in one bottle and a coffee colored stain in the other. \r
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Neutralize the acid stain\r
Fill a bucket with water and either baking soda or ammonia. Pour the neutralizing mixture on the concrete. This will stop all reions from continuing. \r
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Seal the concrete\r
We used an acrylic based concrete sealer from Quikrete to protect and enhance the colors of the acid stained concrete table. It goes on looking somewhat milky, but will dry clear and look great. Dustin applied 3 thin coats of the concrete sealer.\r
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Pete Sveen\r
1627 W Main Street Suite 182\r
Bozeman, Montana 59715
