| Freehand
concrete engraving
Gerald and Meredith Taylor, owners of Images in Concrete,
El Dorado, Ark., worked out their design on paper first, transferred
it to polyethylene plastic, and then to the concrete slab,
using an ingenious system. Gerald used an angle grinder with
a 4-inch diamond blade to very carefully cut the tightly curved
lines of the pattern into the surface of the slab. Finally,
they applied chemical- and water-based stains to complete
the image.
Hand carving and impressing patterns
Andy Yoder, Stan Yoder, and David Witbeck from Flex-C-Ment,
Tryon, N.C., trowel-applied a special mix of polymer cement
on vertical surfaces, building up a 3-inch thickness. When
the mixture was at the right stage of plastic set, they applied
molds of rock shapes and hand-carved rock shapes, creating
a rock masonry wall and an arched door opening. On the following
day they added water-based stains to complete the look. Visitors
were also shown vases that were cast from the same material
and turned on a wood lathe.
 |
Left: Brandon
and Darrel Adamson's American eaglea 3-dimenslonal engraving
using water-based stains.
Above: Arellano and Kidd's
finished artistic piece, where they built up the elements
of their graphic pattern with overlay cement-spraying
everything with an HVLP sprayer. Metal powders were
added to the pattern portions of the graphic to achieve
the copper surface. They used patina chemicals on the
center. |
 |
Creating
with chemical stains, dyes, and tints
Dana Boyer, owner of ConcretiZen, Apache junction, Ariz.,
created an undersea image using several techniques to provide
a 3-dimensional effect. She started the process with a hand-held
planetary head diamond-polishing tool to reveal aggregate
in the concrete --cutting a swath about 2 feet by 10 feet.
Next, she applied overlay cement to
build out from the slab for the sea floor. By sticking down
transfer paper with images of fish and turtles on it, she
transferred the images to the slab with a "wasp"
tool. Coloring the scene with stains, dyes, and tints completed
the work.
Engraving
a 3-dimensional eagle
Darrel and Brandon Adamson from Engrave-a-crete, Sarasota,
Fla., provided the patriotic touch to the event by creating
an American eagle with a 10-foot wingspan. They first cut
the lines of the eagle into a plastic template and transferred
the graphic to the slab with spray paint. Coloration with
stains followed, and then an acrylic
sealer. Using a system they developed
called KaleidoCrete, they worked through their original plastic
stencil to cut the lines of the eagle into the slab. The tool
they use pulverizes the concrete, resulting in a 3-dimensional
cut. A final protective coat of sealer completed the process.
Polishing
concrete
Artist Carolyn Braaksma, Braaksma Design, Denver, cut shapes
of sea creatures in 1 -inch-thick marble and 1/4-inch aluminum
using a high-pressure waterjet cutter to produce the precise
shapes and intricate detail. Her design required carefully
embedding the objects into the surface of the freshly placed
concrete. Tom Graf, president of Graf Architectural Concrete,
Hudson, Wis., then finished the slab with a large planetary
head diamond polisher. After removing enough concrete with
coarse diamond cutting blocks to reveal the embedded objects
and make the surface flat, Graf then polished to a 3000-grit
finishcreating a finished surface that looked like a concrete
slab with a piece of glass on top.
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