Showing off my new Concrete BGE Table

premke

This is my first post to the BGE forum but I just wanted to brag a bit on my new table I built....Poured in place, colored concrete with a wood base structure.... 90% recycled materials, overall budget under $100....I think it turned out great...what do you think? 

pezking7p

Looking very nice.  I like the color you dyed the concrete.  Did you have to do anything to the surface to smooth it out? 

MrCookingNurse

I like that tin man. Looks dope. Does the front slide open to give the egg air?

premke

I removed the forms a day or two early and polished with a orbital sander with 60 grit paper...used a lot of paper...I could have used a diamond polisher but I was looking for a more rough look...then finished it with 4-5 coats of a FDA approved sealant used for floors in food warehouses...FDA approved for incidental contact...final appearance is that of a sealed and smooth sidewalk or warehouse floor..NOT a super smooth polished finish..

Yes the front slides either way for storage and ash cleaning/airflow control...but there is plenty of flow from underneath and around the "door" for air without needing it to be always open... 

Smoker_Guru

Very Nice Work...

ChokeOnSmoke

Very nice!

I poured a concrete top on mine too.  Did it last summer and I'm happy to say it made it through the winter just fine and is looking good.  I dyed my concrete a darker grey.  Sanded it very little and put 2 coats of a clear patio sealer on it.

One of these days I plan to experiment with some acid or water stains to jazz it up a bit.

cortguitarman

My cocrete top. @choke, there are sealers made specifically for counters. My buddy made mine. He makes kitchen counters and bathroom vanities all of the time. I can get you the name of the sealer if you are interested.

This is my first post to the BGE forum but I just wanted to brag a bit on my new table I built....Poured in place, colored concrete with a wood base structure.... 90% recycled materials, overall budget under $100....I think it turned out great...what do you think? 

Your table looks good.

Bjorg

I would like the name of that sealer. I will be making such a counter top shortly. 

ChokeOnSmoke

@choke, there are sealers made specifically for counters. My buddy made mine. He makes kitchen counters and bathroom vanities all of the time. I can get you the name of the sealer if you are interested.

Very professional looking.  I like the flecks of whatever that is in there (glass?).
If I do some acid staining this summer I'll sand the sealer off and they have to apply another.
So yeah, if you could get the name, that'd be great.

cortguitarman

The flecks in there are actually the agragate in the concrete. He used river rock instead of limestone in the mix. When ground down, the various colors of the rocks show through. Some are red,, some black, and some green & brown. He also makes them with glass in the mix. The possibilities are endless. I'll let you know the sealer name when I hear from him. Once sealed, it doesn't ever have to be redone.

RichardBronosky

What does "poured in place" mean? I can't mean on top of the table from in place. That would be unnecessarily difficult.

cortguitarman

Yep, that's what t means. Mine was made in my buddy's shop. He has done both methods. He said doing then at his shop is much easier. Mostly because of the equipment he uses.

Mike8it

Very nice

ChokeOnSmoke

The flecks in there are actually the agragate in the concrete. He used river rock instead of limestone in the mix. When ground down, the various colors of the rocks show through. Some are red,, some black, and some green & brown. He also makes them with glass in the mix. The possibilities are endless. 

Interesting stuff.  I plan to experiment with some of this stuff in the future.

 I'll let you know the sealer name when I hear from him. Once sealed, it doesn't ever have to be redone.

Thanks.

cortguitarman

The coolest top he has made has chromed motorcycle sprockets embeded in the top. The counter is black with red glass. Another one he did was a circular table with bullet casings in the concrete. The center was open and filled with clear resin. The bullets were suspended in the resin to look like they had been fired from the shells.

premke

there are two main ways to make concrete countertops, which basically what the two photos of tables above are...My tabletop was "poured in place", meaning that I built concrete forms around the table and poured the concrete "in place"...the other method, which gives a much cleaner look and allows for a much smoother finish is to build the countertop in a mold, let it dry and then flip it over...many kitchen countertops are built this way....as for the red table above, it was poured in place and has the texture of a sidewalk...the gray table above is probably glass smooth....

cortguitarman

Yes, premke, you are right on the money. The one like mine was poured upside down on a dead flat steel table. This gives it the smooth finish. Also lots of grinding with diamond wet grinders. The finish sealer was applied with an HVLP sprayer.

I really like the red color on your top. It pops against the color of the egg and blends well with the deck.

cortguitarman

@ChokeOnSmoke & Bjorg, here is the link where my buddy buys his concrete sealer.
http://concretecountertopsupply.com

Squeezy

What kinda weight are we talking about here?

Tornados won't move it that's for sure!

 

ChokeOnSmoke

@ChokeOnSmoke & Bjorg, here is the link where my buddy buys his concrete sealer.
http://concretecountertopsupply.com

Thanks, I'll check out the sealer and the site.

cortguitarman

Mine is about 275 lbs

Bjorg

Thanks. That stonelok countertop kit seems like the way to go. What do you guys do with hot cast iron grills? I would be nervous to put it on there as they specify 400 degree max. I thing I will just hang them vertically. 

http://www.concretecountertopsupply.com/ccp0-prodshow/40SqFtStonelokKit.html

 

premke

mine is about 250lbs plus the egg...it ain't going anywhere, I've stood on it several times and it didn't budge...and BTW, the red color was a liquid color additive mixed into the dry concrete bag mix while adding water so it will never wear out....the attached panorama photo (sorry for the low quality panorama, I used a free iphone app) but you can also see my 300lb surfboard bar table which matches the egg table...I used the same color ratio on that and the colors are the same.

as for polishing, i opted not to do the diamond grinder route just because of the $$$...I probably would never get as smooth as the cast one anyway but that was Ok for me...

premke

Bjorg, I've never had an issue...even pulled a grill out at about 700 and set it on it ...no issues whatsoever...

OMG Eggs

I built my table a couple of years ago and used a concrete counter for my table as well.  I went with a rough look, primarily due to laziness & time restrictions - I didn't even seal it (I don't use it directly as a cutting board).  Other than some grease, it looks just like it did when it was new.

 

Honestly, I'm surprised more people don't do this for their eggs.  The counter probably cost me $60 including the form material.  IMO, wood isn't a good countertop choice.

VA in GA

Premke,      Great Job, very classy looking.  :-)   Really like that you used recycled materials, save the planet. Kudos, Virginia in MI.

Bjorg

That is re-assuring premke

UPinSMOKE

premke and OMGeggs!

First of all, premke..congratulations on one beautiful table. 

OK, a question for either, or both, of you. What kind of concrete did you use? Inquiring minds NEED to know!

Cheers!

Pat

premke

I just used the standard high strength bags of concrete (sacrete, quicrete or redimix) bought from the local home depot...the reinforcement is by far the most important thing though....I used welded wire fabric (called  remesh at home depot) within the mix and secured elevated in the middle with screws..and a 3/8" rebar around the perimeter and around the circle form for the egg...see this pic...it might help... 

big trick is to NOt have any reinforcement within 1 to 1-1/2" fo the edge of any concrete or it will eventually bust out...

premke

pic of reinforcing is attached....

premke

BTW...my pieces of reinforcment are a mess since they were 100% recycled scrap pieces from construction sites...but they still work and are never seen again (I hope), unless i take a jackhammer to it...