cement

The glass is all cut and now it is time to make the stone. The glass is placed on contact paper, good side down, and then placed in the mold. For this project I am using a hexagon shape so these will fit nice together. This particular stone has two fish and then some unique things in it. There are some stones along one edge to give the pond a more natural look and then there is going to be a hole in the middle for something. You will see why in the completed project. I am using a plastic jar to create the hole, that is the white round thing in the middle.

Then it's time to mix the concrete. I am using a quick dry concrete mix from Home Depot. I mix up a half of a fifty pound bag for each stone. Just pour into a bucket, add water and stir. No special tools, I use a garden trowel. When mixed put some on the glass and gently level it off. Fill the mold about half full and then spread the concrete. Move it around to fill the corners and push it into the spaces between the glass. I sometimes use a mortar mix, it is the same without the stones. it fills the cracks easier but is not as strong. In this case with the number of stones I'm making, I opted for strength and will fill in any spaces at the end with mortar.

I put a wire mesh into the stone at this point for added durability and then pour the rest of the concrete. Again smooth it out and set it it dry. It is not important to get it perfectly smooth, I'm just going to be putting it on the ground after all. The concrete dries in about 30 minutes but I leave it overnight. This gives me time to work on the next stone and do other things around the house. More tomorrow.