Hypertufa

Hypertufa is a simulated stone made from cement, peat moss (or sawdust), and water. They are permanent because of the cement in them and they are light weight because you substitute peat moss or sawdust for sand or rocks. Add vermiculite or perlite to make them even lighter.

Hypertufa bricks can be painted or carved. People make pots, planters, stepping stones, grots, castings, statues, columns, and many more decorative things out of hypertufa.

One favorite thing to do seems to be to take a styrofoam ice chest and coat the outside with hypertufa and use it as a planter. It looks very much like a heavy, carved, antique, limestone, horse trough from England. The stone those troughs were made from was called tufastone - hence the name.

Click here for recipes and ideas.
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I found this on the internet long ago - don't know who to attribute it to.

Recipe for Adobe Bricks

Recipe for Six Adobe Bricks
Time required: about one month (most of it waiting for bricks to dry).Cost: little or nothingMaterials:

• One five-gallon bucket


• One mixing stick or old wooden spoon


• 1/2 bucket of adobe clay


• 1/4 bucket of sand


• 1/8 bucket of straw cut into two-to-three-inch pieces


• Enough water to make a doughlike consistency


• Six empty half-gallon waxed milk containers OR six 4 * 11 * 22 inch wooden brick molds, which can be made from 2-by-4s nailed together


• Waterproof tape

Directions:

• Thoroughly mix the adobe clay, sand and straw in the bucket; add only enough water to create a workable consistency


• You can use either the wooden brick molds or the waxed 1/2 gallon milk cartons. To make the molds from the latter, cut one side from the carton (which becomes the open top of the brick mold). Cut and flatten the folded spout end and tape the carton firmly into a rectangular shape.


• Pack the brick mixture into the cartons, filling each about tow-thirds full. IN 15 minutes to 24 hours, the brick will be firm enough to tip out. Each batch is different' you will have to judge when your mix will maintain a brick shape.


• Place shaped bricks in a sunny location and turn repeatedly as they dry. (A completely dry brick is uniform in color, inside and out.)

Tools for the DIYer

BASIC TOOLS for the home:

• TAPE MEASURE: one that is 3/4-inch wide and 16 feet long is best for most around-the-house jobs.


• STUD FINDER: locates studs behind finished walls, for anchoring purposes (such as hanging a mirror).


• PLIERS: Get several types, including slip-joint pliers for gripping large items and pipes, lineman pliers for snipping wires as well as gripping, and needle-nose pliers for bending wires and gripping in tight spaces.


• SCREWDRIVER: various sizes and heads or a single screwdriver with a variety of interchangeable heads.


• C-CLAMP:  Two or three clamps of various sizes are recommended.


• HANDSAW: There are two basic types - a crosscut saw, which cuts across the grain, and a ripsaw, which cuts with the grain. If you have to go with one, get the crosscut; 22-inch, 10- to 12-tooth size.


• HAMMER: with a claw, a 16-inch handle and weighing about a pound.


• LEVEL: a 9-inch tapered one; or two, a 6-inch and an 18-inch.


• ADJUSTABLE WRENCH: A medium size will do for the vast majority of jobs.


• UTILITY KNIFE: The blade should retract into the handle.

IN ADDITION to the tools listed, these tools and supplies also come in handy:

• Allen wrenches of various sizes.


• Bevel gauge for making accurate angle cuts in wood.


• Wood Chisel for chipping out cuts in wood.


• Circular saw.


• Cordless drill.


• Electrical extension cords.


• Glues and tapes.


• Plumb bob.


• Plunger.


• Pry bar.


• Rubber mallet.


• Sander (manual or electric).


• Screws and nails of various sizes.


• Staple gun.


• Stilson wrench for turning pipes (aka pipe wrench).


• Carpenters square.

MOVE UP from the basic level of do-it-yourselfing with:

• Heavy-duty corded electric drill for work that is too big for a cordless drill.


• Jigsaw.


• Portable table saw.


• Nut driver for tightening or loosening nuts and bolts (works like a screwdriver).


• Reciprocating saw (i.e. Sawzall) for rough cutting.


• Router.


• Set of open-end wrenches.


• Set of socket wrenches.


• Spiral saw (i.e. RotoZip).