How do I set a really thin sponge in cement?
by
Thea
+19
What is the thinnest piece of sponge I can set in cement? I’ve seen people make planters by dipping towels in cement, then draping it over something till dry. I want to do the same thing with sponge (the thickness of a towel but thinner at the edges) but it never hardens and always cracks. Please help.
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
A sponge is too pouris. You would have to make sure it is totally dried out, but that is almost impossible when you add the cement. Why not use the sponge to sponge paint a dish covered into cement. Or if you can find some old doilies it could give the same effect.
Is this a project? If so which one?
Im not sure the spoung would be strong enough.
this concrete is hard, but not strong. It needs some sort of reinforcement, like what a piece of towel would do
Why not use a towel, cut to the size and make it into the shape you want?
A sponge is too porous has too many pockets to do this, it would take up as much of the moisture from the concrete as it can hold, changing the concrete to a form that does not have the right water ratio, making it unstable. Remember the purpose of a sponge is to absorb liquid.
You may want to use gauze. If you want it thicker, you can add multiple layers.
The sponge absorbs the moisture from the cement. It will fail. Fleece is the best fabric to use. The cement has to get into the weave of the fabric.
Fantabulous Thea! Please Tell Me.
The sponge is more porous than a towel, it will keep failing, I would think.
You could try using mortar mix and thin it a bit. I think that would work better.
Thea I couldn't find projects using a thin sponge set in concrete- go back to the project you saw and ask your question there- sponges will not last in concrete as you can see by all the responses above - good luck
The issue is the sponge material, its inherent flexibility, and possibly the composition of the sponge material itself. If you can find a way to support or stiffen the sponge, give it structure before the concrete, that might help. It could also be the concrete you’re using or how much water you’re mixing into it.
You can try usinh gauze and if you'd want it to be thicker you just add multiple layers. Or, you could try using mortar mix and thin it a bit.
Hi Thea, hope this helps you out, i found these,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GchFy8Ji5s
You could also try cheesecloth inside the sponge to strengthen it and also add sand