Concrete, Craft, and a Little Copenhagen: Lessons from the Fundamentals Workshop
BG just wrapped up the 3rd Concrete Design School Fundamentals Workshop, and let me tell you, the table the class crafted is nothing short of phenomenal. In this episode of The Concrete Podcast, BG and Jon explore the importance of tracking concrete curing with temp sensors, discuss hand mixing alternatives that might just save your back, and dive into why time truly is money in our line of work. They also share some heartfelt stories from their early years that shaped who they are today. So grab a seat, maybe a cup of coffee, and join us for a journey through craftsmanship, wisdom, and a touch of nostalgia.
#ConcreteDesign #ConstructionWisdom #CuringConcrete #TempSensors #HandMixing #TimeIsMoney #Craftsmanship #BuildingKnowledge #PodcastEpisode
TRANSCRIPT:
0:15
Hello Jon Schuler.
Hello, Brandon Gore.
Man, I am psyched on this little table that the fundamentals workshop made.
It is incredible.
I'm sitting here looking at it right now.
Dude, dude, this thing is, it's probably the coolest thing we've ever made in a class and it's one of the coolest things I've ever made.
0:40
It is such a cool little little little piece.
I love it.
This is my first day actually looking at it because we made this over the weekend.
I took yesterday off and then today's Tuesday.
So this is my first time sitting in the the front showroom looking at it.
It's just, it's so beautiful, so simple.
0:59
It's just, it's awesome.
It's awesome.
So let's talk about.
I'll recap the cast real.
Quick, you're just saying that because you did it.
We did.
Actually, you don't.
Now I'm being absolute.
You know my favorite picture that you took?
1:15
It was the one with the form.
Sides on you know why man it it I don't know how to describe what I'm seeing it's a combination of things, but like #1 so this thing looks all like it's tucked in, you know what I mean?
1:32
Even though I know obviously that's the size of the form, but it looks like it's all tucked in.
It looks like it's all secured in there and I can see everything visually.
Let my imagination go like, you know, that's, that's two sides of a Canyon and that's water running through it or whatever the case may be.
1:51
But I really dig that picture.
That picture right there is my absolute favorite out of them.
I mean, it's beautiful.
And then my other one isn't even when it's in place, it's the one you did with the casters and everything on it when it's sitting there, dude, that's, that's just, it's stupid sweet.
2:09
That's pretty sweet.
Seriously.
Well, I love the picture of the form because it's a peek behind the curtain.
It's a peek into the process that makes it, which I've always loved pictures of forms.
You know, back in the day, Fu Tung Cheng's book that that everybody bought, you know, back in early 2000s, What I love most about the book wasn't the concrete, but like in the background you could see the forms and that told the, the story of it was like when a magician shows you how to do a magic trick.
2:41
That's what this is.
It's, it's the magic trick.
It's how it's done and it's not explaining it 12345 it's just showing you part way through and you're going to have to problem solve it.
But it was a really, really cool table going into last week.
2:56
I spent, I came in, I drew this little table, I was sitting here and I just had this idea popping my head.
I'm like, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
I just, I sketched it on the back of a piece of scrap paper, the concept and I was like, yeah, dude, I could bang this out pretty quick.
This form's not going to be that hard.
3:13
And I was going to use the process that I thought was going to save me time, which was using a router table with a, a pattern bit, which, you know, you make your first piece and then you can use that to cut all the rest of the pieces exactly the same.
I'm like yeah, I'm going to make 3 master pieces and I use the pattern bit and I'll cut them all out.
3:30
Oh, you know what?
I'm just now realizing?
I I apologize for totally cutting you off.
That you actually.
Yeah.
Now I see the angle.
See, I thought they were flat.
I thought all those edges were flat.
But Jon, yeah, they're not.
You're jumping ahead.
So.
So that was just a pattern.
3:46
Bit's just 90° up and down.
That would have been straight, right?
OK, so I, I cut them all and I thought, you know what'd make this even cooler?
Putting a bevel on it, putting a 45 on them right?
Yeah.
So then I've got to switch and do that.
And then when I did that it opened up a whole another can of worms.
4:03
I had to go back and redo parts and then re pattern bit them and then re 45 them.
So anyways, what I thought would take me like an hour, maybe two hours.
It took me all day to just cut those 12 pieces of plywood.
4:18
It took me all day to cut 12 pieces of plywood.
And then the next day I came in and I did the conversion varnish, which we talked about in the last podcast.
And the next day I came in and I assembled it and I did all the silicon, which it was a ton of silicon because every one of those joints got around over.
And then, and then the next day I built the backer form out of foam.
4:38
And then I just for fun, because I'm like, why not?
I epoxy coated it, just make it release easier, which it did.
And just for fun, I had to figure out how to how to suspend all the bolts in the concrete to receive the casters.
And so, you know, that's a very specific bolt pattern.
4:56
And I went and bought stainless steel bolts because when I acid edged it, I didn't want it to rust, you know, galvanized.
So I went and got stainless steel bolts and I suspended everything and I had it all perfect.
And you know, it's a fundamentals class.
It's a basics class.
And here I am, like throwing them in deep water right out of the gates, right?
5:14
So.
Yeah, I love it when I love it when somebody's totally new to concrete.
So in this class we had a couple alumni, Justin Stevenson is one of them.
He's been to a ton of classes and he's just had a a break for a while of not doing concrete.
5:31
So he's just like, dude, I want to come go back to the basics.
You know, it's like, I've taken all the advanced classes, but he's had this period of not doing concrete for a while.
So he wanted to come jump back in.
So he was here, but then there was some other guys that had never done concrete.
5:48
And I always love when people who've never done concrete see something this complex and they're just like, cool.
I'm just like.
What?
This thing is insane.
It's insane.
6:04
Like you have no idea, but they don't have any idea and I can't, I can't really get upset at them for not having an idea because they don't know what they don't know.
They have no idea what they're looking at is like 30 hours of work just to get to that point.
There's like, cool.
It's like when I do and it happened, it happened in this class.
6:26
It's like when you cast concrete and it comes out so good and but somebody has never done concrete.
Like finds the one pin hole that's literally the size of the pen that like the tip of a needle, you know, like a pin.
It's just tiny, tiny, tiny.
6:41
And it's always on the round over where there was silicone because silicone holds air.
And they're like, what are you going to do about that dude?
So Justin said he like went to lunch and he was telling these guys, you know, he's like, you're coming in at such a good time because he's been doing concrete for a while.
6:58
He came to a class way back in Tempe.
You know, I don't know, like 10 years ago, 12 years ago, back when we were using for a ton and you know, old school GFRC, polymer modified GFRC.
And he's like, you guys are coming in at a great time because these materials and this sealer, it is incredible how far it's come, you know, in this time period.
7:19
So yeah, you guys are just coming in at the perfect time.
Like you, you've skipped all the struggle that we all went through.
And so anyways, but it was a really good class.
The piece just came out.
It was beyond my expectations even, which is rare because normally, you know, I'm not, I'm not usually 100% on anything I make.
7:40
And this thing I was 100% on when it came out, I was like, Oh my God, I love this.
I love it so.
Yeah, I think it's cool.
Yeah.
Well, it's interesting you bring that up because that analogy, meaning again, you don't know what you don't know.
You never those people who have kids today, kids like mine or no driving age, man, they have zero idea.
8:02
Number one, you have to write, you have to pre-order custom to get a stick shift.
Oh yeah, right.
They have no idea what it was like to like physically roll your windows down, you know, if you're the cars today, anything.
8:18
I mean, it's so funny because we go to the car show.
Like we went Saturday to a car show and that's exactly.
We're walking around and, and Jay looks over and goes, well, what do they do with that?
I'm like, oh, that's for the windows.
What?
Yeah.
8:34
You grab a hold of it, you know it's like you put a phone, dial phone and from like.
My CJ7 that I used to have when I was in high school, it had.
It had pull like pull levers on the dash to turn headlights on right, to turn the windshield wipers on.
Everything was like a pull lever.
8:49
You pulled it out?
Yeah.
It didn't even have.
I have no idea because it's all on most of your newer vehicles.
Newer meaning even till last 10 years.
They're all automatic based on whatever sensors are in the wind.
I I have I have the most basic ram pickup truck you can get.
9:07
I got the tradesman edition.
I I told him I just wanted a diesel 4 by 4 basic like what's the most basic diesel 4x4 I can get and dude this thing is like it's.
Plush.
Seven years ago, 10 years ago, this would have been the highest end level.
You, you know, not even that long ago.
9:23
Has everything in it besides leather, heated seats and a sunroof.
Has everything else, you know, power everything.
It's great.
Big screen in the middle.
And that's the basic addition.
That's the basic.
So yeah, I mean, we're, we're living in a a wild time.
Well, it's funny because in now we're talking cars in vehicles.
9:41
I start looking back and I'm like, man, I really like the old, like a 97 Ford with the seven three, that square body.
So you know, you get nostalgia, right.
This is the years, they say, when people get into you start looking back what cars you had in high school, Mustangs and, you know, supercars.
9:59
Suzuki Samurai.
Suzuki Samurai.
But it's funny because that I don't ever want to go back to the nostalgia of concrete.
No freaking way.
Don't ever hand me a white suit again.
And a UV Light and you know all that could go.
10:17
The guy that was new in the class that had never done like never touched concrete in his life, that guy, he was asking all the questions about that.
He's like, so and actually there's another guy who's been to a couple of classes, but he's still pretty new to concrete.
He, he works in a whole different field.
10:32
And in that field he uses a lot of resins and things that they spray.
He works in like special effects in Hollywood doing all kinds of stuff.
And but they're both asking the questions like, well, can I just, can I just spray the concrete into the form?
I'm like, absolutely you can at 100%.
10:49
Do you like what's in your butt?
Do you like zippered masks?
Do you like getting whipped?
If you love those things, you're going to love spraying concrete.
I'm like a P Diddy party.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Did you go, did you go to the freak offs with Diddy?
You're going to love this.
Yeah.
So it's one of those things that it it's you can do it.
11:08
And I did it for a long time and I do not ever want to go back to that.
But if you want to please, you have well it.
Certainly still has its place, but yeah.
Well, another, another question that popped up was can I just get the sealer they sell at Home Depot?
Sure.
11:24
In, in like the concrete tile section.
I'm like 100%.
I used to do that 21 years ago before there's really any sealers that people are using for this.
We, that's what everybody did.
We, we would get granite sealer, tile sealer, you know, that's what we were all using.
And they don't work worth a damn, but you should experience that so you understand.
11:44
So 100% you should do those things.
You should do those things.
And then when you use this, you'll see drastically how much better it is.
Speaking of Sealer, this was the first fundamentals class.
So this is my third fundamentals class.
And what's cool is I'm sitting here in my front studio and I'm looking at the three projects that the fundamentals class made.
12:03
The first one made all these window sills.
I have these really deep windows in my studio.
And so we made these concrete window sills.
That was class one.
Class 2 was my coffee table that's sitting here that has dropped legs and it's really, really nice, has a turquoise inlay, beautiful.
12:20
And the third piece is this side table, this green geometric side table.
But this was the first fundamentals class that I had enough time to seal a piece all the way through all the steps, like 100% sealed, right?
And what's incredible, you know, we pushed it because we cast this on Saturday like around 3:00 in the afternoon, right?
12:42
And then we're de-molding at 8:00 AM Sunday, way too soon.
You know, we, we cast it at 3 and we're de-molding at 8:00 AM.
But, and I, yeah, I explained to him like, this is not optimal.
You don't want to do this, but de-molded it.
I acid etched it.
12:58
We let it sit for about an hour and it by then it was 10:30, you know, after it sat for an hour and I'm like, oh screw it, let's steal it.
So I sealed all torching it, doing every step, every single step.
We talked about that like 2 podcasts back how to seal.
But I went through the last podcast because I have the instructions.
13:17
If you go to kodiakpro.com and go to the podcast, I have all the sealer instructions we talked about, but I went through every single step, every single step, and it took an hour to go through all the steps and they watched it completely get sealed up, completely get locked up.
13:34
It wasn't absorbing when we did the vinegar wipe, no absorption whatsoever.
And this piece wasn't even 24 hours old at this point.
We cast it at 3.
This was like 11:30 and it's done the next day, right?
So it's 20 hours old.
And here it is done, etched, sealed.
13:50
It could be delivered if you wanted to.
Now, I do not recommend you do this.
There's never a point in time that you'd want to do it that way.
But the fact was we did and it's beautiful and it's sealed and it's done.
But that's just the magic of ICT.
I was explaining to him like how far ICT has come and how Jon is relentless with, with improvement and always pushing it and, you know, getting faster performance, more performance out of it.
14:14
And you know, we're like 98, 99% that 1% keeps Jon up at night and he just keeps driving.
And but yeah, if you want to use tile sealer.
Well, the fact doesn't matter is if you're I mean, that sounds good, but see if anybody hit me like that, like, well, there's a reason for that relentlessness and that's because I live this journey.
14:36
I guess that's my defense to any of it.
As I think I told, I don't know, countless conversations over the last week that cast in place project with the waterfall edge that completely humbled me.
You know, we went through, we sealed that whole project, certainly being told plumbers weren't going to be there for a week to maybe two weeks.
14:59
We got everything together, packed up and left that job site at about one O clock.
OK, I stupid me, I had my laptop up there so that I was getting measurements and stuff for the upcoming projects with the vanities.
15:14
I completely forgot it.
I was 20 minutes away, turned around, went back up.
So I'm talking within a 40 minute time period, plumbers were there, stuff was all over the countertops they were installing, there was buckets, wet butt.
So if you don't live that, you know all the other things, it sounds great, right?
15:37
Whatever you might be using as a ceiling technology and da da da, da.
But there's going to be a situation like that where you finished a project and 30 minutes, 40, an hour later, you know, something you weren't counting on it.
The world didn't, you know, the stars weren't perfectly aligned.
15:55
And how did, how do you handle that?
You know what I mean?
So if it wasn't for living those experiences, whether we're talking the concrete technology, ceiling technology, casting technology, whatever, if it wasn't for living that experience, I don't think you'd, I don't think any manufacturer would continue to push in my opinion.
16:20
Yep.
So anyways, it was great.
It was great to work with these guys and guide them through the journey of forming, batching, mixing, casting, curing, de-molding, processing and sealing.
16:37
And we did all that in a day and a half, which is incredible.
And we made a piece that, you know, after 21 years has me excited.
And there's nothing incredibly special about It's just such a, a, a cool design when it's all said and done, that's what it is.
That's what gets me sized design of it.
16:53
But the concrete is just phenomenal.
It's absolutely beautiful.
And yeah, couldn't be happy with it.
But we have a workshop coming up, RammCrete workshop coming up November 16th and 17th here in Goddard.
Justin Stevenson, who I mentioned was in this last class, he's been on the podcast.
17:10
We had him on a year or two ago, a couple years ago.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But Justin's doing.
Secretive projects.
I wonder if they're still secretive.
They're still secretive.
I talked to him about it.
Yeah, Yeah.
So, yeah.
But.
But he's going to be back for RammCrete.
So he's coming back for that.
17:26
And we have a lot of people registered for RammCrete.
But RammCrete is the rammed earth aesthetic concrete.
And that's really the en vogue, the hot thing with architects and design for it now.
So this class is focused on making thin rammed earth’esque pieces.
17:43
So you can make furniture, you can make tile, you can make cladding, you can make planters, you can make all kinds of stuff.
We're going to be making a plinth, an art plinth that's going to be here in my studio.
I have these architectural models.
And so we're going to do a terraced art plinth that is made out of RammCrete.
18:00
It's going to be hollow on the inside.
It's going to have casters on, it's going to have a glass case cover that drops down over it, and it's going to be.
Really good.
I'm going to tell you right now I'm lost.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
What is a plinth?
You look it up bro, look it up I.
Don't even know how to spell it.
PLINTH plinth, plinth.
18:20
It's when you go to a museum and they have those really cool stands with the whatever art piece, exhibit, artifact, whatever, and that has a glass case over there.
That's a plinth.
So it's it like lifts it up off the ground, kind of gives it prominence.
And so the that's what this is.
18:35
It's going to be this RammCrete plinth that's, but it's going to be really cool.
Instead of just being like a rectangular or square, you know, box, it's going to be terraced.
So it's going to come up.
I'm probably going to even I haven't decided yet if I'm going to do battered where it leans in on all sides, but it's going to come up and have a flat section and that's where one model goes and it's come up a little bit higher.
18:55
Have another flat section.
That's where another model goes.
And that's going to come up even higher and have a flat section.
That's where the last model goes.
And then we design it where there's a glass case, which I'm going to, I'm going to make the glass case, but a glass or glass cover that drops down over it.
So there'll be a recessed bevel that receives the glass.
19:10
And then it's going to be designed to have casters on the bottom.
And that's going to reside up here in my studio.
So yeah, it's going to be really cool.
It's a really, really neat piece.
I'm excited about it.
Same thing.
I'm probably going to spend a whole week building the form before the class, but it's going to be fun so.
19:27
Right on.
Well, Speaking of RammCrete, so I actually I.
Well, hold on, hold on.
I didn't finish.
I didn't finish my little sales pitch here.
RammCrete, November 16th and 17th.
Goddard, KS.
Go to concretedesignschool.com. concretedesignschool.com, where we can make your dreams come true.
19:43
Concrete Design School.
Join us.
All right, Jon, go ahead.
Well, it's just timely.
Yesterday Dale Cecil was texting me some of his RammCrete, so he's been doing caliber testing.
Remember when we did the caliber testing at your place, what we were shooting the.
Ballistics testing so he's.
20:00
Actually been doing Caliber testing.
Ballistics.
Ballistics.
OK, Ballistic.
I would call it caliber test.
We're just calling it RammCrete versus Magnum handgun calibers.
How's it?
How's it holding up?
Pretty good.
Yeah, he said.
20:17
He said.
Yeah, it's much stronger than he expected, I guess 'cause you're tamping it, you know what I mean?
You're not, it's, it's very interesting the mindset when you're thinking about something that seems fairly dry in your mind.
You're thinking, man, this can't be doing much, you know, as opposed to like when we SCC things or whatever the case may be.
20:37
But yeah, he was shooting a 357, A 4450 caliber, you know, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Anyway, it was, I thought it was a, it was a fun, timely conversation.
Him and I were talking about RammCrete.
Dude rammed earth.
Which RammCrete?
It's just a very high performance version of rammed earth, but rammed earth is insanely strong.
20:56
When I built my rammed earth house in studio in Arkansas, I built a test wall number one just to do color testing.
And when it was done, I took a sledgehammer and I, I beat on it just to see what would happen.
Nothing.
I mean, I put some like very minor dense, like a millimeter deep dense and I was swinging as hard as I could with the sledge, right.
21:16
So I had my, my neighbor came over and he's like, is it strong?
I'm like here, hit it and he took a sledge and he's like banging on it and nothing.
And so then finally I did dispose of this thing.
It was just a test wall.
It wasn't, you know, I just did it in the middle of, of of the build site.
So I pushed it over with the excavator, and I thought it was going to break into pieces, like each layer, I thought it was going to come apart.
21:37
It didn't come apart at all.
It was boom, just this big monolithic wall.
And then I had to like, beat on it with the excavator, just pound on it to finally get it to break in like a couple pieces.
But it took a long time of banging on it.
And it's the same I had to do when I hit bedrock, you know, just sit there and bang on it with the buckets.
21:55
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I mean, it's like as hard as bedrock and so bang on it to finally get to break.
It's insane.
And then when I was building my, my studio, we built the walls and I had to cut down a tree and it was a huge pine tree.
Huge.
It's probably 36 inches across.
22:12
It was a massive pine tree.
I cut it and I was pushing it and the wind and it, when I was, when I was, I did it on the day that I did it because there was no wind.
So I cut it and then I was pushing the excavator and as I was pushing it, the wind kicked up for like, you know, right then.
22:27
And it just like as it was falling, it just like shifted to the left because the wind like pushed right and it clipped the wall as it came down.
The roof was on it, but it clipped the wall And it was like, oh, no, because I see it like kind of like heading towards the wall.
Dude.
This tree, which weighed tons, put the slightest little indentation on the top edge of the wall.
22:48
That was it.
And once, you know, once I put the sill plate in the roof, nobody even knew.
So it's just incredibly strong.
And that rammed earth in comparison to RammCrete, RammCrete's like just supercharged rammed earth, you know, it's just incredibly strong rammed earth, same process, same everything, just a much stronger material, which allows us to do thin shell stuff.
23:08
But yeah, it's it's incredibly strong.
So you know, this workshop, it's kind of the basis of this podcast because there's several things we talked about, several things that were discussed which are good to bring up in the podcast. 1 is temp sensors, temp sensors when curing and it's been a while since we talked about them.
23:29
And to be honest, Jon, I don't have any.
I've been meaning to buy them.
And every time I think about buying 1, you try a different one that you like better.
And I'm like, I need to.
Oh, I'm sold on the sensor push.
Yeah, those are the, those are the only ones now.
I would recommend the sensor push well.
Why would somebody want to use temp sensors, Jon?
23:45
What's the benefit and what, what are they?
What are we talking about?
We're talking about temp sensors.
What is this?
All right, hang on.
I want to make sure I'm not, you know, I got like four sets of them now, right?
Meaning four different manufacturers.
So I want to make sure I'm getting the right one, right?
Yeah, the smart sensor by sensor push and.
24:04
You get those on Amazon.
Well, I just go right to the website.
You know, there's two things that sold me on these.
First of all was the customer support.
Anybody just goes back to the old podcast, you know, I called the various manufacturers, the five, the the pros, the cons, the, you know, whatevers and the only one company that legitimately called me back and he was the owner of the company was the guy from Smart Sensor.
24:31
I don't know if you Remember Me talking about that conversation.
Because you were like maximum out.
Right.
And yeah, yeah.
So I guess the other reason I really like them, other than they're much better as a product than the other ones I've tried, was the idea that the owner didn't even just, it's, it's funny, it wasn't even sales pitch.
24:52
We talked about the sensors.
But more importantly, I got a massive, let's say, enlightenment to batteries and what batteries can do and why these other ones weren't working.
And So what batteries, you know, that they put in there or you asked to put it anyway.
25:09
So now, yeah, these things are hands down work fantastically.
They have a battery so they you don't have to keep.
Oh crap, I didn't recharge it.
I love these things.
They're small.
I would definitely recommend getting the Wi-Fi sensor with it.
25:25
I mean, if you're anal like me, it's nice to have it at your on your phone and take a look and and decide whether you're going to the shop at 8:00 AM because you're ready to de-mold or you got other things to do.
You'll show up at noon to de-mold.
But what are the benefits of the sensor?
25:43
And I forget who else I was just talking to a minute ago who also did not have them.
Anyway, plain and simple, the reason for the sensor is to cut through all the noise of deciding what's the best time to de-mold your pieces, whether you're in summertime, winter time condition, maybe your shop's 75°, maybe your shop's 55°, maybe you covered your pieces.
26:11
Did you turn on heat?
Are you using blankets?
I mean, there's so much noise that goes into what we think we're doing optimally for curing our concrete, regardless of mixed design.
But these sensors gives you information that you would never have otherwise.
26:29
And, and again, I know on various podcasts I talked a bit, but I'm just going to give an example.
All of us have had the conversations in our own heads that, hey, per what you just said with that table, oh, we finished casting by 3 o'clock, you know, 9:00 AM the next morning, I came in, we started, you know, pulling it apart.
26:49
And I'm not saying anybody, you know, that that's wrong.
But the question ultimately remains, is the concrete ready to be demolded?
And if it's ready to be demolded, what's the end result going to be with your acid washing, your processing steps in general, and then finally your sealing and again, regardless of what sealing technology you might be using.
27:11
So simply having that sensor lets you know that.
And this is the I'm going to call the general rule of thumb would be when did the concrete spike?
Meaning when did it actually hit its hydration spike?
27:27
And then 12 to 16 hours post that spike is a good time to start thinking about de-molding.
You come under that time, you're risking certain things, meaning the concrete really hasn't gotten strong enough.
If you go longer than that time, well then you know, you may be getting some benefits and drawbacks, but having that sensor gives you real information to decide what you're doing.
27:55
That sets up the rest of those steps that may have been giving you trouble all along.
Like, hey, why did my sealer peel off?
Or, you know, how come it didn't seal right and the sealer never set up or you know, whatever the case may be, I always use a 5 to one muriatic acid.
28:11
But Oh my God, for some reason today it just ate right through the concrete what was going on?
And so which is a timely because we're coming into winter sensor push.
Those are, and they're called the smart sensors.
28:28
Those will alleviate so many what ifs and potential problems by just knowing what your concrete is doing.
And here's the caveat to those.
So anybody who thinks we're, although we're, we're talking about the concrete, they're actually testing the air around the concrete.
28:47
They're they're not a sensor probe.
You're not sticking them in the concrete itself.
So we're really using this as an idea for the, you know what's happening under.
Your cure blame.
Yeah.
When the exotherm, we want to see when the spike comes up and we want to watch it slowly go down, right?
29:06
Yeah, yeah.
And then, you know, are did you really hold the temperature?
And this would be fantastic.
I'm not saying people are going to do it, but we know I've, I've heard a lot of, you know, pretty crummy recommendations out there, but oh, I just covered in plastic.
Great, put a sensor push on, tell me what happens, you know, Oh, you know, I only put a blanket.
29:25
OK, great.
Put a sensor push on, tell me what happens.
You know, I mean, having that information at your disposal, that's that's real information based on you, your shop, your conditions versus something that someone you know, happens to be just telling you based on information.
29:43
That's priceless, man.
It really is.
And they're not expensive.
That's the other thing.
Not, not to knock this whole idea.
I can understand.
You know, I've heard C like, yeah, I got a CNC machine and like, OK, but dude, that's awesome.
But I don't have 50 grand to stick into a CNC machine.
29:59
And if I did, Oh my God, I want that thing working all the time.
I don't want it down for a minute.
You know, to me, I look at that like I'm paying somebody a $50,000 salary that and then I look over there sitting on their your phone watching TikTok videos.
I'd be pretty pissed.
30:15
These are like, you know, they're 50 bucks, they're 100 bucks.
They're ridiculously affordable and they will solve so many potential problems.
Problem that like, excuse me, I take that back.
They will solve problems that you didn't even know you had because you don't know why it's happening.
30:35
Yeah, well, information is, is key here.
You, you don't know what you don't know.
I don't even know what I don't know right now because I'm not using them.
I what I do, which is is better than nothing, is I cure properly, meaning I do polyester felt, I do plastic and I do packing blankets, several layers, packing blankets and I come in and I'll just occasionally put my hand up underneath and check it throughout the day until it comes down to ambient temperature.
31:02
And you know, if I cure it properly the next day when I come in, that thing is cooking.
It is cooking.
I'll just keep checking it.
I'll keep checking it and when it finally comes down to ambient temperature, the cure is effectively done and then I can de-mold it.
But what I don't know is when did it kick?
How long did it hold that temperature for?
31:19
You know, I don't have any of that data.
And we found out some of that 'cause we were using these sensors at Dusty's place was some of the things that we thought were going on weren't going on.
It wasn't kicking till way later in the ninth than we thought it was.
Yeah, well, on his on the on the steel tables, it was the heat sink.
31:35
It was sucking the heat out before it could actually exotherm, but it was one of the things that it was it was data that was invaluable and I need to do it.
I really should do it.
I don't I don't know why I'm not doing it.
I should do it.
I will do it.
Well, and you're in some see again comparatively speaking, let's say your shop to my shop, you know your shop, you've taken the time and so in the winter time you can keep a decent heat in that shop.
31:59
Yes, whatever you.
Do yeah, 6570, whatever you end up doing.
OK, My shop condition, it can see whatever the basic temps are outside.
So it could be 40°, it could be 75, it could be whatever.
And you know, I guess what I'm saying is I'm not paying to heat my shop in the winter time.
32:20
So having something like this and at my disposal, you know, whatever it took off in the morning, it's, it's right there on my phone telling me what is going on under those blankets.
Everybody really should, in my opinion, you really should be using these.
32:39
It helps across the board, regardless of what mix you're doing.
You know, whatever your techniques are, wherever which sealer you're using, it doesn't matter.
This will help move everything you're doing to a much better, higher playing field.
32:55
Let me ask you this, Jon, because you haven't, you haven't answered this question yet.
Where do you put the temper, the temp sensor push?
Where do you put that sensor?
Oh, that's a good question.
So if you, if you're doing conventional precast, which means right the your face side is down on those pieces, what I do is I take that sensor and a little piece of plastic, I set it directly on the concrete.
33:20
But so there's a piece of plastic between the sensor and the concrete, right?
And then from there I just cover everything up normally.
So I guess what I'm saying it's the sensor to me to optimize what it using it.
The sensor goes between your cure blanket or whatever you, you know, your felt and your plastic, but it goes between your cure blanket in the concrete.
33:41
But you know, pick a spot.
I, I kind of put it centrally, right?
Or you can grab a couple sensors.
I think Zach Pease was using two or three.
And anyway, I set them on a piece of plastic just so they're not sitting on the raw concrete, just in case I put it on a little early, you know what I mean?
33:59
And I don't want that sensor getting divoted into the concrete ruin my sensor.
If I'm doing my upright cast pieces then like I just did with this double vanity, I actually set it on my drain knockout, right?
I, you know, again, I still put a piece of plastic, but then I set it on my drain knockout and then I cover everything up.
34:19
Got you.
Awesome.
Well, I think we cover the temp sensors pretty well.
The next thing Jon that I have here and this is again based on this weekend is hand mixing concrete.
34:35
It's been a minute since I mixed up a quantity like I, I do small batches, meaning a single bag, 50 lbs all the time.
That's normal for me or even a little bit more than that.
When I was doing the tile project, it was I think 75 lbs.
That's mixing up to cast the tile each, each casting, right?
34:54
That's easy.
That's super easy.
But what I found was because I haven't mixed up a lot of concrete.
I'm sorry, I haven't mixed up the the kind of the the the weird spot between a little and a lot that in between where it doesn't work in the mixer, my big mixer.
35:12
So I have I.
Have the two 2 1/2 bag zone 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 bag zone.
The armor mixer, I did 5 bags once and it wasn't enough.
I have the big armor, the big iron barrel mixer, 5 bags, It just kind of all stuck to the sides it, it didn't have enough weight to push it through the blades, you know, right.
35:30
And so you kick it on.
It's just like just going around, you know that ride.
Getting you don't have the 120.
You remember, You remember the ride, the Gravitron ride or whatever where it's spun really fast.
People be stuck to the sides.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's what it's like the concrete's gravitron in there just sticks to the sides.
35:46
It's not going anywhere.
There's just not enough in there.
You need a little bit more in there for to want to start sliding and cutting through the blades and doing the whole thing needs a little bit more so 5 bags was enough.
Well, this class, I need to mix up 4 bags for this table.
And so anyways, I was like, damn it, it's been a while since I've done it, but let's just hand mix it.
36:04
Let's just hand mix it, right?
I mean, I back, back in the day, that's all I did, man.
I'd mix up.
I'd do these huge projects, we'd mix up.
I'd have four or five huge tubs lined up.
We'd mix up 200 lbs, slide it off, 200 lbs, slide it off, bring back the first one, slide it back, add the fiber, slide it off, start mixing the second one, slide off, bring back the, you know, the next one, mixing the fiber, slide off.
36:28
We had this whole like boom, boom, boom, boom and we would just be going, going, going, going.
I, I, I don't know why I did it that way.
I was an idiot because it was a ton of work, but we did it.
We did it every single day and it was just normal for us.
That's how we did it and I think we did it because I was again under the impression that we had to have a high shear mixing action per Hiram Ball from what I learned a long time ago.
36:50
So I wasn't comfortable mixing it in a drum mixer.
And this was before I had the IMR 360, which is the vertical shaft.
So we're just hand mixing it.
That's what we had to do and that's what we did.
So anyways, now that we've kind of figured out that we can mix maker, mix SEC consistency in the drum mixer and I put the IMR 360 in storage, I'm in this weird place to where I need to do more than 5 bags to go in the drum mixer.
37:17
And if it's less, I'm going to hand mix it.
So anyways, it's the first time in a while that I've had to do it.
And I'm like, yeah, let's just hand mix it.
Let's just hand mix it.
Dude, I forgot how much, how much that sucks.
I do not like doing that because when it goes in the mixer, it's so easy.
It's so easy.
37:33
You turn it on, you just, you know, you'd sip your coffee, you check your e-mail.
Oh yeah, all right, it's done.
Cool, turn it off.
So.
Easy, so easy.
And I was telling them like, guys, here's the lesson I'm learned.
I've learned through this process.
37:49
I have the big Imer.
I can mix 1200 lbs in this at one time.
I'm going to get a small drum mixer or barrel mixer as well.
I'm going to go to Harbor Freight or someplace I might get on Facebook Marketplace.
I'm just get a little tiny one that I can mix two or three bags in kind of that weird zone that I don't want to hand mix, but it won't fit in my big mixer.
38:09
I'm sure you get a little tiny drum mixer, a little baby.
One, no, I wouldn't.
I wouldn't advise that.
Why is that?
Well, so the bigger armor your so your bigger barrel mixers, when you drop those down, you know that says as close to horizontal as you can handle.
38:25
You know, the way the front of those mixers taper up to the opening, you can put it down far enough that the side paddles are getting very nice sheer.
I mean, that's why they're effective for this mix.
But you take the little Minuteman and do the same thing.
38:43
You can't get you like legit man.
You can't get it down far enough.
There's not enough taper.
You know, from the, let's say the barrel diameter or the barrel circumference size to the taper to your opening.
Because if you look at them, they're based basically the same size within reason, right.
39:03
So you can't it like legitimately those smaller barrels don't come down enough to get adequate shear.
So in my opinion.
Are you sure?
Are you sure?
I know because I used.
I mean, I used to have like four or five of them.
39:19
Here I'm looking, I'm looking at I'm looking at Harbor Freight, I'm looking at Harbor Freight.
The Ron Mills special right here.
Ron Mills loves Harbor Freight.
Dad, I used, I used to bag on Harbor Freight and Ron Mills to get so angry, remember?
That.
But that's when you got to learn from the old man, you know what I mean?
I know old man's going to come down off the hill and teach us, but serious.
39:38
But Harbor Freight, you know, I've actually come around Harbor Freight.
Have you seen this whole wrench thing going on between Snap On and?
Harbor Freight and they hold the snap on guys just like, Oh well, you know.
But did you feel the edges of the snap on?
It's a more rounded wrench.
39:55
But yeah, dude, it's 1400 bucks for a set and this one's 200 bucks.
Like, why would I?
Why would I spend another $1200 that's a little bit more rounded, but it's feels better on your hands.
Dude, I'm a mechanic, bro.
I don't have soft hands.
So, but anyways, I'm sitting here looking at this one, Jon and I, I know the kind you're talking about, but this one, the central machinery 3 1/2 cubic foot mixer.
40:16
Are you online right now all?
Right.
Let me go.
I'm going.
To I'm going to text you.
Let me see here.
OK, let me pull this up.
I'll text you the link.
So 3 1/2 cubic foot, it looks like it looks like I can adjust it down.
Looks it looks like it could, but 3 1/2 cubic foot.
40:34
This would be perfect for just mixing up a little bit where I don't want to hand mix it.
Maybe be?
Again, see the way the handle is with those slots?
I think I can get it down to where it's more horizontal.
I'm telling you, you're going to fight it.
You're going to find it.
40:50
I mean, spend 300 bucks.
You know what's the worst case scenario?
It's 2. $169 it's 269 and I'll wait for a coupon to come out.
I'll get it for like 50 bucks.
We're going to have the 30 bucks.
When those coupons come out I'll get it for like 50.
Yeah, so again, what's the like I said, what's the worst case scenario you're going to end up putting it out front and you're going to make a fountain out of it or something the for 300 bucks versus I don't know, have you gone to marketplace and seen if someone has a?
41:23
Like a imer.
Yeah, see, once someone said, in fact, if I'm not mistaken and I don't know what generation it was Gerry Mauer, we had a 220 for sale or 1:20.
Sorry.
I.
See here concrete.
41:39
The problem is people.
People call it like a cement mixer.
Well look at this dude.
Dude the harbor freight 130 bucks.
Somebody has.
One for 30 bucks.
Yeah, I got to get it for that.
Screw it.
But let me see here.
41:54
Oh, dude, somebody.
Oh, that's that's for rent.
Here's one for 2:25.
I mean, there's a ton of one here for, you know, 200 bucks, another Harbor freight 150 bucks.
Here's a cool one.
42:12
It's not like on casters it's pretty big though, 700 bucks.
Anyways, I what I'm saying is I just want to get a smaller one to mix up smaller amounts, but maybe I should get the What do you have the 220?
42:28
The vertical shot?
One of those the the knock off mortar micker, you know, the blue ones.
Remember it's another one where Ron had a bunch of them come in that kind of the Chinese knock off, which is very similar, but it's it's the pan mixer.
42:45
Yeah, that's what I was going to say, the kind that.
You have, Yeah, the it's still a vertical shaft.
They were just.
See, I just don't like the vertical shaft anymore because the barrel mixer is incredibly easy to clean and incredibly easy to batch out of when you let it mix and then when you go to batch it, I shut it off.
43:04
Let me tell my own process because it's beautiful.
It is beautiful, Jon, it is beautiful.
I let it mix.
I let it mix.
I let it mix, let it mix, let it mix.
It takes longer to mix, but I don't care.
I'm an overrush, right?
So I let it mix.
I sip my iced coffee.
43:19
I check out my Facebook.
When it's done, I turn it off, let it slick for 10 minutes, turn it back on, put the fibers in.
There's no way a barrel mixer can shred the fibers.
I mean, there's zero way because there's, you know, there's.
Yeah, they don't.
They don't do anything to it.
43:35
So it's like an old man gum and corn on the cob and no teeth.
You know, it's just, it's not doing anything to it.
So, so anyways, it's just barely, barely agitating it, you know.
So I put the fibers in, let it disperse the fibers, shut it off.
And I put a bucket, a 5 gallon bucket underneath it.
43:51
And I, I tilt it down and let it fill up the five gallon bucket halfway perfect.
I slide that off, put another bucket, let it fill up halfway perfect size it off with another bucket and I just let that one drip so it doesn't get my floor dirty right.
So then I take those buckets, I go over, I pour 1/2 gallon buckets, easy to lift, easy to pour.
44:09
It's not making a mess.
And I just keep that process going.
I just keep going, keep going, keep going.
There's no mess, there's no rush, there's no craziness.
And then when it's done, I spray it inside of the hose, tilt it down, spray, spray, spray.
It all goes into I have like a big, you know, muck bucket is what you call them.
44:24
But you know, whatever 35 gallon plastic bucket water goes in there done.
It is the easiest, cleanest versus the vertical shaft, which has a little chute on the bottom and you know, it's a big mess.
It's always dripping.
It's get stuck up underneath, get stuck in between the gate, blah, blah, blah.
44:41
And then when you go to clean it, it's a pain in the butt.
You're in there with a Scotch brite.
You're trying to get up under it, you're spraying everywhere, you're scrubbing over here, you're chasing it's a mess.
It's a it's a mess.
It takes forever.
It's a mess where this is like super simple.
So anyways, my point is, Jon, I would love to get a a small 1 and I got I got the big daddy one.
44:59
I want to get the Mama size 1 and then the baby one is the hand mixer when I need to mix just one, one bag, right, I'll just hand mix up.
So that's what I'd like to do.
Or hang on man, again, I I'm telling you, I'm still getting my introduction to the dual shaft mixer.
45:18
The dual shaft mixer with the the stand and I still haven't got the stand, but I'm telling you, man, that thing, that thing mixes up maker mix like nobody's freaking business.
I know which one you're talking about.
45:35
The dual shaft double the Collomix mix double shaft.
Oh, yeah, yeah, OK, you're talking about the oh, what's that one called?
The Duo?
Yeah.
Collomix.
Duo has two blades.
Yeah.
That would be fine.
And then go, go, go to the single for adding the fibers.
45:53
When you go to put the fibers in, switch to your single blade, put the fibers in so you don't shred them.
But yeah.
I can see that here.
I'm actually looking now just because I'm talking to you.
Let's see again, Marketplace.
Yeah, see, there's a couple right there for sale.
46:11
Really, I don't think I'd ever see one here.
Let me see here.
Column mix.
Yeah, I think people make pick them up sometimes and then whatever.
Yeah, here's 1 looks freaking brand new.
I have mine.
I just need the stand.
46:27
You know what?
And I was stupid, man.
I almost bought it off Amazon one day and I'm like and or or excuse me, eBay, sorry.
And it was like 300 bucks and I'm like, I think I'll wait for it to go down.
Like what are you doing?
46:43
So anyway, I missed that one.
Dude, I used to have the stand after I had that whole thing with the with the piece breaking in the workshop and I sold it all.
I sold the stand.
I had the articulating stand, I had the dual blade.
I had all of it, sold it all.
47:00
Don't tell me twice, man.
It was one of those things.
No, that had to be one of those.
That had to be an amazing experience, by the way.
You shredded the fibers, Little German piggy over there wearing his.
47:16
So what is that called?
The little outfit with the suspenders and leaden hoser or leaden?
What is it called?
I don't know.
You know, that's what I envision him as.
He's like got his little white shirt on with the ruffles and the green suspenders and.
He he, he, he.
47:34
Well, he definitely got you.
He did.
So last thing on my list, Jon, that we can discuss on this podcast is time is money.
Time is money.
So this again goes back to this weekend conversations I had.
So Justin Stevenson, he was one of our very first big customers.
47:53
He bought a truckload of mix years ago when we first start, like two years ago when we first launched.
And I think it was the only one Gray, right?
The one Gray, Yeah.
Because of the project he was doing, he needed Gray.
That's the samples he had provided the customer.
And for him, he just wanted to Gray cement.
48:10
Now we don't do that anymore, but we did it at that time.
So if you want to do that now you'd have to use RadMix and add your own cement.
But anyways, yeah, so he's all in on time.
He understands time.
But for the people that were new to concrete, this was a conversation.
48:29
It was a good conversation to have.
But I was explaining to them, you know, we sell a product in AD mix and you can go eat your own cement and your own sand and then you batch it.
But I'm telling you right now, you're not saving any money.
There's no money to be saved.
The only reason you'd want to do that is if you want to use a decorative aggregate, you want to use Gray Portland cement, or if you live in a country across the ocean and you don't want to pay to ship cement and sand.
48:54
You just want to get the mix.
That's the only time you'd want to do this.
But if you're in the United States, there's zero benefit to it because the time you spend batching that if you if you don't even put a high value on your time, you're upside down in relation to just buying a fully pre blended.
49:11
And I'm happy to sell you this.
The other point I may tell them is the margin on RadMix is better on maker mix.
It's very small.
If you want to buy RadMix, it's better for us as a business.
But I'm saying as somebody that does this for a living concrete, it doesn't make financial sense.
49:28
If you value your time, the only reason you want to use RadMix is decorative aggregate.
You know, I want to do really wide.
I want to use the glass sand to clear glass sand.
Great use RadMix for that, right?
I want to use black carbide sand.
I'm doing black concrete and I want to ask that shit and I want to I don't see any light sand.
49:45
I want to use black carbide.
Great use RadMix for that, right.
There's there's definitely places RadMix is a great, great, great solution, but on the day in, day out, nuts and bolts, you're doing this for a living, You're wanting to be profitable, a fully pre blended mix.
50:00
It's just so fast, so efficient.
Time is money.
You get in, you get out, you don't waste time and and you end up doing better on the project as far as your financials.
So what are your thoughts?
No, I I 100% agree.
Again, this is one of those.
50:17
There was a day I still remember what a Jackass I was.
I had to have my, you know, arms pinned behind my back to finally give in to the idea of a pre blended materials.
I just seemed ridiculous to me.
It's so easy.
I get my sand anyway.
50:34
Once you see how much more productive you can be, having things ready for you to go when you are ready to get, I know everything's more efficient.
You're in and out of the shop faster.
50:51
You're dealing with life on more of, you know, your terms than life's terms.
No, I, I to those people who decided otherwise.
Hey, I'm sure you have your reasons for it and I think that's great.
What I am saying is I've been to the dark side and I thought that was the only way to do it.
51:11
Now.
Oh, heck no, man.
No.
I'm looking at even those last projects I did.
I think I even put a post on thing, you know, for two weeks I was doing clay mixes on, on this project that we were doing, you know, with the, the, the waterfall fall waterfall leg that freaking humbled me with.
51:30
But anyway, you know, so from clay mixes, it's all ready to go.
You know, we're pack up, we're on site, we're mixing blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and then turn around and just open the same bag and now I'm casting some SCC.
51:47
I, I didn't have to source more sands.
I'm not, you know, I'm not flipping the I'm not weighing things out.
I mean, it's, it's ridiculous.
It's just ridiculous.
At least that's where I see myself today.
Yeah, well, it was great having just in the class.
So he was telling these guys like, you know, back in the day, he would have 3 or 4 plasticizers on the shelf.
52:05
He'd have two or three different bag mixes on the shelf.
He'd have all these different sands every year.
He'd have like a a pallet of Portland cement over here.
He'd have these jugs of polymer over here.
You know, there's all this crap and all the crap has a shelf life on it and he had to store it all.
52:21
He had to rotate it is this old?
I don't know.
He's writing dates on everything.
You know, it's just a big mess.
He's like, dude, this is so simple.
I have one mix, I have one plasticizer.
I add fiber, add water.
He's, he was, he was the best salesman in the class because he was telling people like, guys, this is so incredibly simple, you know, and it makes from a business viewpoint, because he goes through quite a bit of mix when he's casting.
52:44
Like I said, he's taking a break for a while, but he's getting ready to get back in the concrete.
But it just makes it so much more simple and efficient and productive and ultimately more profitable.
So, yeah, I remember.
So for years and years I batched my own mix.
53:00
When I lived in Tempe, AZ, the Lowe’s down the street had silica sand #30 silica sand.
I'd go get that quikrete #30 silica 100 LB bags.
It was like picking up a, a dead was what it was like, I think you can say.
So it was like picking up a dead little person was what it was like.
53:16
You'd pick it up just like this limp bag.
You know, like a, a bag of Portland is packed hard, right?
So it's easy to lift.
You can get a hold of.
You can grab the two ends, yeah.
Yeah, you can lift that.
But this 100 LB sack of sand, it was just like limp.
You couldn't get it.
You couldn't get a hold of it anywhere.
53:31
You couldn't just grab it, right.
So anyways, I'd pick these bags up everyday, put them back in my Tacoma.
I'd go get two or three bags of silica sand.
And I'd go to a different hardware store to get white Portland and I'd go to a different hardware store to get Gray because it's very specific grade that I liked.
53:47
And then I have to go to Ball consulting to get polymer.
That's a different place.
And I'd batch it all and I'd batch it all.
And I thought, you know, I'm saving money here.
You know, I'd done the math.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And then I remember Jeremy French joined Blue Concrete.
And you're already there developing mixes and, and doing what you do.
54:06
But Jeremy was like, hey, we're, you know, we're working on a bagged mix, a fully blended mix.
I, you know, I think, I think it would probably help save you time.
And I'm like, you know, it was like Rage Against the Machine.
I'm like.
You won't do what you tell me you I won't do what you tell me.
54:22
You're just trying to control me.
You're just stick me into some mix I don't know nothing about.
Dude, I, I was certain that it was just shtick, like salesman shtick.
He's just trying to sell me on something, you know, and I will not be led by the nose.
God, I was so stupid.
54:41
I should have like just sat down and done the math, right?
But my pride, my ego, my whatever, just it was, was telling me that mixing up myself was the most cost effective thing.
And I wasted.
There's going to be a day somewhere down the road where I'm laying on my deathbed and I'm going to look back at all the time I wasted on batching mix, on slurry and concrete, on all the things I did.
55:05
I mean, I wasted years of my life now, you know, years ago, years of my life was gone.
That could have been done doing anything else.
I could have done anything.
I could have mountain bike.
I could have kayaked across a lake or something.
I could have done all kinds of things.
But instead I was picking up 100 LB bags of silica sand from Lowe's, right?
55:22
That's what I was doing with my time.
I should have done the math because had I done the math back then, had I just sat down and calculated how much time I was spending, I'd be like, yeah, that's a way better solution.
But I didn't.
But here I am today, finally, 21 years later, and yeah, it makes a lot more sense.
55:38
So, and I say that from somebody.
That those people still doing it it's and most likely at the end of the day, it's a control issue.
Well.
It's a control issue, but it's also, it's also you step over dollars, pick up Dimes.
I mean, we, we all are guilty of it on different levels.
We all do those things.
But what I was going to say, Jon is I still do concrete for a living.
55:57
Like I'm still making client pieces and I could just as easily order pallets or add mix to my shop versus pallets and maker mix and I could go down and get sand in Portland, those kind of things.
But it doesn't make sense for me unless I was doing decorative aggregate or I had to use Gray Portland, which is really not a point.
56:15
You can just use stone pigment at quarter percent and get the same look.
But unless I for some reason was had to use Gray Portland, it wouldn't make any sense for me to do that from a business viewpoint of running a concrete business.
So.
Yeah, I agree.
56:31
I mean that's where I'm at now.
I, I and I still look at the options like like I said, except for the caveats, the times with I needed something with some all glass or a certain aggregate or whatever the case may be then yeah, absolutely makes sense.
But on I'm still for me probably 99% of what I do.
56:51
Yeah, I have something pre blended ready to go that I just walk over and pick it up, open it, figure out instead how much pigment, plasticizer, which fibers I'm using.
Yeah, that's it's a no brainer.
This is a no brainer.
The only time I've only used RadMix once on a project and that was I did black concrete with black carbide sand because I was going to do an etch on it and I want it to be as black as possible.
57:16
In that case I did.
I did use it, but that was a while back that I did it.
One last thing jump before I wrap this up that I again learned in this last class.
I've been noticing it.
So I use AquaCon Release, which is really the only product that I would recommend anybody buy from SmoothOn.
57:32
It's only one that I've had any success with, but it's release agent and you know, I pour it out of the jug into my HVLP and I apply it and whatever's leftover, I dump it back in the jug.
Right now this jug I've probably had now for a couple years because I fog it in with HVLP of I use very little on each project.
57:50
And this one gallon jug has lasted me for a long time.
But I've been noticing like it's like little white specks occasionally now in my pieces.
And I'm like, what is this?
And it's only on areas where I use the release, right?
And what it is, is there's like little chunks that have hardened up in that, in that AquaCon and I'm spraying into the form and like leaving like little white residue chunks.
58:13
That's in my interesting.
So here's the lesson.
And it's so, so stupid.
And I should have been doing it anyways.
I have these paint filters, you know, the paper paint filters for when you're, when you're doing paint, you pour it through and they sell.
Those are Harbor freight.
Even you can get them there.
I just, I think this just start filtering the release when I put it in HVLP.
58:33
You know, a pack of 1000 of those is like 5 bucks of those filters.
But put, put the little cone filter in the cup, pour the release in.
It filters out any chunks, spray the release and then just dump it back in.
That would save me from having these like it's not the end of the world.
58:48
I was still in the class because we had a couple in the in this little table we made.
I'm like, I would just tell the customer it's marble sand, like they're not going to know, right.
But that being said, all I got to do is use a paper filter.
That's all I got to do.
That's what I should buy.
59:03
Smaller quantities, you know what do you have?
Probably a gallon or something.
Well, here's the problem.
They'll never sell it to me again.
I I told, I told this one guy, listen, I'm going to need you to buy it for me and then ship it to me.
OK?
So yeah.
59:22
Shows up right, pops the trunk.
He.
This is going to cost you?
Yeah, like you're doing a dirty deal.
Yeah, yeah, he's going to be a straw, a straw buyer for me.
So straw purchase, yeah.
So I told him, you know, but.
AquaCon Mule.
Yep, my AquaCon mule.
59:40
But realistically that is.
That is the only thing that I that that I'm a fan of.
So anyways, so there's that.
So filter if you're if you're reusing and maybe if you're not reusing it, it doesn't hurt anything.
Just filter your release agent if you're using AquaCon through a filter just to get any little chunks out so you don't end up spraying it into your form.
1:00:01
So, something I've learned.
All right, Jon.
Awesome man.
Yeah, so let me just reiterate, November 16th and 17th, 16th and 17th, I can't even talk.
RammCrete Concrete designschool.com.
Join us.
I think you'll love it.
1:00:17
Oh my God.
Never mind.
Are you are you do the are you going to do the I'm not going to come.
I'm not I'm not going to come.
I'm going to come.
Oh God, yeah, yeah, it totally hit me.
1:00:34
Dude, yeah.
So if you haven't seen the video, there's this DJ he's like at a wedding and he's he's mixed this song where he's sampling Kamala Harris saying I'm not going to come.
And it's just like a techno song.
And she's like, I'm not going to come, I'm not going to come.
1:00:50
Then it like goes to like where it where it stops and just Trump goes, I'm going to come.
And then what's so great is like the ladies on the dance floor all like turn and give him the death stare like the DJ and he just like looks at the camera and like shrugs.
You know, he's like, oh God, it's so good.
1:01:11
That's just funny.
Anybody who gets upset or offended by that, come on.
It's just.
Funny.
It was funny.
It was good.
Yeah, yeah, it's hilarious.
And you know, whether or not he said that the, that they really who was it the husband and wife or now husband and wife, they're the ones that asked to do it.
1:01:27
Come on, It's still, it's just funny.
Yeah, it's funny.
Yeah.
Yeah, cool.
All right, Jon.
Well, on that note, let's wrap this up.
I got to, Oh, I didn't tell you I'm taking, I'm taking my daughter's.
Well, I'm not taking.
I'm a chaperone on a camping trip tomorrow.
1:01:44
So I got to do this quickly, get this posted, and then I got to go do a bunch of errands, get ready for this camping trip.
So B GS going to be out there with all the kids teaching them how to fish and build fires and that kind of fun stuff.
So.
Pulling out your knife, showing them how to use Flint.
1:01:59
Yeah, well, yeah, when I was a kid, I used to go hunting with my grandfather when I was like 7 years old, right.
And when I say hunting, it wasn't really hunting.
It was fox hunting.
He raised fox hounds for fun, and he'd done it his whole life.
And any given time, he probably had about 20 fox hounds, right.
1:02:17
And he was really into the genetics of it.
He would buy dogs and breed dog, sell puppies.
He was just all into it.
I remember he had these books with all these charts of like, you know, lineage of, of dogs and stuff.
And he'd go to all the conventions and meets and trials and things.
1:02:32
And it's just a hobby he had, you know, growing up in the South on a farm, it was something he'd always done.
But when I was like 7 years old, we'd go fox hunting, fox hunting.
There's these pins, massive pins.
When I say a pen, it's just like a fenced plot of land.
But it'd be like hundreds of acres.
1:02:48
It was fenced, right?
And it was just a safe place.
Let the dogs run.
And you have to worry about them, like, you know, getting hit by traffic or something.
And there'd be cabin on it.
And, and, you know, I'm going to be a member of the hunting club to go to these places.
But it's all old men.
It was all like guys in their 70s, eighties, and they're all, you know, wearing overalls and sit around a campfire.
1:03:08
And my grandpa would take me with them and we'd go there and we'd let the dogs run.
And they weren't actually hunting.
They'd just let the dogs run.
You'd hear them, you know, running.
And they'd just sit there and talk and tell stories and have a good time.
And it was just mainly about hanging out with your buddies and, and chatting, right?
1:03:25
And run a campfire at night.
But my grandpa is like 70 years old.
He'd go to his truck and reach underneath the seat and pull out a bottle of Jack Daniels.
And he came over.
He's like, hey, you want to swig?
I'm like, I'm good, I'm good.
He's like, OK.
And then he like reaching his overalls in the front pocket and pull out a tin of Copenhagen snuff.
1:03:44
He's like, hey, you want some snuff?
I'm like, Nah, I'm OK.
Well, and I don't think he'd actually give me any.
He maybe he maybe gave me the snuff.
I don't think he gave me the whiskey at 7:00.
But what he was doing was including me as, as one of them, right?
That's what he was doing.
And I look back at that and it was such a great experience for me of being treated as one of the guys.
1:04:07
You know, this group of guys are all these older gentlemen.
My grandpa didn't treat me like a kid.
And it was, it was priceless.
I look back at that.
And so anyways, I'm thinking about bringing some snuff and some Jack Daniels to the camping trip.
So that's where I'm, that's where I'm going with this.
Yeah, yeah, we'll do it anyway.
1:04:27
Just put Kool-aid in it.
Right.
Yeah, yeah.
So anyways, it'll be a fun time, be a good time.
Well enjoy your trip man.
Thanks buddy, it'll be cool.
Yep, all right.
Well, next week.
Next week.
All right, buddy.
Adios, amigo.
Adios.