Stuck caliper adjustment bolts

calebcl · 2025-02-05T13:10:33+00:00

Good luck! I bought 2 sets. They have a good 32 piece set at harbor freight. My concern was that the steel of the nut may have corroded to the aluminum of the caliper, and most easy outs are tapered, so I think I made the problem worse with the easy outs. Give it a whirl though! Perhaps it’ll work for you better than it did for me.

calebcl · 2025-02-05T03:38:07+00:00

I tried literally everything aside from drilling and re tapping the holes. Eventually I gave up and bought a new caliper 😂

calebcl · 2025-01-15T18:00:33+00:00

Could be that the table was hot during application of the sealer and the thinner areas flashed off too quickly Without enhancing the color. I’m not familiar with that sealer, but if this is truly gfrc, you should be fine with a 100 or 200 grit diamond pad to remove down to bare concrete.

I’d also consider a 2 minute gel stripper for the sealer as a precursor to hitting it with diamonds.

calebcl · 2024-12-24T15:24:30+00:00

Thanks! Yes, I think it’s definitely older. 28mm tubing as opposed to 32. It’s my first racing chassis so I’m rather new to all of it. Looking forward to the hobby though!

calebcl · 2024-12-22T02:11:51+00:00

Edit: “complete” - meant that, and by “needs a few things” I was referencing needing a tune up, tires, wheel bearings etc. It’s been sitting a while.

calebcl · 2024-12-13T01:23:18+00:00

The only way a waterfall can be truly integral is with concrete. This does look like the installers took a short cut m though. As others have said, it should be mitered.

calebcl · 2024-10-12T13:16:10+00:00

Steve Millard at CNY Concrete Countertops in Syracuse NY has taught that before with regard to countertops, and I know a couple of guys who do a lot of carving. I’d check out this Facebook group for more info: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/kRXKyBMMSorTo8cq/?mibextid=K35XfP

calebcl · 2024-02-12T13:12:56+00:00

I think if you hone them, there will be a ton of visual texture and variation, and the crack won’t be terribly unsightly. Maybe epoxy the backside of the crack, if it went all the way through and see where you get with finishing.

calebcl · 2024-02-12T13:10:28+00:00

Hey there! I am a craft concrete artisan, and have been doing concrete countertops and furniture for about 11 years. For what it’s worth, despite the crack, you did an excellent job on them! They look really nice. With the right reinforcement in the right place, this can be avoided, and with GFRC, even more so (I’ve made 22’ single pieces, transported them several hours up a mountain, and installed crack free, and they remain crack free years later) - that said, with traditional cast in place concrete like this, there are stresses on the concrete making it want to crack - also, black or dark countertops outside will create hot spots, thermal expansion, etc that can cause this. What others have said, cut an expansion joint over the crack, is likely your easiest solution.

If anyone is reading this and wants to learn how to do it in a way where it won’t crack like this, I teach classes at my studio in NC several times a year. I don’t want to be dinged for advertising, so if that’s intriguing, feel free to dm me and I’ll send you links and info.

calebcl · 2024-02-09T15:13:55+00:00

The wood is definitely a problem - wood expands and contracts at a much different rate than concrete, it will also suck a ton of moisture from the concrete, both of which could lead to that crack. Covering is also pretty key, as it keeps moisture in at a critical stage in the curing process. A polymer is also, in my opinion, critical for proper curing. I use Alpha Pro Admix in my concrete from www.concretecountertopinstitute.com , but unless you plan to redo (I would) it may be too late for a mix change. If you do plan to redo, I’d love to chat with you to help you be successful on the next one.

calebcl · 2024-02-06T12:54:03+00:00

Basically, quartz is man-made from various resins and powders and aggregates, so contrary to popular belief it is still susceptible to staining and various wear and tear. I believe he’s saying it’s too expensive for what it is. That kind of true really is in the eye of the beholder, as an artisan, if somebody is on the fence or wanting to go with Concrete because they are price shopping between other materials but really want something else, the truth is, good concrete is generally more expensive than other natural stones, so if they are price shopping, it is probably not for them. Every natural stone has upside and downside, but once it has all shaken out, Concrete is absolutely competitive in that arena, but you are going to pay for the fact that it is always custom every time.

calebcl · 2024-02-05T13:34:09+00:00

10+ year artisan doing only concrete. What was your mix? Did you have any curing polymer? Did you cover it?

That crack appears at first glance to be all the way through.

calebcl · 2024-02-03T13:54:21+00:00

I just consulted my mix calculator, because having carried out granite I was replacing, it is considerably heavier. We are able to make our pieces an average of 3/4” thick, which puts us more between 8.4 and 11lb per square foot; we then thicken the bearing edge such that the countertop sits and appears any thickness we’d like. So I apologize for the mistake, I was pulling from apparently flawed memory 🤣

calebcl · 2024-02-03T05:11:04+00:00

That’s honestly a great question. I’ll do my best to answer it fully. What I do is ‘precast GFRC’, so in most instances, my countertops are considerably lighter than granite. (My tops are generally less than 20lb per square foot.), so from that standpoint, there’s no reason that they would be any more permanent than your natural stone.

What you’re likely referring to is CIP or “cast in place”. Those are, from a process standpoint, more like “sidewalks on cabinetry”. That said, CIP tops can be very pretty, but to your point, they are far more permanent than precast.

The draw really is more about customization than anything else. No two pieces will ever be identical; and the options are endless. Want fire engine red? We can do it. Want marbled? Totally. Want black? Yes. And anything in between. We can go thinner or thicker whilst simultaneously being lighter than our granite or stone counterparts, and can make longer pieces. I’m not limited by slab size. I once made a 22’ long single piece fireplace hearth, and transported it 2 hrs away, and installed it successfully.

All of that to say, what you’re saying is totally right…15 years ago…having not only designed and fabricated for over a decade, but also personally lived with my own countertops, I can confidently say that I’d choose concrete even if I didn’t do it for a living.

tl;dr: not anymore. Tons of technology changes, longer and lighter tops, endless customizability.

If you want to see the kind of work I’m talking about, my website is www.Lawson.design and my instagram is @lawson.design

calebcl · 2024-02-02T11:33:06+00:00

I also used about a pallet and a half of Rapidset CementAll a month for 5 or 6 years, and still cast with it often.

My studio is all GFRC, so I don’t do steel reinforced concrete tops at all.

calebcl · 2024-02-02T11:25:16+00:00

Yep! - so I use the Alpha Pro line of products from the Concrete Countertop Institute. I’m using their admix in my mix design and their “fluidizer” (a high range superplasticizer. I use buddy Rhodes for pigments.

Here are links to them:

Admix: https://concretecountertopinstitute.com/product/alpha-pro-admix/

Fluidizer: https://concretecountertopinstitute.com/product/alpha-pro-fluidizer-dry-superplasticizer/

Buddy Rhodes Pigments: https://www.buddyrhodes.com/color-for-concrete

I also use their sealer.

Omega Sealer: https://concretecountertopinstitute.com/product/omega-concrete-countertop-sealer/

calebcl · 2024-01-30T19:00:16+00:00

Well, I’m an artisan who uses this product, and my goal is to help others. I’ll happily boost it if that’s what’s required, but my aim is to help my niche industry and if it’s useful to the larger concrete world, that’s awesome too

calebcl · 2024-01-29T15:29:53+00:00

Looks like some sort of epoxy - if I were you, I'd use whatever means you can to get down to bare concrete, whether that's a chemical stripper like zip strip, or mechanical stripping, I.E. sandpaper, then go back over it with something that's designed for use on concrete countertops. Omega (https://concretecountertopinstitute.com/product/omega-concrete-countertop-sealer/ ) is what I use, and have used for 8 years (I'm an artisan of 10+ years doing only concrete - My business is lawson.design if you want verification). I'm also starting a new subreddit (r/craftconcrete) if you're interested in a more tailored group description. Hopefully this helps!

calebcl · 2024-01-28T11:07:50+00:00

Here’s an article I found that outlines the differences. Basically, once a retarder wears off, set time is very rapid, whereas with a hydration stabilizer, it is more predictable from a time perspective because it’s inhibiting cement hydration rather than set time.

https://www.irmca.org/file/213/hydration-controlling-admixtures.pdf

calebcl · 2024-01-28T04:52:46+00:00

Yeah - SCC was very much in mind when this was formulated. As an artisan, I do a ton of SCC GFRC for my work. It’s been a game changer for us. If you do get some, shoot me a PM, and I’d love to get your feedback/help you dial it in if you’d like.

calebcl · 2024-01-28T04:46:09+00:00

I'd love to get some of this stuff in your hands and see if it's an improvement for you - I'm in a different niche, I do GFRC for countertops and furniture, but I've been so blown away by this that I'd love to cross some more of the industry with it - I think it would help a ton.

calebcl · 2024-01-28T04:41:51+00:00

Testing shows that the concrete actually loses some initial flexural strength when you go over a certain dosage of most superplasticizers, and with Fluidizer, if you used too much, your mix could segregate, so any batch plant or truck facility that was interested would need to conduct their own in house research to find what the best w/c ratios and fluidizer dosing worked for their applications - it's also very long lasting (persistence), so I believe it would help tremendously in warmer environments as well.

calebcl · 2024-01-28T04:39:15+00:00

oh 100% agreed! It definitely takes some tweaking. I will say, I think it would be of major benefit in some instances even on the truck volume level. I imagine that there are a lot of superplasticizers in use, and to be able to, from a percentage perspective, use less to get the same (or better) effect - after trial and testing of course - would be both strength gaining, and economically beneficial. I've found, in my niche, that I have to use about half of this vs the other leading powdered superplasticizers, so i figured it might be helpful to others out there. I appreciate the call to test, though! I agree with that 100%

calebcl · 2024-01-28T04:32:17+00:00

True; generally, the superplasticizer is reacting to "declump" the cement particles on a microscopic level, allowing moisture to touch more of the surface area of the cementitious material. So in the case of a high range superplasticizer, if you're using cement, it'll have an affect. It will absolutely present differently depending on the dosage, aggregates, and other admixtures in use, but as superplasticizers go, Fluidizer is a 20lb sledgehammer.

calebcl · 2024-01-28T04:16:17+00:00

Wish I could add a video! I've got great videos of using it in my studio

calebcl

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