October, 1909 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
383 
Concrete Ornaments for the Garden and How to Make Them 
I1—A GARDEN BENCH 
By Ralph C. Davison 
HE accompanying illustration, Fig. 1, shows 
ar se a concrete bench which is especially designed 
with a view of meeting the demand for a 
simple yet artistic piece of lawn furniture, 
and at the same time can be made with a 
minimum amount of skill and expense by 
those who are as yet uninitiated in this 
A detail drawing of 
the end-supports or the 
bench pedestals is shown in 
Fig. 2, and details of each 
piece used in the making of 
the wood mold for these 
end-supports are shown in 
Pigs) 3. he “assembled 
mold ready for placing the 
concrete is shown in Figs. 
4 and 5. 
The first thing to do is 
to procure a I-inch board, 
12 inches wide by 16 inches 
long, and cut it to the shape 
shown in Fig. 3 at d. This 
is to be used for the bottom of the mold as shown in Fig. 4. 
Now cut another piece of board, also 1 inch thick, shaped as 
shown in Fig. 3 at B, and nail it down in its proper position 
on piece d. The next piece to make is piece C in Fig. 3. 
This piece forms the recessed panel; this panel as shown in 
Fig. 2 is only % inch deep, therefore this piece should be 
made of 14-inch board. Nail this securely in position, as 
shown in Fig. 4 on piece B. Be sure to bevel the edges of 
pieces B and C, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, for if 
this is not done one will have trouble in releasing the mold 
from the concrete when it is set or hardened. Now pro- 
ceed to make the pieces D, E, F, G, H, J, J, K, L and M, 
all of 1-inch thick material, care being taken to follow the 
dimensions given closely. When 
these pieces are all made, as- 
semble them as shown in Fig. = 
| 
work. 
4, using as few nails as possible 
in securing the pieces to one an- 
other; for when the concrete is | 
hardened, the form or mold will 
have to be removed from it, and | 
the fewer the nails used the easier ‘8 © 
the form can be stripped from | 
the cast. In making the form, | 
use green or unseasoned wood, as 
it is less liable to warp when the | 
——— 
| 
ay 
Lae 
Fig. 1—The finished bench 
et 
plaster of Paris, care being taken, however, to have every- 
thing square and true. 
After having trued the mold up, the inside of it should 
again be shellacked, and when thoroughly dry, a thin coat of 
fairly thick oil should be given to all parts of the mold which 
will come in contact with the wet concrete. The mold is now 
ready to be filled with the concrete mixture, which should be 
composed of 1 part Port- 
land cement, 2 parts of 
good clean sharp sand, and 
2 parts of trap rock or peb- 
bles ranging in size from 14 
to % inch. The method of 
mixing the concrete is as 
follows: It is important to 
follow the directions close- 
ly, for if the concrete is not 
properly mixed, an inferior 
product will be the result. 
First the sand should be 
evenly spread on a level 
water-tight platform. The 
cement should then be 
spread upon the sand. Then, after thoroughly mixing the 
cement and sand together until it is of a uniform color, 
water should be added, preferably by spraying, and the mass 
thoroughly turned over and over by means of a shovel or 
hoe until it is of a uniform consistency of a fairly thick putty. 
To this mortar should be added the stone or gravel, which 
has previously been drenched with water, and the whole mass 
should then be mixed or turned over until the aggregate or 
stone is thoroughly coated with mortar. An ordinary 
garden rake is an excellent tool with which to distribute the 
stones through the mortar, as it will distribute them more 
uniformly than a shovel. 
The concrete thus mixed should be deposited in the form ~ 
or mold as soon after mixing as 
possible. Under no conditions 
deposit concrete in molds which 
has been mixed more than two 
hours. To fill the mold 
use a shovel, care being 
taken to deposit the con- 
crete into all of the corners. 
Tamp or tap it down well with 
the end of a piece of board. 
If the concrete has been proper- 
ly mixed, this tamping will 
bring to the surface of the 
kK — 7'— 
: iS Night leper 
wet concrete mixture comes in ee mass a slight skim of water. 
contact with it. Before assem-- =e }_+_ The mold should first be about 
bling the mold, each piece should ee Ol A re a half filled, and then a strip of 
be shellacked thoroughly on 
both sides as well as on the ends. 
This will, in a great measure, prevent the mold from absorb- 
ing moisture, and will thus prevent any tendency of the 
mold to warp or buckle. After having assembled the pieces, 
as shown in Fig. 4, if for any reason the joints do not match 
up as well as they might, they can be filled with putty or 
Fig. 2—Details of bench pedestal 
Clinton wire-cloth or other steel 
reinforcing fabric should be 
placed in the form, as shown by the dotted lines in the plan- 
view of the assembled mold in Fig. 4. The proper size of 
wire-cloth to use is that known as 3-inch by 12-inch mesh, 
made of Nos. 8 and 10 gage steel wire. If wire-cloth is not 
available, any good No. 8 gage steel wire, cut and placed as 
