HomeMade Modern EP55 Concrete Bar.pdf

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6/6/15 11:0omeMade Modern EP55 Concrete Bar

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JAN

18

y Ben Uyeda

EP55 Concrete Bar

This outdoor bar with a concrete countertop is a sturdy piece of outdoor furniture that serves as a

nice place to sit and have a drink or as a food prep island. Concrete countertop slabs are pretty

easy to make, but are quite heavy, so I recommend making this project near its final destination.

This bar is made from 3 concrete slabs that are bolted and supported by a wall made out of 2x4s.

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This is one of the more challenging projects I have posted. It's critical to make sure that the bolts,

which are cast into the slabs, are aligned with each other.

SUPPLIES:

Quikrete 5000 (20-25 Bags)

Available at Home Depot

QUIKRETE 5000 Concrete Mixis a commercial-

grade blend of stone or gravel, sand, and cement and

is specially designed for higher early strength. This is

the recommended concrete mix to use because of the

high early strength and low price. It !s great for making

tables, pavers, stools, and lamps and is typically found

in 80-pound bags at Home Depot, but 60-pound bags are also available.

3/4" Melamine Board


Melamine board is particle board with a smooth laminate surface. It's a great product for making

concrete formwork.

2x4s + 2x3s

Available at Home Depotor your local lumber yard

I used 2x4s to make the support wall that the concrete slabs connect to and 2x3 scraps as supports

for the melamine molds.

Fence Boards


I used redwood fence boards to clad the support wall. They were pretty rough and needed a bit of

sanding, but were cheap and look nice. If you want to a spend a bit more money and a bit less time

sanding, deck boards will also work.

Galvanized Bolts


I used 3/8" diameter bolts, 8" long as anchor bolts to help the bolts grip the concrete when they're

embedded. I used a nut to clamp a large washer to the head of the bolt.

Silicone Caulk


I used silicone caulk to seal the molds.

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TOOLS:

RYOBI 18 Volt Cordless Drill


RYOBI 18 Volt Circular Saw


RYOBI 18 Volt Reciprocating Saw


RYOBI Orbital SanderAvailable at Home Depot

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Cut the Melamine Board

I cut the 3 1/2" wide strips of melamine board to use as the sides of the molds. If you do this with a

circular saw, clamp a straight edge to the board to serve as a guide. A table saw makes this step a

little easier.


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STEP 2: Assemble the Molds

It's important that the 2 side slabs are the exact same size and that all 3 slabs are the same width,

so take care when assembling the molds. I used short pieces of 2x3 as supports and screwed the

laminate boards to them.


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STEP 3: Check Your Molds

I checked to make sure the corners molds were at perfect right angles with a large speed square.


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STEP 4: Glue the Corners

I like to make sure the corners of the molds will hold so I glue them tightly together using a hot gluegun.

STEP 5: Seal the Mold

I used silicone caulk to seal the edges and corners of the mold from the inside. I squeezed some

caulk out and smoothed it out with my finger.


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STEP 6: Sand the 2x6

I used an orbital sander to sand the 2x6. I started with 100 grit paper to round down the edges and

finished with 220 grit.

STEP 7: Make the Bolt Holders

You only get one shot at casting the bolts into the slab so it's important to make sure that the bolts

in the 3 slabs will align with the support wall. I cut extra pieces of the melamine board into strips that

are the same width as the molds and then measured and drilled holes that the bolts could fit

through. I didn!t want the these supports to touch the wet concrete so I glued small pieces of 1/2"

thick plywood to the ends so that they'd hover 1/2" above the surface of the concrete.


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STEP 8: Prepare the Rebar

I cut the 1/2" rebar with a reciprocating saw and then wired the pieces of rebar into frames to serve

as reinforcement for the slabs. The frame should be about 3-5 inches from the perimeter of the

molds.

STEP 9: Get the Bolts Ready

Insert the bolts through the holes in the supports and use washers and bolts to keep them from

sliding through. Adjust the nuts so that the bolt heads go about halfway into the slabs. I used 3 bolts

in each of the slabs.


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STEP 10: Mix + Pour the Concrete

I mixed the Quikrete 5000 in a large plastic mixing tray using a hoe and then shoveled it into themolds until they were three-quarters full. I placed the rebar frames onto the wet concrete and then

filled the molds to the top. The rebar will settle deeper in the concrete as you work the surface

above it. Use the hoe to push down the concrete as you fill the molds.


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STEP 11: Screeed + Trowl

I used a straight scrap board to screed the top of the concrete. Work the screed back and forth to

level the concrete. I let the concrete set about 30 minutes and then used a metal float to work the

cream to the surface. I spent about 2-3 minutes working the surface of each slab. Then place the

anchor bolts into the wet concrete.


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STEP 12: Cover + Keep Moist

I covered the concrete with some boards and a sheet to make sure that nothing touched the wet

concrete. I used a garden hose to keep the concrete moist over a 72 hour period.

STEP 13: Remove the Molds

After letting the concrete cure for 72 hours, I removed the molds.

STEP 14: Build 2 Frames for the Support Wall

I used 3" deck screws to connect 2x4s into two rectangular frames.

STEP 15: Drill Holes for the Bolts

I aligned the rectangular frames and marked the locations of the bolts. I then drilled 3/4" holes

through the frame. I wanted the holes to be slightly larger than the bolts so that I could adjust the

frames against the slabs before tightening the nuts and locking them place.


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STEP 16: Assemble the Support Wall

I cut 2 pieces of 2x4 to serve as base and top plates for the support wall. I tilted up the side slabs

with the frames loosely bolted in place and then screwed the frames to the baseplate 2x4. The

slabs are heavy, so it's a good idea to have some help. Drill holes through the top plate and the top

of the frames that align with the bolts in the top slab. Screw the top plate onto the two frames.


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STEP 17: Place the Top Slab

Lift the top slab into place. The slab is very heavy, so be careful about smashing fingers between

the slabs. I recommend using at least 4 strong people to lift the slab into place and guide the bolts

through the holes in the support wall.

STEP 18: Tighten the Bolts

Once the top slab is in place, properly adjusted and aligned, you can tighten all the nuts to secure

the slabs to the support wall. Since I drilled large diameter holes, I needed to use large washers to

fasten the slabs to the support walls.

STEP 19: Clad the Support Walls

I cut, sanded and stained the fence boards before screwing them onto the support wall. I clad both

sides of the support wall since I intend the bar to be used from both sides. If the bar ever needs to

be moved, I can just take off a few fence boards and release the bolts so that the slabs can be

moved individually.


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ABOUT HOMEMADE MODERN

omeMade Modern is an online design

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Good luck making your own concrete bar and please email or tweet photos to @benuyedaor

[email protected]. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different

variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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HomeMade Modern EP55 Concrete Bar.pdf

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