I've seen a few different recipes for hypertufa. All have sand and cement but seem to very on the third ingredient. Is it just a filler? I'm sitting here surrounded by my Dad's old business records fixing to start shredding. Could I use the shredded paper? I would certainly make this job more fun knowing I could use it for something better later.
Hi Teddy Bear! I've read you can use shredded paper, but you probably want it pretty finely shredded. The third ingredient is usually peat, which tends to break down over time and give a more pitted appearance. The paper would serve this function. There are a lot of different hypertufa recipes and I had to try several before I found one that let me do what I wanted to do. I don't use sand unless I am casting leaves. I really like to make a rich mix of about half a half portland cement and vermiculite. I like the texture and lightness of the vermiculite. I ran out of peat so I've been omitting it....I've not noticed that much of a difference. I've also substituted compost....and....manure .
I didn't have much problem finding peat but found it as sphagnum peat moss and peat humus. Don't know what the difference is but the humus worked okay. I would like to try the vermiculite but when I tried finding some to use for my glass sculpting (helps the finished piece cool slowly), I only found it online and it was a little pricey. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kjalady, I work in glass too...lampworking. I got my vermiculite at Home Depot...I got a HUGE bag, almost as big as me for $10. It was in the Garden Section...actually near the bird seed...weird!
Hyptertufa Recipes Hi Hummingbird: Thanks, I'll look again. All I found was perlite and the normal soil stuff but I'll check by the birdseed when we get back to Florida. Sure appreciate it. Do you make beads or do you sculpt?
Hyptertufa Recipes Another question Hummingbird; you said you use 1/2 portland and 1/2 vermiculite except when you are casting leaves. What ratio do you use then? I want to do some leaf castings when we get back to Florida of the huge elephant ears we have in our yard there and would like to know the right mix. Also, do you use chicken wire or what to strengthen them when they are real large? Thanks for your help.
Hi! I make beads, but most could qualify as tiny sculptures...not usually "bead-shaped" beads. When casting leaves I've used a mix 50-50 of portland and sand. I haven't really bothered with reinforcing because my largest leaf was only about 12 inches wide. I have some aluminum screen that I planned to use if I needed reinforcement. I just got a book that has many "recipes" for hypertufa and concrete for sculpting. One recipe uses steel wool fibers as reinforcement. I am planning to try this because I think it will be a neat effect when the steel wool rusts.
