I'm writing from a place where the monthly basic salary is less than 300 dollars. A retired citizen is paid much less than that; 188 dollars, exactly. Hence, what you are doing in this video is much appreciated by those who accidentally grow bonsai around here.
A few of tips I've found useful: - Use a pinch of polypropylene fibres to frost proof the cement mix - I sometimes add perlite to the mix in bigger pots to make them lightweight - You can use polystyrene carved to shape to fill the hole in the middle of the pot for a better finish. Wrap it in sellotape if you want to reuse - use a vegetable oil spray or WD40 on the moulds as a release agent to get them out easily - It's important to leave cement pots out in the weather for 6 months before use so the rain washes out harmful alkaloids which can harm root systems.
Great tips there rhys! I bought some fibres which i tried in a previous experiment and I found that they seemed to compromise the strength of the pots although I am guessing that i added way too much. DO you literally just add a pinch?
@@TonysBonsai it depends how much mix you're making, but a little pinch of the fibres goes a very long way. Add the fibres right at the start of your mix too so they get a good chance to disperse. Great video by the way 👍
Great tips! Thanks for those. I was planning on making a bunch of these over the winter and letting them cure in my basement, but now I'm thinking that when the weather warms up a bit(I'm in Michigan with cold winters), I can put them outside to get the junk leached out if the pots so I can actually use them come springtime
Hi Tony. Interesting to see your cement pots. I have made quite a few Hypertufa pots for Alpines etc. the mix is Portland cement, Peat Moss and Perlite (or Vermiculite) in equal parts. The pots are a lot lighter than using a cement mix as there is no sand. They hold up well to frost and look a lot less like concrete, they are a much more natural look. I have many planted up with alpines and a couple planted with ‘bonsai’ Once the pots are dry after 24/48 hrs I soak them for a few days in a vinegar and water mix to leach the lime. The best moulds I found were extra large washing up bowls, but there are lots of shapes you can use. Lining the mould with polythene helps with removal of the pot when its dry. Making the drainage hole while the mix is still wet is so much easier than when its dry. You did Great job. You will find facebook pages for Hypertufa makers. Ps. Better to sift the peat moss to remove big bits of wood etc.
Hi Margaret. I am definitely going to have to experiment with these hypertufa pots. It sounds crazy to me adding compost, but at the end of the day, if they work that's what matters!
Great video Tony! I watched to the very end as couldn’t wait to see the finished product. Years ago I made concrete pots for succulents using Portland cement. As a new-be to bonsai I now have another hobby to brush up on. Thank you!
Hi. Nice. I've been doing this for more than a year now. I changed over to using the wet sand as mold,same as your last pot. When i mix sand with the cement,i sift the sand beforehand. The one you use in the kitchen to sift flour. It comes out very smooth. For bigger pots i strengthen it with strands of galvanized wire.
I've discovered my niche. I make homemade pots that are so fragile and thin that they break before you even put a plant in them. A sort of a zen-ish thing!
Loved the video, always fun to make your own pots even though they weigh a ton. I typically spray the inside and outside of the bucket or bowl I am using. Does help the cement pot to slip out easily after it sets.
I've, thankfully, stumbled onto your video Tony, absolutely brilliant mate. No frills or fuss. No offence intended, but you remind me of Fred Dibnah🤣. Get you on TV and we could have a new national hero. Keep up the good work mate. 👍👍
Cheers Stan. It's interesting that you say that. A few years ago I was asked by a producer at Channel 4 If I would like to have a TV series about wedding photography. I declined at the time as I was busy with different projects. Maybe I should get in contact with him!
I like this and am casting about for things to use. The grey ones look like a rock has been weathered by wind and rain and the brown ones almost look like they are made from a log.
Hi Tony. You done a great job. Tip on getting pots out of your containers. Sponge a little cooking oil around, when the pots have dried, they should come out abit easier. The pots look pretty good. Bonsais should look good.
@@TonysBonsai It's my one complaint with the hobby. You can find or propagate the trees for free, you can find inexpensive tools, growing medium can often be obtained for free. Pots are another story as you know.
Yes, I have hundreds of trees all in washing up bowls and plastic plant pots. It would cost me thousands of pounds to put them all in ceramics. I'm not sure what my solution will be. I have even contemplated buying a kiln and making my own.
@@TonysBonsai I got some diamond tipped drill bits and had fun making holes in bowls from the carboot. That can work really well. I don't like plastic, it upsets me. Wood is nice, but it doesn't last. It's a real bottleneck for a lot of enthusiasts I think. Is this a supply issue?
No, I just think it's a cost of production thing. When you factor in the cost of materials, the cost of firing to 1200 degrees C and then losses of pots during the process, they end up being expensive. I also suspect that the potters know that their customers can often afford to pay.
Love the video. I find that it’s easier to get the cement pot out by turning the whole thing upside down and pouring hot water on it. The hot water relaxes the pot and the cement pot comes out easily. Thank you for making amateurs like me want to try new things without being intimidated.
Tony thank you, I am going to do this. My favourite was the one you did over wet sand, the fact the edges were not the same thickness looked intentional and added something to it I thought. I want a pot to make a forest planting but the price of proper pots is at this time stopping that idea, I will be able work towards that now so cheers.
Hi Claudia. I'm glad you're going to give it a try! I did another one using wet sand the next day (I didn't record it) and it went really well. If you pick yourself up one of those cat litter trays or something similar, you will be able to make yourself a super pot for your forest I'm sure.
If you keep the concrete damp for a week while it sets it will improve the strength. Drying too fast makes it more brittle, but most people just dry it fast so up to the user. I like working with white Portland cement. Structurally it is the same, but it is more of a white colour instead of grey. I prefer the whiter look, and it is also takes less dye and produces sharper colour if that's the goal. White cement is about twice the price though which can make grey suddenly appealing. For de-molding professionals often use a special wax product to line the mold first but it's pricey. If you're trying to make a show worthy pot it might be worth it.
Tony you are an artist, we can buy pots from anywhere but artisticly you have to spend a lot on a pot that is different. Really love your work and videos dont ever change
Thank you David. I love hearing that you are enjoying my videos. I'll change when I have 10M subscribers and a Lamborghini, but until then I'm happy being myself! 🤣
Awesome video, try using a cooking spray or an oil based spray as a mold release the cement will come out much easier without risking breaking the pot. Just coat the inside and you'll be fine 👍
That looked like you had some fun! I think the way you chóped the brown pot was a great fix and looked fab! I think I’m ready now to give it a try ! Thanks as always for the inspiration- and let us know how the fireplace turns out!
Thanks peter. Glad to hear that you;re going have a go at this. It's surprisingly enjoyable. My fireplace is looking good, and I'm hoping to have it all fitted and ready to stoke up in the next week or two. I'll make sure I include it in a video.
Hi there Tony Don't plant your bonsai in them unless you seal the insides off with something as the lime will Leach into your roots and that won't be good!
@@TonysBonsai if I was your neighbour I'd ask for a few for a start of my new hobby. I think it's very creative and long lasting the way youur making them. Have a top weekend 😎 God bless.
Really good video! Looked like fun! You will never have to worry about those particular pots blowing over on a windy day, either!😉👍 Really liked the big one for a forest grouping….and adding colorant was a nice touch. Make it a third to twice as dark as you want the final color…..it always fades over time. Greetings from Montana, U.S.A!
@@TonysBonsai It never worked on the six-pack properly... I was never fat, though... Didn´t you have the proper electric cement mixer? Which mixed 2 or 3 wheelbarrows of mortar at once, you just had to throw the sand and cement inside...
You are soo entertaining I did watch every minute and didn't quit or skip. You could always add your broken tile bits to the outsides of those pots. When you do your Scots pine seeds please show how to video. Xx tia. Mandy.
Glad you enjoyed it Mandy. It's great to hear that people are enjoying my videos. I'll definitely do a video on the scots pines next spring with regular updates as they appear (with a bit of luck anyway)
Loved this video, I would try a release agent like oil in the mold first to help with releasing when dry. What about making a very runny cement mix to rub on the outside to smooth it then sponge whilst still green? Anyway, you have inspired me to have a go. cheers Rich
Hi Rich. I have tried using oil in the ast and I must admit it did make them a bit easier to remove although I found the difference to be minimal. I hope you have a go and make some pots better than mine which shouldn't be too hard!
Great to watch you making pots 👍🤗 There are definitley some take aways for me, as I'm creating my own cement-pots, for some while. My technique differs a little from yours, as I"m using quite liquid cement, soaking a towel and drape around /or inside my decided shape. Putting additional cement stepwise at the inside and outside up to the desired thickeness. This makes me able to keep my pots less heavy. Last outside cover, I like using some coloured cement. Putting a bag inside your buckets and bowls prevents the cement from sticking to hard. Looking forward to more videos. THX Kind regards from Austria 😊
They sound like really interesting designs, and I think that is a technique that I am definitely going to have to have a go at some time. Thanks for the information!
I enjoy making cement pots. I have tried different methods like make a cast of polystyrene and also making a skeleton from chicken wire and ad cemen to it.
Thanks for sharing very inspiring….i find poring boiling water over the plastic will make it easier to release from plastic or covering the plastic with old cooking oil before putting cement into pot.
Fantastic work you quite a dab hand at that Tony.... I really need to make one now thanks for the video bro...allways rember Mr Chan herons bonsai did this 50 or 60 years ago before he had a well-known business great stuff
The only skip i know is a kangaroo mate, watched the concrete master all the way through. Good to see you being creative Tony, its weird timing as only 3 weeks ago i started to make my own pots with angle grinder and diamond blade to hollow out granite and quartz river rocks...a few sandstone too, its very dusty work and I've killed one angle grinder already but it was only 30 days old so they replaced it for me. The granite pots are so strong and when you concider the stones come from the center of the earth millions of years ago and been rounded by years of water flowing over them and shaping them...they are very special. I hope to sell some on ebay one day and become a millionaire!!
Now they sound really good mate. i love natural stone and to have a hollowed-out piece would be fantastic. I'm not really keen on the dust personally though so I'll just admire your creations when they are ready!
@@TonysBonsai I would like to send you one Tony, just a small sized granite pot. What's your postal address mate? I'll check with Australia post to find out how much it'll cost and if its reasonable I'll send it. Im sure you'll do a unboxing and if i add my email address it might help me sell a few. Im thinking about sending one to Nigel also as he has been a HUGE inspiration to me.
Cheers mate, but that would be too much. It'll cost a bomb sending granite over here. Better to just send me a photo or even better yet a bit of video and I'll include it in a video!
I've dabbled in making cement pots. For molds i use plastic meat trays . recently I've been using plastic mushroom containers but what i do first is pour boiling water on them to melt them into odd shapes. Mine never really come out smooth on the outside which is ok they kinda look like lava rock! I also bought some diamond coreing drill bits to drill ceramic and other hard materials to make drainage holes in things i find at thrift stores. Baking dishes, soap dishes ,anything can become a pot or tray !
@@TonysBonsai it actually started as an accident melting the plastic. Sometimes a nice pot can make a "whatever" tree really pop and vice versa an ugly pot can take away from a beautiful tree. I'm really trying to not have any plastic panters by next year, but i keep getting more plants so i have to get creative with my pot selection 😂
I'm just starting the raod to moving trees from washing up bowls, and I know I'm going to need loads next year, so I need to get busy! i agree about pots making trees luck great too. It can make such a difference.
Great ideas! I'm like you...I can't afford the expensive, pretty pots. And like you, I'm not exhibiting my plants, so this will be a great winter project for me and I'll have somewhat attractive (I hope!!), pots for my bonsai plants
@@TonysBonsai Hi Tony a couple of thoughts on cement pots have you tried using a plaster sizer and a releaseing agent to help getting the pots out by coating the plastic container maybe worth an experiment to see if you can get the pot out without it sticking to the container. I know when I was working with cement in my early days I used plaster sizer not sure the spelling is right on a couple of words my brain isn’t working too well now. All the best with your experiments mate. Joe.
Yes, I do have some plasticizer knocking about somewhere, but the sbr does a similar job. I'll have a hunt around to see if I can find an old tub and see if it works better.
Use oil ,linseed oil or buy a release agent,but well done for the effort bud and build gigs for your mortar mix mould scrapings will help,regards -South Africa.
That was a fantastic video watch Tony. I agree that the brown coloured pot with the rough texture looks good but I also agree that in these times of economic 'doom and gloom' we have to keep looking for cheaper acceptable alternatives for our hobbies. By the way, how is the fireplace going? That definitely brought back memories of several houses I renovated in my early years :)
Cheers mate. Like all bonsai, the key is enjoying it, and I really like making these pots. The fireplace is looking good and ready to be painted. I laid a concrete harth on Sunday so I'm just waiting for that to dry and I'll be ready to paint it all. I'm not really that keen on diy myself, but it has to be done from time to time!
They came out well! Iv got 2 drying off in the garden! Slightly different style but hopeful. Although I play with Mortar a lot for work I’m a little skeptical about strength worth ago tho!
Sbr may help like you say! Mine Iv done with no additives other than what comes with mastercrete! And building sand 😂 purely in a trail stage atm but a slow cure and a Rich mix will aid strength. I certainly didn’t use a traditional laying mix 🤣
Thanks, I actually made a pota few months ago using only grano and cement and it came out really textured and seems super strong too so i will make another of those for sure!
I've been using a Crock-Pot lid but I've been doing it the wrong way obviously I've been putting it on the outside and using stainless steel window screen to reinforce and since here in the states a bag of Portland is around 15 to $18 I just buy concrete and uses screen to sift out the gravel so I just end up with straight cement
Yeah been making pots for a few weeks now with sand mould and plastic stencil. First few were mweh but now starting to look really good. Smooth inside with a damp sponge for smooth finish
I use oil on the surface of the mold or line the mold with a plastic wrap like a food wrap to line the mold the wrinkle give it texture. The pot will release and falls out of the mold a lot easier.
Hi tony I add pearlier to my cement mix and also when I use a former I give it a good coat of veg oil as it helps as a release agent enjoy your vids by the way
Use a fiberglass mesh like they use in drywall to strengthen your pots it flexible and allows it to mold and shape in the concrete to bond through it. Thus better than the granite or wire form.
Nice video Tony, they look OK but for me I would rather use proper Bonsai pots for my trees. I have seen a similar video on this from Peter Chan at Herons Bonsai. I have used a plastic litter tray for a group planting and all I did was use an enamel spray and sprayed it blue on the outside.
Hi David. I agree. Proper bonsai pots look much better. I have actually invested in a few this winter ready for re-potting in the spring, but I'm still absolutely nowhere near having enough for all my trees. I see these as very much a handy stop gap allowing me to do some group plantings etc
@@TonysBonsai Hi Tony, I usually buy plastic training pots online which are quite cheap. I have seen two videos on youtube making cement Bonsai pots and rather professional looking on the finished product from rectangle to oval, they looked really good that I may even try for myself although making the templates to create the outer shapes from hard plastic may not be as easy as it looks. These videos also use builders sand as the mould.
Hi Tony! 2nd comment 😘 You may use those not perfect pots (to thin at the edge, creapy holes in it) as a a base and fill up, in a second step, as you do with your walls, with fresh cement and using your gloved hands (as cement will soak and dry out your skin while exposition, up to chemical burns). You can ad structure by using a brush or just your fingers. The inside should be smoth without any crackings and holes, as your plants will send their routes in there and create a lot of troubles. 🙏🌳
