1. Gary Nap, partner, and Brian
Nap, plant supervisor, review plans to bid a job.
|
2. Josh Hilton creates shop drawings from architectural drawings. |
3. Travis Tilley, one of three mold builders, prepares to build a mold
from shop drawings.
|
4-A. Dan Houle builds a mold from wood. |
4-B. Dan Houle builds a mold from wood.
|
5-A. Ronnie Curry, mold builder, coats
mold pieces. |
5-B. Houle sands a mold coating down
to create a smooth finish.
|
6-A. Curry creates a mold using wood
and steel. |
6-B. Curry creates a mold using
wood and steel. |
|
DRY
CAST
|
7. Production foreman John Echtinaw
controls the state-of-the-art computerized batching
system, which mixes sand, cement, pigments, admixtures
for six standard and numerous custom blends.
|
8.The computer automated batching
system controls the precise amount of ingredients
dropped into carts to be carried to the mixer. |
9. The zero-slump concrete is dropped
from the mixer into wheelbarrows. |
10. A proper mixture should adhere
to itself and form a ball, like in this example of
zero-slump concrete. |
11-A. Aaron Buckmaster fills his
mold with zero-slump concrete to be pounded.
|
11-B. He then uses a sand-rammer
to compact the zero-slump concrete. This process
is repeated in equal layers until the mold is completely
filled. |
11-C. Then he screeds the mold to
remove all the excess concrete. |
11-D. A trowel is used to smooth
the top out. |
11-E. The mold is flipped upside
down onto a steel pallet.
|
11-F. Screws are removed so that
the mold can be taken apart and removed from the
concrete piece. |
11-G. Screws are removed so that
the mold can be taken apart and removed from the
concrete piece. |
12. The steel pallets are then pushed
down a set of rollers and into the kiln. |
13. Margin trowels are used to fix
any imperfections in the piece.
|
14. Pieces are left in the kiln
overnight for curing. |
15-A. In the mornings, the product
is stripped from the kiln. Pieces are removed from
their steel pallets and placed on wooden pallets
with dry wall. |
15-B. In the mornings, the product
is stripped from the kiln. Pieces are removed from
their steel pallets and placed on wooden pallets
with dry wall. |
16. Patching imperfections in a
cast stone wall cap arch.
|
17. Pieces are washed with muriatic
acid and water to remove the top layer of cement. |
18-A. After washing, pieces are
stacked together on pallets, wrapped with plastic
for protection and labeled according to the job it
was made for. |
18-B. After washing, pieces are
stacked together on pallets, wrapped with plastic
for protection and labeled according to the job it
was made for. |
19. After product is packaged,
it is stored in the yard until shipment.
|
20-A. Product is loaded onto trucks
for shipment to a job site. |
20-B. Product is loaded onto trucks
for shipment to a job site. |
20-C. Product is loaded onto trucks
for shipment to a job site. |
WET
CAST
|
21-A. 7” slump concrete
is poured from the hopper into the mold.
|
21-B. A vibrator is used to consolidate
the concrete. |
21-C. Re-rod is placed in the concrete
for reinforcement. |
21-D. The concrete is screed to
ensure proper height. |
21-E. A trowel is used to
finish the surface.
|
21-F. Forklifts are used to lift
pieces off pouring tables. |
21-G. The wood mold is removed
to reveal the finished product. |
21-H. The wood mold is cleaned, oiled
and re-assembled for the next pour. |
