For the bugholes, this is just an idea that I haven't tried yet. The holes really don't need strength, just filling, right? What about getting a fluffy makeup brush (washed & dried), dipping it into straight DRY Portland cement and brushing it over the affected areas. Brush off any excess, then mist with a handheld mister. In this case, I would try it on a dry stone. What do you think?

If you're filling the molds to the top, 5/8" shouldn't be too bad, if you're doing concrete, not tufa. What ratio are you using? I would use 1:3 or so. And this would probably be the place to use some acrylic or polymer latex additive if you have it. Also, letting them cure more before "testing" them might help, too.

Just some thoughts.

'Pup

I'd be surprised if any concrete mix could set up strong enough to make a stake that's only 5/8" diameter.

On the other hand, if you can insert a piece of rebar in the center of mold, so that the concrete sets up round it - i.e. your stake is really a piece of rebar coated with concrete - I'd expect it to work.

The ping pong paddle shape sounds interesting. Can you post a picture of the mold?

Quickcrete Non-Shrinking Grout would work for the thin stakes!!!! It molds smooth, sets up fast though. Mix small batches.

You could use it for your detailed stepping stone molds as well, just tap, shake, or vibrate to get the bubbles away from the mold surface.

Try using two mixes for your stones.
Pour in a sloppy mix first, not thick, just enough to pick up the pattern. vibrate well to settle the concrete and force out bubbles.
A little admix or elmers glue will make it stronger as well.
Then add you dryer sand mix on top for strength.
If your stones are under two inches thick you could add birds eye gravel to your sand mix for even more strength.

For you paddles I would try
1 Portlands
3 SHARP masonary sand. All sand is not created equal. Playsand is not that good.
If you want to use White portlands then use sharp white silica sand. About $6 for a fifty pound bag.

Acrylic Admix in the water about 20% will help a lot.

Or buy a topping premix. They have all the additives in tha bag and will make you very hard and durable paddles.
The premixes are more money but will go a long way for making small items.
These high strength premixes are generally very fussy about the water so follow instructions carefully.

Topping pre mix would also be terrific for the top of your stepping stones. Because they contain super plastizers they will pick up the pattern extremely well.
Expect them to be almost runny when ready to use.

'Pup, no, they don't need any strength, I wonder how you could deposit enough of the "dust" into the holes. I'll ponder on that, maybe I'll do a little experimenting tomorrow.

Loren, will that grout hold up to people? LOL. I'm afraid if I go to sell them, the first thing people will do is torque on them :( I can snap a picture over the next couple days.

I know I will never do sand mix that thick unless I'm making hypertufa, I was advised that I was making it too THIN a few weeks ago, so I went the opposite. I thought by patting I could fill in the detail, but man, did I screw up.

Tufa- thanks for the recipes. I used to do them all with regular concrete premix and never had any trouble until I got some really detailed molds. Then I used premix sand mix that I did a leaf with last year to made the stones and I didn't have it wet enough.

I hadn't tried the sand mix in the paddles, but I did use a 1:1 portland and play-sand. Any tips on where to get sand for less money than a bag of pre-mix? I'm not so sure I'm saving money when they charge $2.50 for a little bag of sand. I haven't bought any aggregate yet, still using regular kwikrete for my less detailed stones. I know I have a lot to learn :) At least my first 'tufa pot unmolded without breaking, that made my whole weekend!

Herb, I don't think that any piece of re-bar would even get covered in them! I feel bad I bought them now, I don't know how I could "make" them be thicker. Still think it's a cool idea to be able to paint whatever I want on them. But I don't know how on earth to make them strong unless I started using resin.
the molds are on ebay right now at the link below--

Here is a link that might be useful: garden stake molds

ginamarina find a place that sells bricks. They will tell you where the brick layers get there sharp sand.
They can fill a pickup for $10-15.

You could try lengths of metal clothes hanger in the handle.
Most clothes hangers have a coating that prevent rust from wet clothes so they should work very well as skinny rebar.

Oops
Not the handle, but in the stake part.
I would bend a length od clothes hanger into a long skinny V that goes right to the bottom of the stake and half way up the paddle part.
The pointy bottom of the V will help protect the concrete when you press into the ground.

Long headless finishing nails will also work if you overlap them side by side about 50% all the way up the spike. They would act like a single piece of rebar.

Yeah Ginamarina, it will hold up to people! I have tiles made from it 1/2" thick and big strong hubby couldn't snap it.

With the mold being only 5/8" deep, I'd be afraid of getting some sort of ghosting from any wire or nails.

Here is another product that should work very well for the paddles.
It should also be great for the top of stepping stones.
It would pick up the pattern very nicely.
It's full of admix products that make it very strong.
Much stronger than Portlands and sand alone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Topping cement

Ginamarina,

You might try another Quikrete product called "Quikwall." It's got fibers and admix but no gravel and sets up quick and strong. I used it for my greenman plaque. It did have the bubbles problem because it set up so quickly that I didn't have time to vibrate them out.

A lot of people use Quikwall for casting leaves.

Deb

I could be out to lunch here but wouldn't a topping mix be better than Quickwall?
They have super plastizers that make them extremely runny.
They would pick up patterns very well and being a topping mix they are probably designed to be virtually bubble free.
I have not used either Quickwall or the Quikcrete topping mix (not available here)but the specs point to topping mix being excellent for stepping stones and probably leaves as well.

I use Portlands and my own admixes exclusively for everything I make because it's cheaper than any premix and I have complete control.

But I have used premix topping mixes for stair and walk repair and it is terrific stuff. But it was very fussy about the amount of water. Impossible to eyeball it because of all the admixes, you had to follow directions exactly to get a proper mix.

I haven't processed this all yet :-)

Are you guys saying that I could use one mix to make fill the bottom of a detailed stone mold, and then another mix to fill up the rest? Would I pour them wet-on-wet?

Bend Industries is nearby, I could ask them about the sand. Can you also get it from cement places? I seem to recall my dad filling our sandbox with garbage cans full of sand from there - or is that not the right kind?

I'm debating to sell the paddle molds or not, I'm so afraid people are just going to try to snap them, but I'll take you guys's advice if you think I can pull it off. I think I'm going to start on a few trellises today. I'm getting a "presentation area" ready to hopefully sell the painted stones laying across my basement floor =)

You guys are awesome, except you send my head reeling!! =)

You certainly can use two mixes wet on wet.
Put a nice sloppy fine sand mix to pick up the detail.
Wait a few minutes and pour in your rocky premix concrete for strength underneath.
If your sandmix gets a little dry just smear on some PVA white glue before pouring in your second mix.

Just remember that most premix concretes should be 2" thick minimum because of the agregate size. If you want to make them a little thinner use regular Portlands, sand and BIRDSEYE GRAVEL.

Birdseye is finer gravel about 1/4 inch in size used for road repair and you can get it cheap at the same place you get the sand. Birdseye is perfect for stones thinner than two inches.
A bag of Portlands, a hundred pounds of birdseye gravel and a hundred pounds of sharp sand is going to make your stones cheaper and stronger than any premix.

The reason I suggested a topping mix is they are designed to be runny without a lot of water. They use admixes to accomplish this so the product is very hard and strong.

Any topping mix designed to repair concrete walkways or steps is going to hold up very well in a stepping stone and should pick up the pattern detail perfectly.

Most places that sell ready mix concrete will sell you all the sand you can shovel for a very modest cost.
Ask any brick layer when he goes to get his good sharp sand.

Any concrete topping mix should also make very strong paddles.
However the grout that was reccommended might be cheaper.

The eBay ad said to use mortar mix, rather than concrete.

'Pup

Tufaenuf,
The pre-mix does look a bit pricey. Are you at liberty to share how you would home compose a pre-mix for fine details. I want to try making some tiles with imprinted patterns in them.
Appreciative as always,
David

David I don't use plastic molds and most of my work is done face up or sand casted.
But I would use a simple strong cement mix with fine silica sand and acrylic admix when I need detail. This can be mixed soupy and still sets strong.
Check out Lezard's stepping stones in this group.
His detail and finish is very good.
I would ask him what he is using.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lesard's stepping stones

Hey guys! Well, I've graduated to making benches, having some fun there, but I've still not gone at it again with the paddles. I think I need to now, I'm going to a craft show thing to try to sell some stuff, and I think they'd be nice for "price-tags"...

Ok, before I try again, I'd like an opinion!!
Who do you think would be stronger:
--concrete resurfacing product
or
--mortar mix?

Concrete resurfacing product (topping mixes) are generally stronger than mortars but it all depends on the additives and admixes in the product.