I would think that it would have to be very thick in order take it out of the mold with out cracking. The chicken wire will give some support, but it could still flex and then crack.
And being thick it would be heavy, probably too heavy to move.
I dont see the benifit to using hypertufa. By its nature it is slightly pourous. You may have to repeated seal the hypertufa pond -
Is this something you will bury in the ground, like you would the pond liner?
Mike

Hello Mike, thanks for responding.ÃÂ The pond will be at least 3" thick all around, I've pre molded the chicken wire so that I can just slip it on once I do my first layer of mix (about 1/2" to 1" thick) then finish it with another 2" of the mix (to ensure coverage of the wire), and for added strength. The pond will be above ground and on short squat "feet" made of concrete.
The reason's for using hypertufa; I love the rustic charm of it, it would still be lighter than making it out of all cement, and using perlite instead of vermiculite will give me a "granite" kind of look. ÃÂ I did a test run using the sandy dirt from my yard to try and figure out how much of my 4 ingredients I will need.

I don't have a problem re-sealing it but is there a clear coat "paint" to use instead of sealer? ÃÂ Can I add another fiber and which kind for added strength?? ÃÂ How long would you guessti ate for total curing time?? I will be pitching a tent over it to keep it from direct sun.
Can one of those odjob concrete barrel mixers be used to mix the hypertufa?
Thanks for any and all assistance.

That's one ambitious project! Love that idea. I think you are on the right track. My huge planter trough (almost same size) took a long time to cure, at least enough that I felt safe to move it. I made mine about 3 in thick also. It was very hard to move but we supported it on boards underneath for all moves and it worked. Mine is now set up on concrete block pedestals and it is doing well. Not a pond, but a large planter. I never sealed mine so I can't help you with that.
Here is a link to the making of that big trough.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Hypertufa Gardener

Hi luvmymoss, I saw your post about your trough while searching for answers. It actually helped solidify my idea in my head. Sort of like, if they can do it, so can I. Lol Thank you for the link, I love your trough! It is spectacular! I am hoping to make some for the sides of my garage door.
Could you please tell me how long it took for you to take your trough out of the mold, then how long before you felt it would be safe to put in place? My current nightmare is that it will crack or fall apart when we try to lift it from the mold as mine will not be inside the mold but outside. So we will have to lift and then flip it right side up.
I am tempted to just leave it on the mold for a month but then I would not be able to scrape or carve any designs in it because it would be too dry. By the way, I love, love, the colors of your trough, so running out of mix and having to make more worked out for you. Please let me know if I can ask you more questions? I too have fallen in love with this medium and would love to pick your brain and share other ideas? Thanks so very much for your time.

I don't have a problem re-sealing it but is there a clear coat "paint" to use instead of sealer?
Not sure, check with a concrete supply store for best answer.

Can I add another fiber and which kind for added strength??
At the same concrete supply store you will find bags of fiber that can be added to mix. You will have to burn off the ends that stick out of the mix when dried. Only have ever used 1 kind, not sure that there was more than one at the store.

How long would you guessti ate for total curing time??
I would allow to cure for at least 3-4 weeks. keep wet or damp the entire time. You can control the time by covering with plastic and spraying with water, however I have never made a container that large.

I will be pitching a tent over it to keep it from direct sun. You will still need to cover the project to allow it to cure longer,

Can one of those odjob concrete barrel mixers be used to mix the hypertufa? Yes

Have you considered one continuous wire mesh, that would give support to the top and well as the sides and bottom? Rather than covering one section.

Thanks for any and all assistance.

Thanks for all your compliments. I am touched.

I think you should check at the Big Box or Paint stores for a concrete sealer that is used for concrete basement walls. That might help as a sealer, but if I understand it correctly, it is not for the bottom ( as a sealer of a basement floor). Since this is different, it may seal anyway.

If your is to be outside, rain will keep it filled, or if it is dry, a watering every few days may work if it evaps or leaks out.

You may want to start your project on the bed of a large flat wagon or pallet. Then use large boards as transport handles. These could fit underneath, right?

I hope you will post pictures. It sounds like a really nice project.
And if you go to your concrete dealer, the place where the big tanker trucks haul the concrete, they sell that Fibermesh and I got some for nothing. He let me go into their shed where they keep boxes of it, gave me an empty box, and I picked up a cubic foot of it for free. But your chicken wire should do the trick.

Patience is key, don't move it until it feels very hard. Mine was still "texturable" after 4 weeks!

Thank you both. I will have my daughter take pics/video as I go so I can share them. Yes, I will be covering the pond with plastic but I am also pitching a tent over it to keep direct sun from beating down on it while it's curing. I pre-molded the chicken wire to slip on as one piece csge if you will, just so I don't have to worry about cutting it to fit as I go. I will have to find out about local resources to tap into for the fibermesh as this won't be the only big project I want to tackle. I was worried about how long to wait for it to cure, now I'm not. Though I think i'll just leave it on the mold for the 4 weeks since I would have to lift then flip it over to put it where it's going outside. There is no way I think to put it on some kind of pallet since the mold (rigid liner) has that outer/bigger ledge. Thank you both for all your help. I feel more and more confident about it.

I am glad to see that you are sealing the inner surface of the pond, as the leaching of the minerals into the water would kill almost any fish over time. Unless you are intending to keep the water crystal clear the visual benefit of hypertufa will be lost a few inches below the surface of the water. As an exercise I admire the scale of the project and commend your courage, This has to be the largest project of its type that I have seen.

Any update on this project? I am curious as to how it turned out. I recently started my first hypertufa waterfall. It is not big as yours but large. It is in several pieces and they are curing at the moment.