Concrete question

[southernsis]

What is a cheap way to color concrete? The stuff they sell as color is very expensive if you need a lot of it. Any cheap things to use.
My husband wants to know if anyone has made their own beams using hand tools? Any books are articles that give a how to. Any good site for buying the old hand tools. After no power for 3 weeks he wants to do everything by hand. I tell him it is his Viking blood coming out.

[glenn kangiser]

Do the concrete normal - no color - and sprinkle the color over the top then trowel it in just to the top surface - If using different colors, you can get an interesting effect by sprinkling colors here and there but not over troweling so that the colors are variegated.  They will dry much lighter than they look when wet.

[Redoverfarm]

Concrete try

http://www.bontool.com/default.asp

Timber or wood

http://www.lumberjacktools.com/
http://www.loghomestore.com/tools1.shtml?gclid=CPqjzfjW1ZgCFSMSagodBQQ01g
http://www.mendotatools.com/Timber-Tools-C32.aspx?gclid=CIam-ojX1ZgCFRwDagodRCfP1A
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/default.php?cPath=36&gclid=CPSp3pXX1ZgCFRIcawodbW5H1g

[JRR]

Those little plastic bottles of concrete coloring are expensive!  I've been told that our local ready-mix company sells concrete coloring in larger, more affordable, packages.  But I've yet to try buying it that way.  Still got some of those small bottles.

Similar to what Glenn suggests, you can make a mix of coloring, sand, and Portland cement (or masonry cement) "on the side" ... mix with water and trowel it on to your concrete project after the main concrete begins to set up.  You still want wet-on-wet bonding ... so don't wait too late to apply.

[John_C]

Lee Valley & Veritas
http://www.leevalley.com/

I helped make a few beams by hand years ago in a log home building class given by Peter Gott at the John Campbell Folk School in NC.  My prediction is that after he makes one or two he will be singing the praises of the Industrial Revolution.

[MountainDon]

My prediction is that after he makes one or two he will be singing the praises of the Industrial Revolution.