RECYCLED PAPER HYPERTUFA
By Steve Hess
What’s Hypertufa?
Hypertufa is an old material originating in the peat bogs in England and Ireland. It is a man made substitute for Tufa rock. Tufa is a spongy rock found in limestone country especially where water has been involved in the wearing and leaching out of the original materials to affect a porous spongy consistency. In many countries throughout the world this natural stone has been hollowed out and carved for tubs and planters. One of the obvious advantages of HYPERTUFA is its versatility. It can be used for tubs, pots, troughs, steps, benches, sculptures, seats, and bCPirdbaths. When surface treated, it gives the appearance of great age and ruggedness. It is traditionally made from a mixture of Portland cement, perlite and peat moss, sand sometimes as well. The resulting stone-like material is porous and lighter in weight than pure concrete and is a versatile casting and sculpting medium. It can also be carved.
I have experimented with different combinations of aggregates to develop a greener recipe for hypertufa that replaces expensive, non-renewable resources, peat moss and perlite, with shredded office copier paper, paper pulp and common sand. With rising costs, this is a creative and effective low-cost alternative. You can experiment with other dry additives to add texture and strength to your hypertufa mixture including dried grass, shredded leaves, sawdust, vermiculite and Styrofoam peanuts are just a few examples. What ever you add, remember that it must serve the role of an aggregate, helping to bind the mixture together adding necessary structure and strength to the mix.
Adding paper fiber or other porous ingredients tends to slow the setting and curing time, allowing a longer time period to work with the material, at least 3-4 hours. The material will begin to set once movement and agitation cease. Hypertufa continues to grow in strength the longer it cures.
Materials
Sand
Portland Cement
Cross-cut shredded paper (confetti-like pieces not long strips)
Water
New or used motor oil
Equipment
Paper Shredder
Blender
Assorted plastic cups and buckets
Wheel Barrow or Concrete Mixing Tub
Garden Hoe
Hose or other Water Source
Protective Gloves
Assorted Brushes and Concrete Tools
Various Items to serve as molds and Casting Forms
-oiled wooden box molds
-molds made from builder’s insulation foam
-corrugated brown paper boxes lined with plastic bags
- plastic containers, planters, snow saucers, etc.
-rubber latex molds
-plastic covered hump molds
-layer over something old, i.e., a sink or tub, an old container
-a chicken wire or hardware-cloth covered armature or framework
-free-form sculpture balls or heads
Recycled Paper Hypertufa Recipe
3 parts shredded paper (confetti-like pieces not long strips)
1 1/2 parts sand
1 1/2 paper pulp water or plain water
1 1/2 parts Portland cement (more if faster setting is desired)
Mixing Instructions
Use a concrete-mixing tub, a child’s plastic wading pool or a wheelbarrow to mix your hypertufa. A garden hoe and your gloved hands are perfect tools for mixing the ingredients. 5-gallon plastic buckets work very well for measuring and holding ingredients. Any large plastic container serves nicely as your measuring cup. This container completely full equals 1 “part” in the hypertufa recipe.
- Place 3 parts shredded paper into the bottom of mixing container.
- Add all of the sand and mix into the shredded paper with your gloved hands.
- Add half of the pulp water or water to the mixture and massage the wet paper and sand into a smoother pulp.
- Now add the Portland cement by sprinkling it carefully over the surface of the pulp mixture. Do this slowly to keep dust at a minimum. You may choose to wear a dust mask.
- Mix the cement into the pulp thoroughly. The texture will resemble hamburger that’s ready to be made into patties for the grill. The mixture needs to be moist and plastic with no sign of seeping water and dry enough to pack and build upon itself. Mixing hypertufa is similar to the making of bread - the quantity of water depends on the day you are mixing. If your mix is “weepy” add additional Portland cement and shredded paper in small amounts until it reaches the proper consistency.
The hypertufa is now ready to be used. You have at least three hours to work with this material. As long and you continue to agitate the mix it will not set. When you have finished working wash all tools and equipment with water. Cover your finished work with plastic and allow setting out of the sun for 24 hours. After this time, the hypertufa will be set but not cured. It can now be trimmed, carved, decorated and then allowed to cure for at least a week out of the sun.
