Do you want to build a sailing boat and be off to Tahiti? Strangely enough you can. There is a long established method that people use to do just that. The building technique uses cement reinforced with a lot of fine wire and is called ferro-cement. This technique uses very inexpensive materials but a whole lot of hand labor.

It also takes skill, so maybe you want to start with a small project before you build your boat. How about a computer desk for your garden?

Ferro-cement construction forms panels 3/8 inch to 3/4 inch thick that are very strong and can be shaped in a great variety of curves. In fact you can easily make any curve that occurs in boat hulls. This makes ferro-cement a good media for really far out desk designs and so can be used by students for art desks. It's extremely weather resistance also makes it a good choice for computer desk in a garden.

A commercial version of ferro-cement was used to achieve the distinctive shell curves of the Sydney Opera House.

Our current design is for a simple garden table that can be used with a lap-top computer, for eating a picnic lunch for two, for playing games like chess, or for gardening.

If this is the desk for you, email us this little form and we will detail the design just to suit your needs.

• Notes on Ferro-Cement

  Ferro-Cement construction is simple but laborious. You build a supporting frame for your design using the simple woodworking techniques. You cover the support with three layers of chicken wire, form an internal frame of heavy gage wire, then put on three more layers of chicken wire. This sandwich is wired together with loops of steel wire. You then wire the panels together into the final shape or armature.

  You then remove the wood frame and fill your wire sponge with cement mortar, being sure to force the mortar all the way through from one side. Smooth the mortar and then let it set over night.

  To get maximum strength for the ferro-cement you must keep it damp until the cement is completely set. This takes a total of 29 days. In the wet phase, the desk can be wrapped in plastic sheet and sprinkled with water twice a day for a couple weeks.

  The result is very strong and weatherproof. It can easily sit out side for 75 years.

  The best book on the subject is Ferro Cement Illustrated Construction Manual, by Romack Marine in California ($50).

• Ferro-Cement Desk Construction

  Here then are the steps you could take to build a ferro-cement computer desk:

  1. Learning -- Get a reference book on ferro-cement over the Internet.
  2. Design -- Use computer CAD software to design you very futuristic desk (preferably in the Way Cool school). I will be happy to help.
  3. Support Design - Design a support structure for constructing the desk.
  4. Obtain Materials -- Buy the inexpensive and readily available materials.
  5. Build Support -- Build the support structure out of inexpensive and recycled materials.
  6. Attach Inner Wire Layers -- Attache three layers of 1 inch chicken wire to the frame.
  7. Attach Heavy Wire -- Attach core of heavy goose wire.
  8. Attach Outer Wire Layers -- Attach three more layers of 1 inch chicken wire.
  9. Tie Layers -- Tie all the layers together with twist wires in 3 inch grid (here is the labor).
  10. Remove Support -- Remove the wooden support.
  11. Apply Mortar -- This is done by physically forcing the mortar thorough from one side only.
  12. Smooth Surfaces -- Smooth and insure that no wire is uncoated.
  13. Let Set -- Leave over night to set.
  14. Keep Wet -- Set up a sheet plastic tent and catch basin. Place the desk in it. Keep the desk wet for 29 days.
  15. Dry Desk -- Let the desk dry for a few days.
  16. Smooth -- Sand a little.
  17. Prime -- Paint with cement primer.
  18. Paint -- Paint with color coat.
  19. Move to garden -- Set bricks in the ground for the feet of the desk.

  The design part is fun. Working the wire is tedious but only takes a few hours. Tying the layers is time consuming and is a lot of hand labor. Applying and finishing the mortar takes skill, which is why it is a good idea to do a small project before doing a big boat. Keeping the mortar wet is just a messy nescience (many people use soak hoses for this). Everything else is simple.

  This project is all quite do-able and can certainly be done for under $200. Much of the labor can be done while listening to CD's or even TV.

We need you to build one of these so we can put a picture of it with your name on our Web Site as a Freebie for all woodworkers everywhere.

If this is the desk for you, email your need in the text box and we will detail the design just to suit your needs.

Thanks again for visiting our Web site.

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