Making the test panel

Yesterday Colin and I discovered a backing board designed for curved walls. It's called Permabase Flex. After calling two different manufacturers and finding out where their distributors were in Austin I finally tracked down a place in Round Rock that had them in stock. I had already made the drive all the way out to Pflugerville to go to the powder coater to get a sample of the blue metal. I was in the car again on my way back up there not less than an hour after I got home.

Sample from powder coater

I had also been to Lowes after the powder coater and thought that making a stucco wall on both sides was going to be the way to go. I purchased all the materials to do the test panel like that, along with the tools it was going to take to cut out the windows, and assemble the thing. 

After talking to Colin again we decided to try the flexible backing board first, because that could potential save a ton of time. I cut out a window panel on a piece of the backer board when I got home and did a few tests with finishing coat stucco cement.

I discovered I needed an additive for the cement if it was going to be applied to a backer board. I also got an idea from my uncle Jimmy, who I had been talking to about the project daily since it's conception. He suggested I use J molding to finish off the perimeter of the backing board for the prototype. He said it could also be used to frame the windows.

I went back to Lowes just before they closed and picked up a few more items. They did not have the J molding though.

This morning I did my first sample mosaic, testing the materials. The flexible backer board is very easy to work with and I did not run into any complications. Caulking the glass into place for the window was new to me, but I am rapidly learning about how all of this stuff works.

I am waiting for the mortar to dry. I will be able to grout in the morning. I am planning on using the finishing stucco cement for the grout to pull it all together. One side is going to be a detailed mosaic, and the other side is going to be more sparse.

Colin came over and picked up a piece of the Permabase Flex to fix to the metal frame he made for the prototype. I will be able to pick that up shortly and begin the mosaic that will be presented on Monday. 

In the mean time I laid out the tile and glass in place so it is ready to be applied to the prototype!

My workspace in the woods