I have been combining concrete and wood in my furniture for many years now. One piece I created several years ago was my Mercury bench. It is a three foot long bench designed for that perfect little spot. Since day one of completing mercury, it has been envisioned taller as a table. My latest project has been building just that- a concrete and wood sofa table inspired by mercury.

The heart of the piece is its concrete slab. It is mold poured concrete and in order to achieve a high quality surface on all exposed sides it must be poured vertically. The slab will be 1.5″ thick to achieve this, reinforcing mesh is added to the mold.

In order to achieve maximum strength on this casting, I use a based sand mix. Extra cement, fiber, and acrylic fortifier make this type of casting possible.

The mold is filled and plastic is draped over the top the slow the cure and increase strength. The ribs on the mold increase the strength and make for a flatter casting.

Once out of the mold you have a what is referred to as a green casting. You can truly see the moisture in the concrete. As it dries it becomes harder and lighter in color. This photo shows the back of the casting. I have relieved two sections to make the casting lighter. Amazingly these two thinner areas save 30 pounds of weight. I am particularly fond of the side effect- the visual interest created.

And finally back from the photographers. The concrete has dried to a beautiful light gray. The top is a black stained mahogany and the base brushed aluminum. The Radian table is complete!