Mongoose 411| Special Tips, Tricks & Free-Form Curves
The Mongoose is one of the most popular concrete engraving tools from Engrave-A-Crete.
In this video, special tips & tricks, and how to cut free-form arcs and curves into existing concrete is demonstrated.
This is part 27 of an on-going series on Decorative Concrete, and is taken from the DVD Mastering Concrete Engraving, The Basics.
Long, sweeping, freeform arcs and serpentine grooves are relatively easy to do with a Mongoose. Draw the proposed line to be cut. When a groove is to be parallel with the edge of the slab edge, use the edge marker tool.
Put a lot of downward pressure on the engraver to keep the wheels from skidding sideways in the turns. Forward progress must be maintained. Once you begin the cut, do not stop. If forward progress stops, any attempt to restart the cut will create an ugly bobble or a kink in the groove.
For incremental control of forward or reverse movement, use your left hand to rotate the left rear wheel.
Hoses and cords dragging behind will make it difficult to maintain straight cuts. When cutting straight lines, have a helper control the vacuum hose and extension cords. If assistance is not available, lay the hoses and cords over your shoulder or strap them to your leg with tape or a bungee cord.
Use a 12-3 extension cord to get the most power to the Mongoose. Motors will run cooler, last longer, be more powerful, and you will get the job done faster. Put the vacuum cleaner on a separate circuit.
Make operations easier by adding on extra sections of vacuum hose. 12 to 20 feet or more is recommended. Consider installing a Gortex Clean Stream filter on the vacuum for better operation.
The pointer should be checked if it is the first cut of the day, or if your Mongoose was accidentally kicked or bumped.
Drilled anchor holes in the concrete can be filled with crack filler or concrete patch material.
Do a complete layout and snap all chalk lines prior to beginning cutting. This allows you to check for accuracy and that the pattern looks good.
When doing freeform curves, if possible, start on a straight section that leads into the curve. It makes tool alignment much easier.
To draw a line parallel to the edge of the slab, a handy tool is the edge parallel marker, produced by Engravacrete.
Purchase the DVD Mastering Concrete Engraving, The Basics to see this series in its entirety.
0 comments
Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment