I've used Lego bricks to form concrete a few times, but this project is my favoriate. Using sloped and smooth flat tiles in addition to typical lego bricks, I made a form to create a concrete pourover stand that has a really cool gothic/artdeco aesthetic. The Lego bricks weren't destroyed – except for a single 2x2 brick – and I was able to use the same bricks to make 2 different versions of the concrete coffee maker. I accidentally broke one of the pieces when I was removing the Lego, but was able to repair it with Quikrete bonding adhesive.

SUPPLIES:

Lego
Available at Lego.com
I used a lot of sloped bricks and smooth flat tiles for this project.

100mm Glass Funnel
Available at Amazon.com
I used a heat resistent glass funnel to hold the filter and direct the coffee into the glass.


Quikrete Countertop Mix
Available at Home Depot
I used Quikrete countertop mix in grey.





Quikrete High Strength Anchoring Epoxy
Available at Home Depot
This high strength epoxy is expeiscally designed for glueing together concrete.

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Build the Mold
I built the mold using sloped bricks, smooth flat tiles and typical Lego bricks. The mold was built so that the bumps on the lego bricks didn't come in contact with the wet concrete. I constructed the wall panels so that they would come off in large pieces, since removing the bricks is the most time consuming part of the process. About halfway up the mold, I made sure to connect the inner part of the arch with the outer shell.















STEP 2: Mix + Pour Concrete
Mix the Quikrete Countertop Mix with water until it was the consistency of oatmeal. Then spoon and pour it into the Lego mold, stopping about every 3 inches to push the concrete down with a stick. Once the mold was filled, I tapped it with my hands to vibrate and get the air bubbles out.









STEP 3: Remove the Lego
After letting the concrete cure for about 20 hours, I removed the Lego bricks. Lego makes a small tool that makes this easier. However, if you don’t have one, needle nose pliers work well as long as you're careful not to squeeze too hard, which could damage the bricks. I ended up accidentally breaking the arch when I was trying to pry some of the inner lego bricks loose, but it wasn’t a big deal since I ended up gluing it back together.







STEP 4: Make Additional Pieces
I used Lego to make a tray to fit inside the arch. One of the great things about forming concrete with Lego is that you can make separate pieces that fit together perfectly.











STEP 5: Glue It Together
I used sandpaper to sand the edges of the pieces that went together. Then I squeezed some Quikrete High Strength Anchoring Epoxy onto a board and used a stick to apply it to the surfaces I wanted to glue together.











STEP 6: Add the Funnel
After letting the epoxy cure 24 hours, I inserted the glass funnel and got ready to make some coffee.





STEP 7: Make a Cup of Coffee
I inserted a coffee filter into the glass funnel and added a couple scoops of ground coffee. Then I poured hot water over the grounds and watched the fresh coffee stream through the funnel and into the cup below.













Good luck making your own concrete coffee maker and please email, tweet or hashtag photos to @benuyeda, ben@homemade-modern.com or #homemademodern. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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