7 ms·

(Rhetorical questions) What does limestone look like? Where can I find it, and what do I need to know about working with it? How hot does the fire have to be

(Rhetorical questions) What does limestone look like? Where can I find it, and what do I need to know about working with it? How hot does the fire have to be, and what do I need to know to build a fire that hot? Maybe I'm just dumb on some of these points, but these are my personal followup questions that indicate that, even knowing these basics, I couldn't immediately make concrete without "civilization". Even the great grandparents who made their own concrete, may have bought the limestone and not known how to get it themselves.

pm90 12y ago
Limestone is the brittle yellow rock that you can find sometimes. Hmm, now Im interested in how they locate it underground. But there are many naturally occurring open deposits like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Cliffs_of_Dover http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Cliffs_of_Dover
zafka 12y ago
Wikipedia is your friend, but the easiest place to get calcium carbonate is from shells. Most parts of the world have earthenware clay from which vessels can be made.
- scintill76 12y ago
  I know I could look it up, that's why I said they were rhetorical questions. The information is appreciated nonetheless. I'm not saying I'm helpless to learn these things, just reinforcing GP's point that the average first-worlder (or at least programmer) doesn't know the first thing about this kind of stuff. Even when you do know the "first things" from Wikipedia, it's not necessarily going to enable you to just go out and make concrete from scratch in an afternoon on your first try.
- DanBC 12y ago
  Some walls in Australia still contain traces of seashells. Early settlers used the piles of shells left by Aborigines to make mortar. http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/oyster-shells/ http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/oyster-shells/ http://mileslewis.net/australian-building/pdf/07-cement-concrete/7.01-lime-and-cement.pdf http://mileslewis.net/australian-building/pdf/07-cement-conc...

pm90 12y ago

Limestone is the brittle yellow rock that you can find sometimes. Hmm, now Im interested in how they locate it underground. But there are many naturally occurring open deposits like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Cliffs_of_Dover http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Cliffs_of_Dover

zafka 12y ago

Wikipedia is your friend, but the easiest place to get calcium carbonate is from shells. Most parts of the world have earthenware clay from which vessels can be made.

scintill76 12y ago
I know I could look it up, that's why I said they were rhetorical questions. The information is appreciated nonetheless. I'm not saying I'm helpless to learn these things, just reinforcing GP's point that the average first-worlder (or at least programmer) doesn't know the first thing about this kind of stuff. Even when you do know the "first things" from Wikipedia, it's not necessarily going to enable you to just go out and make concrete from scratch in an afternoon on your first try.
DanBC 12y ago
Some walls in Australia still contain traces of seashells. Early settlers used the piles of shells left by Aborigines to make mortar. http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/oyster-shells/ http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/oyster-shells/ http://mileslewis.net/australian-building/pdf/07-cement-concrete/7.01-lime-and-cement.pdf http://mileslewis.net/australian-building/pdf/07-cement-conc...