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Im a pinstriper not a sigh maker. I see really nice signs that appear to be rock but think read somewhere you know a material that is glued or sprayed.
Any ideas how to make a rock outside of stealing them?
-------------------- Bart Robinson Bart Robinson Pinstriping Corpus Christi Texas Posts: 78 | From: Corpus Christi Texas | Registered: Jul 2006
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How we build our rocks depends on how large they are... small ones are cast solid ... bigger ones are sculpted over a welded steel frame.
Let me know the size and I'll post how we go about it in our shop.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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If you need a lightweight rock I'd hack one out of foam and then hard coat it with acrylic plaster. In our shop we prefer to do rocks that are a little heavier but still movable. The following pictures were of a project we did as a demonstration piece in our last workshop a couple of weeks back...
First off I welded up a quick framework of pencil rod. This is really easy and quick... doesn't take a lot of skill nor fabulous welding ability... One of my students is shown giving me a hand putting on the mesh... his first time doing this task and he did well.
Then this is wrapped with expanded galvanized plaster lath - available at Home Depot or your local brick & Block or drywall wholesaler...
The next steps are to follow in the next post...
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Then its time for the concrete layer... ONE PART CEMENT POWDER to TWO PARTS FINE SAND plus water and a pinch of fiberglass shorts mixed in a five gallon bucket with a paddle mixer in a half inch drill. I use a pool trowel to put on the cement using a light touch. Just put it on about 1/2" - 1" thick and let it sit. Don't over work it or it will fall off.
Then you have to let it set up some... a couple of hours more or less depending on conditions. This pic is before I carved it as we were waiting for it to set up... After it was ready I scratched in some light cracks and textures then sponged the rocks to give them a sandy texture. Let it cure a couple of days and then paint with acrylic paints.
This works on any scale rocks in Yarrow...
-grampa dan.
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Here's the same piece almost finished as it sits in the shop tonight... Still some glazing layers to do on the bark to darken things down.
The rocks around our place are all blue and purple... Janis' favorite color. This is our new mail box.
The rocks were painted a base color, then second coated with a blend - darkest colors to the bottom. Once dry I speckle them with an undercoat gun - two colors, dark brown and beige.
Realistic rock would be grays and browns with a much more subtle speckle pattern.
The tree, mailbox and squirrel were done with Abradacadabra Sculpt because it is much easier to get fine detail using it instead of concrete.
It's a rocky road in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
[ November 16, 2009, 11:17 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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