Quick & easy base habitat for all of us gardeners

[michael p.]

I'm done with all but 5 shoulder mounts so it's finally time to start on all my dreaded lifesize  Anyways, this is a method i've used for years for the bottom of my bases.  If you like it, fine, if you don't that's fine also.  Just haven't done a tutorial in quite a while & figured I could make this into one.

Let be start by saying that I don't use dirt because I am not ever talented enough to leave a smooth surface or I always seem to have to go over it twice for coverage....nothing wrong with plain old dirt, I just prefer this.

First, buy you a bag of regular pine bark mulch, not shredded, not nuggets & definately not colored....just plain ass pine bark mulch.

Lie it out in the hot sun & stir it every 30 minutes or so so it is completely dry.  What doesn't fall through sifting, simply spread in your flower beds....it's a way to get a write off on your taxes for gardening products

Get you a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth & start sifting into a bucket making sure the hardware cloth completely covers the top so no remnants of the larger mulch drop in.









After sifting you should have a bucket of habitat that looks like this


Then I take Wal-Mart BLACK water based craft paint and thin it down with rubbing alcohol and use my airbrusher to darken the underneath of my precut plywood for my habitat.  (you could use spray paint, but the laquer base can inhibit adhesion of the water based glue)







Then I make a 50/50 mixture of Elmer's School Glue & plain water and coat my base with it.  The glue will be very thin....you paint on your coat pretty thick, let it sit & tac for 5 minutes & then come back & smooth out with a paint brush.


First part of coating






after letting sit for 5 minutes, re-smooth-this is after the 5 minutes


Let sit for 1 or 2 more minutes & apply the mulch you have sifted.  Don't throw it on, just lay it on & pat it down with your hand.











After all is covered, let it dry


If that's the main base I proceed to add my form, mount, plants, etc.. If it's going to be recessed into an oak base I spread wood glue on the bottom, set it in & pop staples from an air gun into each corner.  This is the end product.







Close up of habitat look


I'm mounting the Bobcat now, here is a preview.....later for finishing I will add a few habitat plants.  Will post pics when finished, hope it helps

[Tmbrwlf52]

Thanks for taking time to do this , I like it . Pretty simple and very decent looking . Thanks again, John.

[Hoss.]

I have a pair of those short.

great tutorial thanks mike

[outwoods taxidermy]

simple but effective,  tel me you didn't make the surround as well...

[breeze]

Thanks Mike,
  What do you charge for a base like that, or is it included in your mount price?

[michael p.]

I would normally charge $150-$200 extra depending on who made the shell for me, but this one is free for the customer & he doesn't doesn't even know it's gonna be on this nice base, he thinks it's gonna on a plywood base with ground cover & small habitat.

See, I have had this base laying around the studio for over a year & I've had his cat in the freezer even longer LOL  He is in no hurry, but I took advantage of that & have kept it way longer than is even comfortable for me.  So I chose to put it on this nicer base as my way of saying "Thank you, I appreciate your patience, here's a little reward for it"  That generally goes over much better than a simple" i'm sorry" & actually in $$$$ cost's, it only takes about $50 out of your bottom line.

My motto towards customer's in this situation is one tought to me years ago by a business man named Ed Mullin's.  I was pissed about a sale I had not made while I was working with him in in the early 80's in Austin.  He told me I was promoting the product too hard & not looking at the peoples needs and concerns.  He told me simply "Mike, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"  I found that to be true, even if i'm off on a delivery date, if you take a foresight approach to making them understand you ran late or behind instead of hoping they don't say anything, they will generally come back to you because you showed care & concern for them.

[Randy Bell]

 Very nice I'll try it

[mimes]

Curious to see how you will soften the transition where the wood/dirt line meet.

[itsatrophy]

Try peat moss works the same with out the extra work just use right out of the bag it has the same quality.
Also use wall paper romans glue without all that runny mess of elmers.

[bigyay]

thanks mate .

[bowhuntr]

thanks michael p...really like the saying from your friend too...true words of wisdom

[Lil-Sneekee-Hope]

I have a bunch of the regular wall paper glue... but does it hold and work as good as the Elmer's??

[michael p.]

Here's the finished product

[BVanKirk]

that kitty looks mean

[Kenny]

Simple and easy base,  Great idea.  Thanks.