Submitted by Adam on 12/15/99. ( ) 165.234.94.186
Could anyone give me some information on how to make reproductions of rocks to be used as decoration for a mount? Real rocks are going to be just too heavy.
If you have any links or any suggestions on where to find this information, I would appreciate it.
Thank you for your help.
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This response submitted by Todd B on 12/15/99. ( trigger@indy.net ) 209.183.122.181
the way I make rocks is I purchased some brushable latex rubber from
Matuska taxidermy supply(That is just where I got it from, other suppliers sell it)
I paint a layer on my rock of choice.(Make sure you only go 1 to 1 1/2
inches on the underside so as to leave a hole so you can peel your mold
off of the rock)I let it dry for a while and then paint on
another layer. I paint a total of 4 layers like this. As soon as you paint the 4th
layer you will want to imbed strips of burlap in the latex. I then proceed to paint
overtop of the burlap with another 4 coats. After a couple of days of the latex
curing I carefully peel the mold off. When I am ready to make the rock I mix up some
Bondo Ultra Lite Filler (60%)and polyester resin(40%)and both of the hardeners
together. You should now have a pourable Bondo mixture. (DO NOT use to much of the
Bondo hardener or you rock will be to red) Then pour your mixture into the mold and
roll it around and make sure you get all of the sides fairly even and not to thin.
You will have to keep an eye on it and keep moving it around so it
does not all run to the bottom of the mold. And when it is set up just paint it.
I am sorry this is so long,good luck
Todd B
This response submitted by Pacemakr on 12/15/99. ( jfwagner@hereintown.net ) 209.240.200.61
Research Mannikins sells a powder called Granite 10# (S-760-9B) for $11.50 for 10 lbs.
Make your base size, put pieces of wood for heights, staple chicken wire over it, mix plaster of paris, dip burlap in it and spread over the wire. When dry, mix Granite mix just like plaster and cover the whole thing. When dry, spray water colored with black, blue, or light green paint, with any spray bottle. This stuff dries quick and you'll be ready to mount in about 2 hours total. You can drill holes for foot wires or plants when it's dry.
This response submitted by Larry on 12/16/99. ( hidebeak@cpinternet.com ) 204.220.140.226
In addition to the latex molding material (Mold Builder), you can also make your rock molds from flexible urethane and silicone moldmaking products. You should also consider carving artificial rocks out of scrap urethane foam. There are a number of materials you can use to coat the foam for texture, including paper mache, Quickstand, Fleck-Stone, and making your own mixtures containing concrete mix, dirt, granulated cork, etc. It just depends on the look you want to get. Breakthrough magazine has had some articles on this in the past, and there are a number of books and videos on the subject available from various suppliers. Hope this helps. If you'd like a copy of my catalog, visit our web site at www.hidebeak.com (guest book), or call 1-800-7777916, Mon-Fri, 9-5 CST and request one. Happy Holidays!
This response submitted by Art on 12/16/99. ( hursey1@sota-oh.com ) 216.28.80.71
Here is a simple way to make lightweight rocks. Take a piece of an old form,
or pour some two part foam and cut it to the shape desired. Then mix up some mache
and cover the foam with it. you can leave it rough or smooth it down as it is drying.
After it dries, mix a little craft paint with water and put a wash on the rock. I usually use a grey color
and then go over in spots with black. Let dry and spray with 99 cent a can
acrylic clear from the Dollar store. With a little practice, you can get pretty good at it.
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