To any sculptoring gurus out there. I really need some advice. First, I am an artist- various media. I usually end up in the home improvement stores or salvage yards looking for something that I need-and I usually use something for what it was totally not intended. Our local Lowe's staff knows me and they don't even try to help anymore. So... My husband's building was sold out from under him (after 17 years) and we have had to rush to find another place. I actually met my husband, an attorney, when I wrote him and told him his street window (old store front) looked tacky and he should do something about it. He called me in to "see who was either brassy enough or stupid enough to insult a lawyer on paper"! I ended up making a lady justice statue out of a mop head, a sawed off mannequin head, a separate mannequin body, two left arms, no hands, an old sheet, a deck support block, plaster and rocker panel spray. She looks pretty good! Here's my dilema. I need a outdoor yard sign. I want an architectural one, but honest lawyers aren't rich lawyers! I am the only lawyer's wife that doesn't get weekly manecures and uses her fingernails for screwdrivers! (I really irritate the other "wives"!) Does anyone know a good way to do this? I thought of constructing some columns out of various found materials and then coating them with some kind of polymer cement mixture. The actual flat sign part I can handle, but I wanted a cool surround. I'm in Mississippi and we get some really extreme weather at times. I did see a sign while browsing that looked like you had poured a 5" thick irregular amoeba shape, stood it up on end and somehow anchored it to the ground. The letters were attached to boards painted to match the shape and the boards were then attached to the shape. Would a concrete pour like this crack in extreme weather? Could I add a strengthener to it or something? I have a feeling I might get in trouble there, but I am still considering it. The construction underneath any columns, etc. I can probably meander through, but the coating worries me. I can just see some waterlogged contraption out front when my in-laws drove up. Any advice or warnings greatly appreciated. Jane
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Good story Jane, I bet your quite the catch. I had a thought about a wood foundation with foam board and stucco to make a sign, and went for a search. Here is what I found.
http://www.signcraft.com/stucco93.pdf
I hope this idea is something you could use.
fiberglass fibers in the concrete, gently mist with water while it is drying so that it does not dry to fast. Then apply 2-3 coats of sealer and it should be fine.
You could do GFRC, Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete, either a pour or trowel (sp?) it on depending on how thick you make it. Call Ball Consulting, Ltd at 888-967-7727. They should be able to help you out. www.ball-consulting-ltd.com for more info