Rusty Davis
Shohin
It did have a weird stain
Cement/Concrete/Grout Containers
- Thread starter ghues
- Start date
Soldano666
Omono
these are a great idea, you literally can drape them over any shape for some cool effects. Looks like I have something to try tomorrow
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
Great idea!
I will probably experiment since I have a week's holliday. Thanks for the tip.
ghues
Omono
You can drape them over a balloon, then pop it once it’s dried.
Rusty Davis
Shohin
I just checked on the grout ones plan on multiple coats to get them good and solid
SU2
Omono
May I ask you how you're doing this, like do you have any write-ups anywhere or is it simply making the armature and then applying multiple rounds (presumably pressing a rock or something into it for texture?)
I've just started and while I'm happy with them so far, they're made from forms:
And while these will work for a majority of my specimen, I've got >1' trunk trees too, and am on the fence between just making very large forms, or making custom/creative containers like yours - how steep of a learning curve is there? Thanks
ghues
Omono
Here you go, check out his step by step section......https://anijhuis.com/May I ask you how you're doing this, like do you have any write-ups anywhere or is it simply making the armature and then applying multiple rounds (presumably pressing a rock or something into it for texture?)
I've just started and while I'm happy with them so far, they're made from forms:
View attachment 172490 View attachment 172491
And while these will work for a majority of my specimen, I've got >1' trunk trees too, and am on the fence between just making very large forms, or making custom/creative containers like yours - how steep of a learning curve is there? Thanks
The curve isn’t steep......the big thing is you need multiple armatures so that you can do the same sides as most times I use a fairly fluid mixture......the texture can be modified after you let it set up for a bit by using different things, old sponges, trowels, chopsticks, old pot scrubbers etc.
Another option I use for just flat slabs/trays.....sheet of plastic on level surface, then flat 1/2” square wire cut to shape....pour mixture over shape to desired thickness, let set up for a bit (temperature sensitive), add another sheet of plastic and lay boards or plywood with a light weight...... before it hardens too much I remove the upper layers (weight, plywood and plastic) then add ( gentle push in and twist) bent wire loops (tie downs).
G.
SU2
Omono
VERY impressive work! While I expect you've seen this given what you're making, but if not you may find some useful inspiration/ideas from here: http://www.atelierbonsai-element.co...o.60/bonsai-pot-no.60---length-75cm---03.html
^that's a random page but this guy makes TONS of them, lots of great ideas!
I couldn't agree with you more!!! It's my first year of bonsai (almost at 1yr now ), have built up a collection and then realized I needed proper benches for good-practice and aesthetics, then quickly realized what you say- designing containers for trees can be very challenging and it's absolutely integral, I mean you could have a tree and the way you present it - container / benching - can just make such a huge difference in how it's perceived, wayyy more than I'd have ever thought when initially getting into this and building up my #'s!!
And yeah w/ it being the dormant time of year, just makes sense to shift into pot-making now! I've been trying to build-up an inventory for a massive spring re-potting session, and am just now getting to the point of making unique, specimen-specific containers (instead of making as many generic square and circular containers as I can!), much like yours where you use bendable metal-meshing as scaffolding for it and apply in layers (though I don't have good 'cheesecloth' or whatever the thin paper is - I do have drywall tape, the type with holes in it, that I expect will work all the same!) Have a question for you- if you keep a project wet ie burlap bag over it when not working it, can you do a project that's like 3-5 applications of cement over 2-3 days? I know you want to make all non-final layers rough so the next one keys-in properly, but past that I'm unsure what parameters to stay in if I'm trying to make something over the course of 2-3d!
Thanks again for sharing, just the jpg's you posted / I saved are of use ;D
^that's a random page but this guy makes TONS of them, lots of great ideas!
I couldn't agree with you more!!! It's my first year of bonsai (almost at 1yr now
), have built up a collection and then realized I needed proper benches for good-practice and aesthetics, then quickly realized what you say- designing containers for trees can be very challenging and it's absolutely integral, I mean you could have a tree and the way you present it - container / benching - can just make such a huge difference in how it's perceived, wayyy more than I'd have ever thought when initially getting into this and building up my #'s!! And yeah w/ it being the dormant time of year, just makes sense to shift into pot-making now! I've been trying to build-up an inventory for a massive spring re-potting session, and am just now getting to the point of making unique, specimen-specific containers (instead of making as many generic square and circular containers as I can!), much like yours where you use bendable metal-meshing as scaffolding for it and apply in layers (though I don't have good 'cheesecloth' or whatever the thin paper is - I do have drywall tape, the type with holes in it, that I expect will work all the same!) Have a question for you- if you keep a project wet ie burlap bag over it when not working it, can you do a project that's like 3-5 applications of cement over 2-3 days? I know you want to make all non-final layers rough so the next one keys-in properly, but past that I'm unsure what parameters to stay in if I'm trying to make something over the course of 2-3d!
Thanks again for sharing, just the jpg's you posted / I saved are of use ;D
SU2
Omono
Can you elaborate on "ran them through a thin mix'? Do you mean a wetter-than-normal mix of mortar? And that was to get them to take a shape, to be the forms you'd then build off of?
Just want to be sure I'm on the same page here, as I love that idea and I've got a ton of 'shade cloth' that's similar to burlap that I think I could work with like that, really think it could be a huge part of how I make some larger containers (will use metal-mesh scaffolding for their bases, but formed burlap/shade-cloth seems a very solid, simple way to add-on to a solid structure!
Thanks for any info you can toss my way
(FWIW my only experience so far is taking cement/sand at 1/2.5, mixing dry, wetting til it's moist enough to be pressed-into forms, I let them dry for ~2d before gently removing from forms and using my flap disk to smooth them before they've fully cured....then 1mo in a bucket of water with fresh water every few days to leach stuff and get the pH up!)
Soldano666
Omono
Here is a blog post I posted on the arbor arts collective blog about how i made a run of diy cement pots,
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?b...onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=84;src=postname
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?b...onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=84;src=postname
Soldano666
Omono
I made these jams last week with hydraulic fast set cement mix. Mixed with some fiberglass hairs. I draped aluminum window screen over various items much like rusty did and gooped on the mix... once it set up I mixed up a wetter mix, with buff cement color added and dipped them several times to increase the wall thickness.... I'm addicted and now need to go get more mix.
Rusty Davis
Shohin
@SU2 I did a real thin mix and got the burlap soppy wet with it then went back and added a thicker mix. I really like what @Soldano666 did with his. I personally enjoyed the floor level mix but I'm going to have to seal that good to get long term use. Once I get them painted up I'll post the results. Damn work is getting in the way again
ghues
Omono
@SU2VERY impressive work! While I expect you've seen this given what you're making, but if not you may find some useful inspiration/ideas from here: http://www.atelierbonsai-element.co...o.60/bonsai-pot-no.60---length-75cm---03.html
^that's a random page but this guy makes TONS of them, lots of great ideas!
I couldn't agree with you more!!! It's my first year of bonsai (almost at 1yr now
And yeah w/ it being the dormant time of year, just makes sense to shift into pot-making now! I've been trying to build-up an inventory for a massive spring re-potting session, and am just now getting to the point of making unique, specimen-specific containers (instead of making as many generic square and circular containers as I can!), much like yours where you use bendable metal-meshing as scaffolding for it and apply in layers (though I don't have good 'cheesecloth' or whatever the thin paper is - I do have drywall tape, the type with holes in it, that I expect will work all the same!) Have a question for you- if you keep a project wet ie burlap bag over it when not working it, can you do a project that's like 3-5 applications of cement over 2-3 days? I know you want to make all non-final layers rough so the next one keys-in properly, but past that I'm unsure what parameters to stay in if I'm trying to make something over the course of 2-3d!
Thanks again for sharing, just the jpg's you posted / I saved are of use ;D
I haven’t tried your wet burlap bag idea. I let the layer dry for 24-36 hours and then apply another layer. Most of my mixes are wetter and on the runny side depending on the structure. The material I use is not cheesecloth but cheap shear curtains (from the dollar store) that is glued to the armature with spray glue (also from 1$ store).
Rusty Davis
Shohin
Here is how mine turned out after a little dry brushing.
Soldano666
Omono
Mmmmmmm looks like bacon....
ghues
Omono
Very interesting look, did you apply colour after it dried?
jriddell88
Omono
dang these turned out nice , post some pictures when you pot them up!
Rusty Davis
Shohin
Thanks.. I did the dry brushing after the pieces where dry. I may play with making more this weekend. Maybe try some grey paints. I'm thinking a flat gloss or a satin gloss to seal it up good. Even with the paint I bet I have less than $5 in each one and maybe an hour of time.
SU2
Omono
Link tries to get me to put in my gmail credentials :/ Is there direct access or do I have to log-in to view that?
Dude!! That first one is AWESOME!! (are the others just un-finished, or were you going for a different style?)
Am certainly going to try my hand at these this afternoon if the rain lets up (hmmm, this could be done in the patio....
), they're incredibly cool little containers!!Out of curiosity, why 'real thin'? My intuition would be to go just a bit thinner, as thin as-needed for proper spreading and not a speck thinner- are you doing it real thin for ease-of-application or is there a reasoning I'm not seeing? Fantastic results of course, thanks a ton for posting am super stoked for my next session now (hopefully today! Know what you mean about work getting in the way, for me it's like "work, errands & house-work/cleaning, then bonsai if I've got time", sometimes (like today!) I've got a full day off and can really get into stuff, unfortunately I had to spend first half of my day neutering/de-flowering bougies, was sick of them sitting in flowering-phase and aphids were becoming an issue so did quite a bit of pruning/cutting this afternoon!)
Unsure what "floor level mix" is, sounds like it'd be a delayed-set product, with plasticizers or something, to help it 'level' as it sets? What benefits does it have over regular portland+cement? That's all I've been using for all of this, a 2.5:1 sand
ortland mixture, though I've got some grouts w/ different attributes I may try using When you say "seal that good", what are you planning to seal with, the paint? Any & everything you can tell me about how you did that paint would be hugely appreciated, that came out SO much better than mine would've if I'd sat down w/ brown paint + containers, unsure how you got the color-variation to come out that way and incredibly eager to find-out!!!! And is it regular paint or cement-specific stuff?
Thanks for any&all info, what you did with those is just awesome!!!
When it's curing those 24-36hrs, is it just left in open-air? When you go back for the next round, is the crete you're building upon (the 24-36hr cured layer) still wet/dark or is it mostly light-gray/dry on the outside, where the new layer is to be applied? Also, any reasoning for wetter/runny mixtures (besides spreadability) would be hugely appreciated, I'd approach that using the driest I could get away with, I know I'd use runnier mud when making layers than when pouring-into a form but want to know if there's any need/use to it being runnier aside from ease-of-application? I ask because I'm anal about making my mortars as dry-as-can-be (while still sufficiently activating the cement, of course!), for strength and to reduce shrinkage, but in reading posts here it seems there may be some utility to thinner mixes that I'm just not seeing :/
Am also still trying to figure out just what, exactly, can be safely used to provide as strong a barrier between my substrate & the container, so far mineral oil is my favorite recommendation but honestly I'd be far more comfortable w/ a paint or glaze, something that'd give a hard, preferably glossy, layer between substrate&cement!
The ones you made, 'bacon' is the best description I could come up with for that color/effect (thought it before @Soldano666 said it! And 666- got another satanist lol
), I'm dying to know:- Did you use multiple shades of brown to achieve that marbled/varied color-density, or simply do some areas thin and others thick and/or double-coated? The effect came out incredible, if that's something you were able to just learn on the fly (ie you don't have tons of experience w/ this) then I'm SO excited at the prospects here!!
- Are you using 'regular' paint here? I hate the idea of my roots being in contact w/ cement and so far mineral oil seemed the best candidate for sealing the substrate&roots from the mortar, but if I can just paint (latex? oil-base?) I'd be far more comfortable, guess I'd worried that paint would be toxic although, once dried/cured, it's gotta be pretty inert I'd imagine!
)Great work, all of you guys, am so glad I found this thread while amidst a container-building frenzy at my place
Rusty Davis
Shohin
Let's see if I can answer some of those questions... I did a thin mix to roll the burlap around in before I put it over the Styrofoam ball. Once I had a shape I liked I kind of put a thicker mix on and even flipped dry powder on to it to thicken it up. As far as paints I believe they were basic acrylics. They are stark white after they're dry so I painted it a solid black and then used two Browns and two greens on the first one. I believe the bacon one just has two Browns. If I have time tomorrow evening I want to make another group of them and see how gray paints work out
