Hey Mary-

Love your username! Can you really sling 6 barrels?

I think one of your lightweight aggregates needs to be changed to sand, which will give the piece more strength, but also more weight. If your grots are meant to stay on the ground and not be moved around alot, then weight is not all that big an issue, but strength is and that's what sand will give to your creations.

When you left your pieces to cure, were they misted and wrapped in plastic? If not, it could be that too much moisture wicked/evaporated out of the thinner pieces before you placed them in their waterbath.

Any other suggestions?

Jo

Jo,
Thanks, I always wanted to be a cowgirl like Annie Oakley, but instead of barrels of bullets, I have barrels of mud. I think this is as close as I'll get...Oh well, this is fun too ;)

The grot hands were made from the left over tufa in the latex gloves I took off when I was finished making the grot. I don't like to waste anything. (DH says I can continue my mad experiments only if it is really cheap or free.) They sat in there for 2 or 3 days. Maybe the fingers are too thin? I was trying to make quick hands. What do you use? Any suggestions or do I have to make them by hand..ha ha, by hand.

The SixBarrellMudSlinger (Mary)

Hey Mary-

Others who have made hands with latex gloves have had varying levels of success. I wonder if you inserted some sort of "armature" such as the kind of wire used to tie rebar together into the fingers as you fill the hands, whether that might help to lend a bit of structure to them? Couldn't hurt to try.

Also, because the hands are more fragile, maybe you could mix up a batch specifically for hands (rather than using leftovers) and use the admix in lieu of water plus adding a pinch of the fiberglass fibers to help hold it together? Also, couldn't hurt to try.

I've reached the end of my suggestion trail. Maybe others who have made hands in latex gloves will offer more ideas????

Good Luck Six-Barrel.... ;D

Muddy

Thanks for all the replies. I am trying to hunt down a concrete contractor to get some of those fibers. I followed a concrete truck the other day trying to get the number off the side, write it down and drive at the same time. I never knew this was such a dangerous hobby!!

TheSixBarrellMudSlinger (Mary)

Mary - can you follow the concrete truck home? Whereever they fill up the trucks is the place to go buy the fibers. In our local phone book it seems to be listed under "ready-mixed" concrete. good luck!
Laura

I've made hands with the gloves before. The fingers are always a weak point. What I found worked not to bad was to put a gavanized screw into each finger joint for extra reinforcement. I also used some fibres and admix. However what I also found made a real difference was to let them sit for at least a week before I degloved them, even a week and a half is better. Remember concrete cures over a length of time, it is still very fragile after only a few days. Try the reinforcement and letting them sit for a while , and that should help.
Cindy

Laura-
There are laws about stalking! :)

Cindy-
Thanks for the tip. My DH says I have no patience. I'll try to let them sit longer. As of now My grot has zombie hands coming out of the ground. I like it. Maybe I'll use them for some Halloween grots for the front yard. Waste not want not!

The SixBarrellMudSlinger (Mary)

Could someone post some photos of their grots?? I would really love to see them.

If someone could tell me where to post pics, I have one to show you. I want to display my 1st orb and leaves, too.

TheSixBarrellMudSlinger (Mary)

Here is a past post that helped me learn how to embed photos in our messages. It is the most simple explanation I found. She refers to photos that do not show up in the message anymore for some reason but I don't think that will stop you from understanding how to go to photobucket and put your photo there and then put it in your posts. See what you think

Here is a link that might be useful: try this

Here's A link That
Might Be Useful:

Here is a link that might be useful: my pics

Hi Mary. If you go to the top of this page and click on Photo Galleries, it shows you how to post a pic(s) in the gallery. I did it and it was simple. Plus the pic can be up to 500k. Then let the group know it's there and give the date or name of the pic. One of my pic's is of the entrance to my oriental garden (in-process) posted July 26, 2006.
Hope this helps.
Mr. Miagi

I loved your photos! By copying the second set of data under your grot picture and pasting the info here, I am getting your grot to show up in this post. It would be better if not so huge... probably the option at the end of your photos (accessible just by the owner I think) would make it come across in a smaller format.
Laura

{{gwi:73081}}

Thanks, Laura. I'll try to fix the size. The DH is pretty good at that kind of stuff, so maybe a nice hot breakfast tomorrow and I can wrangle him in here to show me. I have a few more I'll post later.

TheSixBarrellMudSlinger