You could lightly pack the form with crumpled news paper or balled plastic grocery sacks so the concrete wouldn't smoosh thru so much. Thats what I did when i made a fountain base out of concrete...dang thing still weighed about 300 pounds when done.

p

Calam, I like your designs. I appreciate you sharing this stage of your Riana method. How are you suppose to prevent the concrete from filling the inside? A thicker mix? What is your next step?

Get out of town!! I LOVE it. I wanna try this to, so take good notes for me.
How big are the squares in the wire mesh? What cement recipe do you use? I can't wait to see this finished.

Great work calamity, I love the shape of the flower. May I ask a dumb question? Could you fill the body cavity of the df. with that expandable foam for a more solid base? I know it would come out, but it can be trimmed off down to the mesh.Or once you have the concrete on is it strong enough? Just gathering info. Can't wait to see the finished project.

Dena

Lots of good suggestions! I think that if I used the recommended stucco wire, which has a bit of a groove to catch stuff, that the problem would be greatly diminished!! This stuff is like a 1/8th inch square flat wire so nothing for the cement to catch on. I used 3 parts masonary sand and 1 part cement, using a 2lb marg container, and I still had a bunch left over!!!

Hey, CALAM: Great job. Those are gonna be terrific when the mosaic is applied. Anxious to see. I DID notice you used the hardware cloth instead of the diamond mesh. But, wasn't that what we used in P.V.? For the life of me, I can't remember what we used now - just four months ago. Hate getting old! Another thing I noticed in your first pics, was that when you put the second layer on, because of the squares, they seemd to just be the same, therefore no overlapping or crossways layering so that the holes were made smaller. Can't describe what I'm thinking, but since one layer just mirrored the other layer, the concrete just slipped through. When I made Matilda, before I knew about the two layers, I held my hand behind the wire on her skirt, to hold the big globs of concrete I put on, but, of course, you couldn't do that w/your closed body parts. Whatever, your first efforts are superb, regardless of your problems. Isn't it satisfying to make something totally from scratch? Sooooooooo anxious to see these mosaiced, and congratulations on using the technique. Your giant mushroom - are you gonna be able to sit under it?????

OK, I'm confused ( and it's not my typing!!) Exactly what are you using for the armiture? I have some hardware cloth ( galvanized). I had to use it to keep the bunnies out of my broccoli. I couldn't see bending that to ANY shape easily!It is VERY stiff.

So what do you use and where do I find it?
I want to make a rock with a flat side and put my house number on it. I think it would be a perfect try at the Riana method .

Maria

You know, you are absolutely right on the money with the overlapping! Next I will do the mushroom and I will watch for that. I bought a whole roll of this stuff so will use it up and then try the stucco wire. Tooka look this morning, at 4:30!!! to check on it all and I see a crck along one of the flower pedals on the inside, shoulda used a third layer to reinforce it. I just scored a bunch of cement drainage tiles so am thinking of stacking them (3 tall) for the flower and also for the dragonfly now, as I think his wings are gonna sag, so it will look like he is resting!lol! I've seen them put their wings down and hanging vertical (on the house)isn't gonna now I don't think. Cindy Loo Hoo is hangin' with me today so maybe I'll drag her over here, she's such a concrete expert, it's a blessing to have her around! I even phone her at work and ask for Little Cindy Loo Hoo!!hee hee!

Hey, didn't Klinger have a prob w/her pig wings the same way? Then didn't she put a wedge sorta thingy underneath to support them? It's still fixable. Just needs a prop underneathe the weak point. Have fun. I'm heading outside to weed and plant the last thing I have in a nursery pot. Phew! Been weeding all week. Company coming in this weekend so gotta mow tomorrow.

I'm off to meet Janie-bo in a few minutes, we've got the whole day for some FUN.Can't wait. Maria yes it is hard bending this stuff, but that's how it will hold the weight of the cement is by having some strength.You can find it home Home Depot, or probably any large building supply store. Slow you're right when you do the dble layer you need to have the little holes criss cross each other not line up exactly. What Rianna had said is that for things that extend like my wigs you need to put another layer of mesh on the join for extra reinforcement, just cut a rectangal and over lap it at the join and tack it on .I'm going to recommend Jane reinforce his wings cause when she adds the weight of the mosaics it may break right off. It is possible to stuff the bodies of your shapes so as to not have the mix go through, but not necessary with the right smooshing technique, and having the squares in the hardware cloth criss crossed, Slow I've been getting up before work most mornings this week to tidy up my garden, I've got a few more areas to tidy then my big project will be powerwash and stain my deck. We've had a fair bit of iffy weather for that so far,
Cindy

I think they are so cool looking!! I can't wait to see what the finished product ends up looking like! too, too cool!!!

Cool janie.....Gonna be great when done I'm sure.Everything you do is greatttttttttttttt!

SHRTY: Been working all day but just remembered that CALAM didn't answer your question about the wire, except to say "stucco" wire. It's that kind they use to stucco/plaster walls, and it has diamond-shaped holes instead of the square holes of the hardward cloth. It, too, is galvanized. It holds the concrete better cuz it's got "tooth" to the holes.

Thanks Klinger, Slow. Hmmm not too much stucco here in Michigan. I'll have to ask at the Depot or Lowes. Or I can get some more hardware cloth at my local hardware store. I don't have to shape a rock perfect, so it will work for my initiation into the Riana method

Hmm come to think of it, I have a friend in the construction biz, maye I'll ask her where they sell it

Maria

I thought I was supposed to leave space between the two layers and push the concrete into the gap. Is this wrong? I've got almost an inch in some areas I think. Do I need to take it apart and redo? I'd rather redo now that find out it won't work the way I've done it.

I'm so glad I didn't go buy the cement & start this afternoon!

The two layers are supposed to be back to back. Then you end up with a very thin layer of cement and it's lighter that way.You may not need to take it apart. Can you posibly use some wire and try and make some stitches and "sew" the pieces so they're closer in the worst areas? Fold the end of the wire so you have a sort of hook , then push it through and try and bring the hook end up through the top layer. Then just tie the wire nice and tight to close the gap. Sorry I'm having a hard time to explain this I think, Good luck,
Cindy

Thank you, I'll see if that looks feasible. I haven't looked at it today, we've been gone all day. I'm going to check it out in the morning & then decide what to do. I did get to thinking that maybe I can slide pieces of cardboard between the layers to take up some of the slack. I also considered just mixing a small amount of cement & trying it to see what it will do as is. Then if it isn't working I can rinse it off before it hardens & rework the lathe.

Maybe this will teach me a lesson?;) Probably not, but I can hope!