dian --- keep in mind how it will balance with someone sitting on the edge. I'm afraid that one would tip over pretty easily. Either flare the base much wider, reduce the size of the seat, or a little of both. Also, if this is gonna' be in 'Tufa or a liteweight mix, it will need more reinforcing to support much of an overhang.

All My Best --- Tango

thanks Tango
going to be done in quickwall. this was from the link that sahrasaid gave in the mushroom topic. I have never worked with armatures before. This is my first project actually. Let us say, no way will these be massed produced. I find it difficult working with the Hardware cloth.
Think I will take a little off the top and widen the base. ALso a few more "ribs" will be placed for stool strength.
thanks

Dian - I have a suggestion. Finish your table before you go any farther on the stools. Then you will have a much better sense of what your materials will do for you and designing the stools will be a lot easier.

While I have loved Quickwall for lots of projects, I have never tried using it in the patty- technique Dena uses with concrete. Considering that it is (by my estimation for my own projects) twice the cost of gray portland/sand/fibers/acrylic admix..... you might consider using Dena's concrete formula for the main work. or - maybe that is what you already intend and I have lost track.

Your project is very creative and will be worth all your work if you can get it to be what you envision. I am like you in that I don't - at this point - have much hope for those stools not tipping over. I don't have any helpful ideas right now but I bet others will.
Laura

well Laura, I cannot take credit for the project. It was posted by sahrasaid. It was an episode on HGTV and I am trying to follow those instructions. This person used this product. I suppose I could mix up my own and save the quickwall for something else. I am fumbling along as I am very new to this kind of work

dian2 --- you are off on the right foot. Just dive in and have fun. This stuff is all so cheap that any mistakes are simply a learning experience. A little familiarity goes a very long way here in the "mudhole". Go for it. And if it's not what you intended...go for it again!

All my best --- Tango

Dian2, I found the hgtv episode (site is below for anyone else who wants to check it out) you mentioned. Thanks. She has very clear directions; I can see why you want to make this project. It was interesting to see her process of using the SBC products like Quickwall. When she mentions the table will weigh around 175 pounds I realize she is making quite a thick wall of cement for strength. Can't wait to see your finished piece!
Laura

Here is a link that might be useful: try here

hey Laura. Me neither ;)

Dian,
Terrific responses to your questions.
I totally agree with both of them. I would cut down the size of the chair top if you already think it looks big to you. It will only get bigger when you start applying mix. I would consider that even with your tabletop practice first, you will find that your overall mix application will likely be about 1" or more, so I would cut the tops of the chairs at least by that amount and even a bit more if they are not reinforced as Tango suggests.
You will do really well, and the table and the chairs will be a spark in your garden.
Dena

Thanks.
I already took about an inch off the 3 ribs on the chair. I also cut off the bottom part of the chair instead of the top and this gave it a wider base top to bottom but will also need leveled out since cage is not exactly made to sit level. What do you want for a buck? Do not know if that was good or bad to trim opposit end. I think I am also going to trim some off the table also.

Dena,
patties should be able to be made with the quickwall??
I am so chickene to start that process.

SO,
I still have the ribs on stool #1 to do and the top and ribs on stool #2 ( no pun intended) to do. and trim the circumference on table.
sure do appreciate all the help

Dian,
Read this over and over. The hardest part is DONE.
Doing the patties will be fun, and a learning experience, think thin dollar pancakes. Think mix that is toothpaste consistency. Tell your self you will be patient and may not be able to get everything (even on one piece) pattied the same day, but you may be able to get several of the pieces pattied to a certain extent. The patties do not show later so do not worry too much. repeat the fun is about to begin, and the hardest part is done, and I will only make up a small amount to pattie the first time.......
Way to go everything looks great!!!!!
Dena

The hardest part is done! This will be fun!
The hardest part is done! This will be fun!

Okay, Got it
thanks

Dian,
Well how is it going?
What are your successes and what have you found to need re-working? There are no failures in this medium. It can be reconstructed to meet another need, or a Ruins pile.
I recently saw a chair constructed similar in fashion to the mushroom and the artist had imprinted a leaf.
Even though my wish list may have something like that on it I have yet to complete the chair that is in the far corner of the outdoor work area.........
Let us all know how this project is going. The website makes things look like they will be very quick and many of the people here know that it takes time; and life, family, work, garden, stuff sometimes takes presidence.
I am one who needs to hear how your project is going. Your last post said the hardest part is done, so how is it going?
Dena

Hi Dena
thanks for keeping me in mind. well, as you said, things do get in the way. My garage roof sprung some major leaks so a friend and I have been putting on a new roof.then I got a part time job, so that got in the way, and now the weather is not the kind you want to be out in to do anything. So project is on hold for now. It has been one thing after the other. But I will finish it before summer is over.

Ps: that stuff to make molds that you use? I just got that in the mail. I have a very large POP leaf that I need to put this stuff on But it is waaaaaaaay to hot and humid to play outside

not having a good time with this. Cannot get "patties" to stick to wire mesh. Keeps falling off, sticks to my hands and pulls off.So I just tried to smooch it all over with a little success. I did not finish the first layer cause I got so frustrated. The first 4 pics are from just now. I am so frustrated. Here I was thinking the hard part was done.
Dena, what is your recipe? Maybe I will have more luck with that. Anyone have suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?I wanna cry. It will be a miracle if I finish these and if I do, I certainly will not be giving them away like I was going to do

Here is a link that might be useful: bad toadstool

Dian - I hope Dena comes to the rescue soon but - meanwhile....
someone suggested a technique that helped me. It involved putting the concrete on a surface you could hold right up against the project and using another tool (like a putty knife) to scrape it off the first surface onto the wire mesh project. Somehow that helps with the sticking-to-your-gloves part. Actually, I think your photos looked pretty good. Isn't the idea to get just a little on the first time and add another layer the next day??

Good luck! I sure know that feeling of "I may cry". Probably we all do!
Laura

2 more pictures added. Ok, I took some deep breaths and went back and finished. Cannot say putting on the first layer is a lot of fun. I mixed up a slightly wetter batch. It went on only a little easier. Still was trying to stick to me more than the mesh.
One question now

1)would it be possible to finish additional coats and when I turn it over with a different mixture, say protland sand and fibers?? would I still need to add fibers if initial coat is the quickwall( has fibers in it). I Do not mind spending the monet for initial coats but would like to finish with less money involved.

also wondering if I should paint or stain. Do not know if I want whimsical or more natural. suggestions

Dian,
Everything looks pretty good right now.
you aksed what mix I use for the patties, a couple different ones; 1 cement:1 sand: fibermesh: tiny amount bonding agent:water, or the other 1cement:2sand: fibermesh: bonding agent and water. I mix the dry ingredients first and depending on my mood I mix the fibers into the dry also. FibermeshMD (that is what I am using is called) disperses very nicely when mixed in the first cup of water then mixed in with the dry.
So the mix consistency is fairly dry for me for patties and I gently push them onto the hardware cloth or better yet diamond lath, until the Pattie just catches the metal. I have found that patience is not only helpful but can be an exercise in frustration if not followed. The second coat is quite thin and is applied with the heel of my hand mostly the mix will bridge the spaces between the patties with very little trouble. Smoosh mix is different dependent on what surface I want, however I do brush the patties with a little bonding agent water mix to help insure a good bond. I do not add fibers to the second coat. The fibers hold to the metal and also 'catch' some of the final coat. I generally do only two coats over a piece.
Dian you are doing great and what a good learning experience, you will go on to even bigger things I can tell.
Dena

thanks all.
yes Laura, thin coat today. but I had the inside and outside of the stem to do. Tomorrow I will add a second layer and try and level off the stem and maybe mark it up a bit with lines ect.

Dena, think the second coat of cement sand would be OK then?
I do have bonding agent

Patience is not one of my many virtues. I get frustrated and quit but always go back and finish. MAybe once I come to get the feel of how this works It will go easier. Guess it was just that it did not seem as though I was doing it right cause you made it sound soooooooo easy putting the patties on. I tried the easy gentle approach and it kept fallin off, hence the smooosh,swear,swear, shove, swear,beat, cram swear,before I gave up to cool off. after an hour, I went back and tried again and it finally looks as though it is staying where I put it.

AM not looking forward to that huge table. Still have one more chair to add ribs to.

BIGGER things. Are you friggin crazy ?? ;)

thanks for being there guys
dian

Dian,
Yes a thin coat of cement and sand with a little bonding agent added to the water will make everything sort of slippery and it will look so wonderful after you are done.
The huge table will go better, and I hope you will consider NOT doing the inside of the stem, at least on the bigger table, I think it will be heavy enough that no one will want to turn it upside down to look it over.
If you are doing the inside though you can make up a thin slurry and using a rather wide cheap brush or even a thin nylon car hand brown you can brush the mix on to make everything pretty on the inside.
I just wrestled with a couple of projects and I guess I might be a little crazy, but I was not like this til coming to this site...........
Dena

thanks, I did the inside cause I found that the outside stuff had something to grab onto that way. I did make it wetter for the inside and used the wetter to patch over the outside where I could not get some to stick. I think some of the inside would have to be done so as to have a nice sturdy base. At least an inch or two I would think.

yea, this site can do that to a person
thanks again
dian

2 more pictures added. I put on a layer of 1 portland 2 sifted sand. Forgot the admix so I just brushed it on the shroom and then spritzed a little when it started to dry. probably should have spritzed with water first. Oh well
Anyway did not go on much easier. Really had to have PATIENCE again but I did it. Good enough. Will leave like this for 2 days since it is cement and not quickwall and spritz inbetween. Just gonna use above recipe for top.

Is there any reason I coould not have done a decent thickness of quickwall and shapae then and just leave it with that one coat?? I wasn't too dis satisfied with how it initially looked in general??

Dena, I am flying you in for a weekend

That sounds like a lot of fun.
Your piece did present some challenges using hardware cloth on a vertical surface without something in the back. Not sure if you have ever watched someone put up a rock column over a wooden framework. Whether they use hardware cloth or diamond mesh there is a barrier placed on the wood and the mesh is close to that so you have something to smoosh ecerything against.
That said, diamond mesh will grab hold and keep your mix where you put it even without a barrier. If you have not used diamond mesh/steel mesh, make sure you are wearing leather gloves during cutting, shaping and sewing it together, it is a brute.
Lets see PA is three hours later than here, and I get up early so I could actually be there by early afternoon and a bunch of projects could be completed...........
Happy casting and creating,
Dena

hmm and her instructions made it sound soooo easy. must have left out a lot

ok see ya here. I will have lunch ready for ya or take you out for a late supper.

4 more pictures added.
Turned it over this AM (how will I ever turn over the table?) and put the first thin top coat on of 1 cement, 2 sand unsifted this time. remembered to put admix in water this time. Love that slippy feeling . covered and will add thinner top layertomorrow. Will sift sand for final layer.

Once you know what you are doing and what to expect, it is actually not too bad. I Was frustrated, I guess, cause I really did not know what I was doin and if it was right.

I think an easier way would be to use a form and pour a hollow stem and make a sand casting of top with rebar, PVC or some kind of reinforcement inbetween. It sure would be a lot easier

Here is a link that might be useful: turned and topped shroom

DIAN!!!!!!!!
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
And yes you could have done a sand casting, turning a sand cast piece over or lifting it out of its form also requires patience. There was a discussion about how to lift a large piece of sand or dirt cast concrete out with straps underneath for a dolly hoist....next time for sure. and perhaps there will be a patch of little shrooms just off to the side that were sand cast, and peering out of the garden.

But think of all the ideas that were in your head, that you must write down, for future ideas and projects. maybe the next something will be smaller.
Ahhhh this is inspirational for sure!
So what does your family think of this obsession?

thanks Dena.
You really think it looks like something.

Family think I am nuts and what are you going to out this stuff or what do you need that for.
Did not get final coat on today. Went to Wheeling for ythe greyhound races for my Birthday yesterday and I am still not awake. Got home very, very late.
I do not think I should have problems with the last coat as long as I use admix?
little shrooms?? see link

Here is a link that might be useful: like these

dian2, allof your stuff is amazing!

I do have a question. What is the leaf that is in the next to the last picture? It looks like a leaf off of a plant that has started to grow on my friends woodedge. We cant figure out what it is. lol

Carey

Dian, glad you persevered, interesting to watch your progress, and I felt your frustration. Some projects are just easier than others. These are gong to be so cool when you are done. Keep going ,
Cindy

Dian,
Your mushroom is looking Great! Very inspirational!
I'd have to try a smaller scale something or other. But Great Work!
Carol

thanks everyone.
Carey, I just call it a weed. I do not know if it is officially called a burdock weed or what.

Got the last coat on last night (found a bit of energy left) "no new pic>. I used a paint brush to try and smooth out but that did not work. I have swirlies now. What or how do I go about getting as smooth a look as pssible ( do not want any ridges hurting bums)?

How would you guys paint? . stain these? suggestions??

Cindy, you should have been here and you REALLY would have felt my frustration. HEll, I offered to fly Dena in to help and even she turned me down. No one wants to be around me when I get frustrated ;)

lol, thats what we call it too. Just didnt want to say that in case it was some exotic plant we didnt know about.

Btw, I love the chair!

Carey