I'd use something much heavier than styrofoam, even if it is for interior use.

Yes, PVC is polyvinylcloride - a plastic.

You can use the styrofoam and the pvc pipe covered with cement patch. I found a book in Michaels in the styrofoam area that had projects made w/styrofoam covered w/cement patch.

Primary challenge might be the sheer geometry of the project - your base has to be wide enough and sufficiently heavy to counteract the height. PVC would make a great pole for a floor lamp and would mosaic fairly easily; however, you might also consider using plaster of paris poured over the styrofoam. Don't know anything about the concrete patch, tho, so a "road trip" to the home improvement store would be my first choice!

LOVE the HD and Lowe's!!!

Pat

Thanks everyone. I made a lamp similarly before using styrofoam as the base and a heavy cardboard tube from a roll of fabric. I had to use three pieces of the styrofoam stacked (decreasing the size of each to make a stepping affect). It turned out perfectly as far as the sturdiness of the lamp was concerned. However, it was UGLY...lol. My grout choice was a bad one and ruined the whole thing. I kept it around for awhile hoping it would grow on me...never did. It ended up in the trash one cleaning day. lol I have to redeem myself this time, but lacking another carboard tube, I'm searching for an alternative. I think curbdiver has a point...the heaviness of the pvc might unbalance the whole thing. hmmm

How about making a plaster of paris base in a mold for the weight or even cement. I have made some wonderful cement bunt cakes. LOL I have used them for totem bases and stops at the gate hose guards. You could mosaic over the cement. Mine turned out pretty smooth and I would certainly consider doing mosaic on them. Then you could stick your PVC in the center hole and it would be easy to run the wire up the pole.

I made a fountain with PVC and it was easy to mosaic. I just used the half marbles but glass or china would have worked too.

Chris

you can get a great sturdy triangular cardboard tube FREE from USPS.

If the link below doesn't work for you. Go to usps.com and click on shipping supplies, then Priority Mail.

They have two sizes
Large 6"x38"
Small 6"x25"

Here is a link that might be useful: USPS

Re cardboard tubes, I get VERY thick, heavy tubes from our newspaper. They give away the end rolls of newsprint, and they're on rolls 25" tall X 14" around. You could put two together w/duct tape, cover the whole thing w/whatever, and mosaic. They're so thick one would have to use a saw to cut them. I mosaiced a candlestand from one. They're tough. Also, carpet stores might have heavy cardboard tubes.

You've given me an idea of what to do with the tubes DH's Scotch bottle comes in. They are fairly stiff. I knew I wanted to mosaic them but then I didn't know what to do with them! LOL I thought about making kaleidoscopes out of them but they'd be too heavy. Any other ideas are welcome.

Here is a link that might be useful: photo albums

Look at this picture of a gazing ball stand. Just make it longer and the base wider to offset the height inbalance. I would pour some cement down the tube after I assembled the base to make it very bottom heavy. If you don't want to buy this pattern, I can tell you how to make it really quick. cut your base plate( 3rd pc) cut 2nd pc with a hole in the center slightly larger than pvc pipe, then cut 2 pieces of wood to fit inside of your pvc pipe ( you will save one for the top), predrill holes along the bottom edge of the pipe fit the smallest one inside the pipe screw it in, attach the 3rd pc from the bottom into the 1st pc. slip the 2nd piece over the top of pvc pipe, attach from bottom of 3rd pc. run your wiring, fill with cement about 1/3 of the way up, assemble your light kit on the extra sm pc of wood, place screws 1 in below the top edge of the pipe make sure they are long enough to support your wood, then attach the pc of wood with light kit the same way you did the sm bottom piece and you are good to go. If you want you could make the bottom and top match, or just add the small one. I am including a picture hope it makes more sense, because I am not explaining this too clearly. It shouldn't take you more than 1/2 hr to assemble this. It sounds alot harder than it looks. I am making some of these to hold my bird houses and bowling balls. I have some really large thick floor tiles I am going to attach them to and then imbed the tiles under soil so they aren't affected by the wind outside. If I can explain it any better for you or if you want me to I will draw up exact plans if you send me measurements. I am attaching my hand drawn instructions here I will attach the gazing ball stand in the next one. Good luck Dena

Here is a link that might be useful: instructions

if you notice, there are 2 rings holding the column to the base you can do as many as you like it is still the same way, or you could cut them all like the base pc. and just keep adding them one at a time until they are all on. just be sure your wire holes line up

Here is a link that might be useful: stand

Bear in mind cardboard or [most] plaster is not waterproof and will, if it can, absorb moisture and moisture taken from your grout will give you weak spots both in the cardboard and the grouting.
Enclosing your wiring with plaster or the like is not a good move either.
I would add up how much you would shell out on the plaster and structural stuff and then hit the thrift stores.

You should be able to find a tacky looking floor lamp or a table lamp with a heavy base for cheap. They usually have a large lead weight in the base with holes for the wiring. The inner pipe will be threaded top and bottom.
If you want a wider column, all you would need is a length of thin wall pvc pipe and end cap, drill a hole in the cap to accept the threaded pipe and scribe with 60 grit. Stepped blow caps could build up added support between the base and the pipe.

Maybe a new bulb socket will be needed but I reckon $20 should cover the lot! Anything more is what you would be shelling out anyway.

wow, a friend of mine made a floor lamp as I described above (styrofoam and cardboard glued together with regular Elmers glue) more than 6 years ago and it's held together perfectly. She said she even dropped it down a staircase once and nothing came apart on it. I'm afraid of doin all the work only to have it come apart on me though. But hers has been a success.