FINALLY getting to shopbot projects...

[harryball]

Wow... this house has been a thrill from "peeing walls" to Armadillo assualts. I'm now getting to the fun part, SHOPBOTTING! I know it seems like I died over here. Busier than ever plus the new house/property/shop to boot.

I'm soliciting ideas on creative ShopBot solutions for real and for fun!

I have a hole in the middle of my driveway about 8 feet in diameter. It was a brick flower planter and in the way. It is now gone. I was wondering if anyone has some concrete stamp methods experience? Patterns? I was actually toying with the idea of making the Batman sign like the spotlight.

I need something for the main gate. I can't decide what. I don't really want to do monograms or initials and I think a bat sign there would be a bit much. Something really deco. It's a 14' black iron gate.

Farm name ideas. We have not yet been able to name the place. I want something like "Harry Balls Farms" home of Habitat For Bats or some such (my wife Veto'd that name). I wanted to add a small sign by the road.

/RB

[myxpykalix]

How bout just "BALLS" then let everyone figure it out...:rolleyes:

[chiloquinruss]

Battatoria, or Battaterium, or HDB Interprises (Home of Da Bat). I know DECAF! :) And you're lucky my back to wood related stuff took almost two years after the move! I'm looking forward to more bat related projects. Russ

[oddcoach]

How about Wayne Manor

[harryball]

Ideas on how to create a compass rose?

I was thinking I could pour a concrete base about 2" deeper than the drive, then construct the parts like an inlay using a concrete counter top approach. Would 3" foam make a good mold for the parts?

I really like the idea of a compass rose, just got to figure out how.

/RB

[myxpykalix]

Are you wanting to make the compass rose out of concrete also? It would seem to me that you could make the different "compartments" using some type of steel or brass to seperate the different parts but then I would guess you would have to put something in the concrete to change the colors and i don't know anything about that, or whether it can even be done.

[bleeth]

Rob:

Cut all the parts of the rose out of 2" foam and put them in the drive. Selectively remove all sections that will be one color, pour the concrete in that area, let it cure a day, and then remove the next sections and pour there. Continue till you are done. Any concrete company sells dyes. Talk to them about possible problems in the sections expanding and contracting from Cold Georgia nights to hot days!You could also do it by creating a "stamp" of the lines and then carefully staining the concrete.

Totally different idea: Make your pattern a mosaic with broken tile bits pressed into your fesh concrete. Or you could pour your concrete base just low enough to leave room for thinset and tile, use 12 x 12 sheets of square mosaics cut to your design and then lay them like any tile floor.

Check code for proper thickness of a driveway pour. I believe it varies in different areas but may be 6".

[bill.young]

What about some dinosaur footprints?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iNj0Pr9yR8

http://blog.smu.edu/research/2011/02/thomas_adams_3d_laser_scanning.html

[curtiss]

Can you see the north star from your location ??:)

[harryball]

Those are all good ideas. I'd not thought about tile and the foam/concrete swap idea is pretty good. Whatever I do it will need to be tough.

If I did dino tracks in a circle my dog would follow them all day. :p

Local Code what's that? I'm in Butts County GA. :)

They have a water tower that sort of sums it all up...
I was told that I'm now an official "ButtHead".


EDIT:
The Sundial would be cool, but I can't have anything sticking up in the middle of the driveway. Turning trailers around and larger trucks was a pain and I know anything there will eventually get run over.



/RB

[navigator7]

Ideas on how to create a compass rose?

I really like the idea of a compass rose, just got to figure out how.

/RB

I do concrete stamping and staining. I specialize in making concrete look like rock. Also, a tug captain for 20 years so I have some perspective on this.
Use your iPhone to determine either true North or magnetic North.
Pick True North.
Concrete stamps of compass roses are made. (But thats no fun!)
There are two types of stains I'd consider, transparent and opaque.
But you can also paint concrete.
I'm not a fan of acid stains particularly in high sun areas.
Any of Behr concrete stains are good. But they sell them in quantities nobody can afford.

Ask for Jim. He can sell you much smaller quantities.
http://www.jpjtechnologies.com/

Here is the thing:
If you pour concrete into a mold, it will not take a stain as well as a hand trowled finish. You will be disappointed. There are ways around this but it's too involved.

Cement content is very important.
Normal sack content for driveways, slabs and walls is about 5 sack concrete.
5 sacks of cement per yard of concrete.

Concrete creations, such as what you are doing respond much better to higher sack content. I work in the 7 to 10 sack range.

I'd pour a slab, finish it, stamp it, stain it, seal it.

First determine what you want the end product to be, then go from there.
Me?....I like rock. I'd go for a rock look around the periphery and a sharp flat smooth look in the compass rose area.

Make a positive of precisely what you desire milled in your machine.
Mill it from wood, foam or what ever.
The choose a sealer:

Smooth-on, Inc makes all the releases and products for making your stamp.
http://www.smooth-on.com/

Then, once your creation is sealed, spray it with release.
Then, apply a product that picks of the details of your creation.
Such as Foam-it.
Then make sure the mold you just created is strong by creating a backer.

Then, separate.....re-apply release and pour in an A/B rubber compound to make your rubber stamp.
A hard durometer is better than a soft durometer.

Use bubble gum release when stamping the concrete to prevent sticking.
Concrete should be stamped about the time when you are scared $hitless you have ruined the entire job by waiting too long.
(Alcoholic beverages makes concrete cure way to fast. Use caution;-)

The cool thing is.....you can sell or rent the stamp....It will cost you a pretty penny to do this...but you can re-coop your costs by selling or renting the stamp.

If you put in custom text.....make sure it is a text block so the customer can contact you to change the text and you can insert a custom piece.

Seal with at least two coats of xyline based sealer. Resealing every two years.
Only apply sealer on declining temperatures or pay the price of a ruined job!

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/Navigator7/IMG_0237.jpg

[curtiss]

I would suppose the vertical part of the sundial could be removable, or sort of a breakaway item for humans.

Bats would know that it is there....:)

[zeykr]

I think 'peeing walls' needs some further explanation!

[harryball]

OK, so I'm working downstairs in a closet. Suddenly I feel something wet on my head. I backup and look, about 7 feet up is small hole in the wall "peeing" water out like the little statues on fountains. That was a Tom Hanks - Money Pit moment.

The previous owner had a fixation with wire closet shelving. He installed about 150' of it in a downstairs closet that's about 8' x 10'. Yes, not kidding, one wall had a shelf every 12 inches. In addition to that, he also had an "overkill" disorder. Screws were attached to the wall about every 12". Any that missed studs had anchors.

One of those screws was tapping the drain line to the upstairs toilet. Over the years there was a little water damage on the floor like a toilet had leaked (and I guess it was) but nothing significant. When we removed the screw, thus leaving a hole with no plug, flushing the upstairs toilet produced a nice stream of water.

That reminds me, I need to get a video before we fix it.


/RB

[GlenP]

Now I would love to see that video.....Robert getting "peed" on while in the closet. Look out youtube.

Well we have heard about the work on the house and driveway now lets see the shop.:)

Good to hear you are busy Robert.

GLen

[wberminio]

I have to say Robert from getting "stuck" to your Shopbot to getting "peed on" from a wall- things can only get better for you!
Just don't look up!:)
Thanks for the laugh :D

[bleeth]

Now that's funny!!

Re: Compass Rose Tile-A material thought may be a couple different colors of veneer bricks. Easy to cut on a wet saw and easy to install. Playing with layout using some different angles like herringbone for the directional points and circular for the fields could look quite cool.

"Batsylvania"?

"Dixiebat Plantation"? A rebel flag with bats instead of stars would fit right in the area!!