day 1
today i got loads of polystyrene (that stuff that makes loads of mess)
and i got insparation from all the new ramp talk on chat, so i drew it out and cut
sorry i dont have any pictures from before it was glued. im hoping for when im done the higher ledges will be red and the main manny pads will be black, i also made a low curb from off cuts (basicly when i compleatly messed up the cutting) tommorow i will cover it in the concrete paste stuff and monday will be painting!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8173092376/in/photostream
manny pad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8173091684/in/photostream/
pad with deck

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8173091684/in/photostream/
L ledge

how did you cut your polystyrene, with your kettle?

what concrete paste stuff do you mean?

when you mix the concrete powder stuff with water

squigleyFB18 wrote:

when you mix the concrete powder stuff with water

oh.... mortar then lmao

ive not done this before so i was a bit confused:3

squigleyFB18 wrote:

ive not done this before so i was a bit confused:3

If you're using pure concrete be very careful when you're mixing it.

A) Don't let it splash about out of whatever you're mixing it in because once it's set, it's set.
B) Make sure you mix it thoroughly. When you think it's ready, keep mixing for another 5 minutes.

Also, get your polystyrene exactly as you want the end product to be because the concrete will simply be a layer on top of the original shape.

tommorow when the glue has set im going to smoothen out the edges and round it off

My advice for next time is either by styrofoam (denser polystyrene) or buy a hot knife. It'll make cutting easier. I prefer styrofoam though, you can cut it with a hacksaw. Either way, good luck man. I love concrete, really good fun to play around with

it was my first try sort of a experiment so i used the stuff i had, but next time i will do that:) where can i buy a hot knife?

squigleyFB18 wrote:

it was my first try sort of a experiment so i used the stuff i had, but next time i will do that:) where can i buy a hot knife?

You basically heat up a knife. You don't buy those. I think.

you could not heat a normal knife without risking serious injury. hot knifes get over 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

might look good when its done. goodluck!

I got mine on eBay. It only heats to 200 degrees, so it takes a bit more effort to cut wit, but it was £40 instead of £120. Styrofoam I got enough to build a 90x60x20cm park and have a load spare for £50.

day 2

today the glue had finished setting but i thought i should make this project a test, so i used plaster,it worked fine

i mixed the powder with the water and applyed a first layer to both 'bases' i wasnt that fussed having it super smooth on the first layer so i just rubbed it on with the back of a spoon. i thought about my ideas and the secondary manny pad looked a bit boring, so i made it into 'ghetto' style street quater the back looked a bit messy but in the end it was supposed to be a street stlye ghetto spot. after all 3 layers had set (2 for the quater) i sanded down all the rough uneven parts then i painted, i planned on having a 2 town style L ledge but in the end i ran out of red paint (typical) so now they are all black. they both need a few more layers of paint and hope fuly they should be done! time for pictures!



this was only after 1 layer of paint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8175139301/in/photostream

all of these were on the first layer of plaster
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8175173044/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8175174500/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89244921@N08/8175175090/in/photostream/

feel free to comment on what i could do better next time:)
painted pictures coming soon

your trying everything dude!!! slow down. you have your whole life infront of you. you cant do everything in finger boarding at once

is that the finished product? I mean you've obviously got to sand it smoother etc...?

try using a filling knife (flexible) when applying, I'm a painter and decorator and they're perfect to use to create a smoother finish on that... I feel sorry for your sand paper

take your time dude and don't rush it

any more pics of the completed one?

those pictures were just after one layer, and of yeh i should probably go get them from outside...

It looks alright.

I have quite a bit of experience in concrete,mortar,cement,portland cement. If you have a mold such as a tupper wear container similar to a bonsai shape or whatever I just use plain old quickcrete it has pea gravel, but the molds dont seem to be affected by them, and they make the overall ledge much stronger. If you are using styrofoam you most def want to use cement ,or a concrete with no pea gravel, styro works great and half of my new hybrid concrete/granite park has styro underneath it. I quickly found out that you want to make it pretty thick ,or it has a hollow weak sound ,and feel to it,so dont be afraid to go thick with a couple of layers,just make sure you size your styrofoam out rite so you dont end up with a huge moster of a ledge. I also like using wood for foundations if you have a saw you can do the same thing as styrofoam as long as you get some cheap mesh ,or chicken wire to act as hold just like rebar is used in real concrete work this method also produces a stronger obstacle.Just keep in mind your gonna fuck up a lot in the begining ,and have to experiment with stuff ,and with some time,patience lots of patience, and practice you can make anything you see in the real world into a miniture scale replica.Oh and also polyurethane and wood stain will make you obstacle stronger ,and slicker than greased owl shit..

I... am a little confused. Says concrete, but i dont see any concrete... unless im missing something?

ready the start of day 2:)