SANDCASTINGbyJoyceClarin

Supplies

DeeplyveinedleafHosta,rhubarb,burdock,elephantear,castorbean,cabbage,squash,hollyhock,etc

Quikcrete VinylPatch

Sturdybox(orplastictray)atleast2largerthantheleafonallsides,23inchesdeep.

Plasticgarbagebag large

Container tomixconcrete

Gloves heavyandlightweight

Bucket forwater,spraybottle,squirtbottle

SuppliesQuikrete VinylPatch 40lbbagfor3mediumsizedleaves.Water.Cupforaddingwatersmallamountsatatime.Squirtbottle,spraybottle,waterbucket.Heavyandlightweightglovesformixingcementandaddingcementtomold.Ducttape/scissorstorepairsmallholesinleaf.

AdditionalSupplies

Utilityknife(openbagofcement)Copperfittings(usedasfeetorstandsonbackofleaf)Varietyofdentaltypetools(toremoveleaffromfinished/dried)casting.

SturdyCardboardBox

Boxneedstobe2 3inches(all4sides)largerthanleaf.Boxshouldbe2 3inchestall.Boxcanbereused/cutdowntosize.

BoxinsideGarbageBag

Placeboxinsidealargegarbagebag.Outsideedgesofgarbagebagcanbefoldedovercementleafwhileitdries.Forbestresults,cementshoulddryslowly.Theplasticwillhelpretainmoisture.Whenfinished,theplasticgarbagebagcanbeturnedinsideouttostorethesand.

MoistenSand

Sandneedstobemoistenoughtoholdashape.Sray tomoistenormixalittlewaterintoituntilitholdsashape.Thereshouldbenostandingwater.Playsand(asusedinchildrenssandboxes)workswell.

FormSand

Shapemoistsandintobasicform whenbowlshapeisdesired(asforbirdbath)shapesandhigherincenterandtapertosides

SandinPlastictray

Thisisanexampleofasturdyplastictray.Thisonehasalidthatclampson.Itisespeciallyusefulforstoringsand justpopthelidoffanditsreadyforthenextleaf.

PositionLeafonSand

PositionleafUPSIDEDOWNincenterofsand.Useedgesofhandandfingerstoformthesandundertheleaftothenaturalformoftheleaf.Gentlypressdownbetweentheveinsandaroundtheedgestocreatethemostnaturalform.Iftearsorholesaremadeintheleaf,itmustbepickedupandrepairedwithducttapeonthesideagainstthesand.Whennotrepaired,thecementwillcreepthruanddetailwillbelostonthefinishedcasting.

FinishedFormNotehowthesandispiledupunderneaththerufflededgesoftheleaf.Itisdifficulttogettheformthewayyouwantitwithoutgettingsandonit.Thesandmustberemovedorthefinishedcastingwillshowthesand,aswellasthedetailoftheleaf.

FinishedFormNotehowthesandispushedupunderneaththetipoftheleaf.Thiswillresultinabitofadownwardtipinthefinishedcasting.Thisisusefuliftheleafisintendedtobeusedinawaterfeatureorwhenleafwillbeplacedinaspotwherestandingwaterisnotdesired.

Cleaningsandoffleaf

Gentlywashsandoffleaf.Workfromstemtotipofleaf,centertooutside.Allsandorobjectsleftonleafwillbeseeninfinishedcasting.

WashingSandOffLeaf

Allsandandwaterdropswillbeseeninfinishedcastingifnotremoved.Drywaterwithabsorbentpapertowelormicrofibercloth.Placegentlyonleafandgentlypresstoabsorbwaterdroplets.

NextStep:MixConcrete

Useonlyavinylpatchconcrete

Thistypeofcementisidealforcasting.Itcontainsnoaggregateandisverysmooth.Itcanbeworkedwithforatleastanhourwithouthardening.Whenworkingwithitforthatlongofaperiod,handmixevery15min.

CementMixingTroughandheavyweightgloves

Placetroughorsturdycardboardboxinsidelargegarbagebag.Attheendoftheproject,thegarbagebagcanbeturnedinsideoutandtossed leavingnocleanup.

ConcreteUsemaskwhenpouringdryconcreteintomixingcontainer.Whenusingthewholebag,analternatemethodtopouring:laybagincontaineronedge,cutalargeXinbackofbag,gentlytipoverontopoftheXandgentlyliftbagtoallowcementtocomeslowlyoutofbag.Bagalsoholdssomeofthedustunderit.

DryConcreteincontainerinsidegarbagebag

Addwaterinsmallamounts.Morewatercanalwaysbeadded.Iftoomuchwaterisadded,moredrycementmaybeaddedtocorrect.Easiertoaddwaterinsmallamounts.

MixwaterwithQuikcreteUseheavyweightglovestomix.Mixsimilartomixingbreadorpiedoughuntilconcretereachestheconsistencyofcreamypeanutbutter.Useplastictopullsidesinanduptoensurethereisnodrycementatthebottomofcontainer.Theremustbenounmixedorlumpsofconcrete.

PlacingConcreteonLeaf

Placeconcreteonleaf.Beginwithahandful.Beginoncentervein.Pressgentlydownandoutwardtoremoveairbubbles.

Addmoreconcrete

Addconcretebyhandfuls,workingoutward,pressingallgentlytoretainformofsand.Pressingtoohardwillresultinaflatcasting thenaturalleafformandrufflededgeswillbelost.

Addingmoreconcrete

Addmorehandfulsuntilalmosttotheedgesofleaf.Addingconcretebeyondtheedgesoftheleafwillresultinasandedgingonthefinishedcasting.Uselittlefingerorpopsiclestickorstrawtogentlycreatetheunevenedgesoftheleafinnecessary.

FinishingConcreteEnsurecenterveinhasenoughconcretetopreventcracking.Howmuch?Dependsonthesizeoftheleaf.Usuallybetween1to2inchesthickatthecentervein.Taperouttotheedgestocreatealacyedge.Itshelpfultocleangloves,diphandinwaterbucket,shakeoffexcesswaterandsmoothleaffromoutsideedgesinatthispoint.

Finishingtouches

Useatoothpicktoinitialyourleaf.Setacopperfittingtobeusedasastand.Positionfittingstraightupifleafistositflat.Positionfittingatanangleifleafistobetilted.Astandfortheleafwithfittingcanbeeitherapieceofcopperpipeorrebarpoundedintotheground.Theleafthenissetontopofthepipeusingthefittingonthebackoftheleaf.

Finished!

Pullsidesofgarbagebagupoverleafandallowconcretetocure24hrsminimum.Alargerleaf(20 40lbs)maytakelonger.Patience!!!!!

CuredCastingAfter24hrs,turnleafover.Foralargeleaf,trytogetyourhandunderthemiddleoftheleaftoturnitover.Trynottopickupbytheedges.Cleanleafoffconcretebyanymethod.Letitsitinthesuntodry(flake)off,usehosewithnozzle,usestickordentaltypetools,wirebrush,etc.Ifleafissmall,pullingbythemainstemwillremovetheleafinasinglepiece.

FinishedCasting BurdockLeaf

Thiscastingissomewhatflataroundtheedgeswithonlyasmallbowlinthecenteroftheleaf.

Usingleftoverconcrete

Onewaytouseleftoverconcreteistomakesomesmallerleaves,usingsameprocess.

Usingleftoverconcrete

Anotherwaytouseleftoverconcreteistomakesteppingstones.Shoeboxesorsimilarsizedboxesmakegoodsizedsteppingstones.Lineboxwithplastic,placeleafinbottomofbox,veinsideup,filltodesireddepthwithconcrete.

Steppingstones

RhubarbLeaf

Rhubarbleavesmakewonderfulcastings.Theveinsaredeep,theleafshapeinterestingandtheedgesveryruffled.Themoretimespenttogettheshapeandedgesformedinthesand themoreinterestingthecasting!

Addingconcrete

Rhubarbleaveshavedeepveins.Makesurethereisadequateconcreteonthecentervein.Thecenterveinisthemostsusceptibletocracking/breaking.Hint:Ifleafbreaks,concreteadhesive asusedinsettingcementblockwalls isagoodfix.

Rhubarbleafreadytocoverforcuring

Remembertocoverwithedgesofgarbagebagtoretainmoistureforslowercuringofconcrete.

FinishedRhubarbLeafCasting

CastorBeanPlantCastorbeansarepoisonous allpartsoftheplant!Especiallytheseeds.Growwithcareonlywherechildrenandanimalsdonothaveaccesstothem.Somepeopleareallergictotheplant similartopoisonivyorsumac.

FinishedCastorBeanCasting

Poisonousplant,andtimeconsumingtocast butexcitingresults!

PaintedCastorBeanCasting

Leavescanbepaintedwithacrylicpaintsoranycraftpaints.Thisleafisplacedonanupsidedownurnpaintedwiththesameprocessastheleaf.

CastorBeanCasting

Castorbeanleafwascastinaflatform.

VarietyofCastorBeanCastings

CastorBeanCasting

CastorBeanCasting

Paintedwithacombinationlatexandcraftrubonpaints.

Hosta LeafCasting SumandSubstance

RhubarbLeafCasting

RhubarbLeafCasting

Eachcastingisunique.Thedifferenceistheleafitself,ofcourse.Theotherdifferenceistheshapingofthesandpile.

RhubarbLeaf ReadytoremoveLeaffromcasting

CabbageLeafCasting

SquashLeafCasting

UsetoothpickoredgeofpopsiclesticktocreateedgesNote:ProntoPupsticksfromtheStateFairworkthebest!

ElephantEarCasting

Paintedwithcraftrubonpaints

CopperFittingsusedasfeet

Copperfittingsplacedinthebottomofleafcanbeusedasfeetforaleaftositflatonasurface suchasatable.

CopperFitting

Asinglecopperfittingcanbeusedtosetcastingonacopperpipeorpieceofrebarpoundedintotheground.

Anotherdisplaymethod

Usingapapercup,cutthebottomout,positionupsidedownontheleafwhenfinishedaddingconcrete.Fillwithconcrete.Thiscreatesastemthatcanbeusedtosetleafinapedestal birdbathorupsidedownurn.

Displaystands

Rebarcanbebenttotheshapeofleaf(usingpipebendermachine).

ElephantEargroupingingarden

ElephantEargroupingingarden

ElephantEarinwaterfeature

OutdoorClassroom

BigRhubarbLeaves