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No worries, it is just my style of video. There are some other wonderful RUclipsrs who can perhaps connect better with you. Have a wonderful day!

That is totally possible, as that is how most of the garden art is made. It's a pretty large piece, so that is a lot to start your first statue with, but it is possible and seems like a good one to try!

If you leave a mold on "too long," the hardness can be a challenge for cleaning the seams and seems to affect the mold, however, I have shifted for some of my statues to give them an extra day of curing. The outside temperature and humidity also affects this, so I leave them longer in the winter than I do in the summer.

I hear you and would agree that there is a whole other step you can take with making your own item from scratch. For generations, I've heard that most of the garden statues have been duplicated items of other duplicated items for concrete work. Perhaps a better title would include duplicating an item to make a garden statue?

Thanks for watching. I'll share what I have experienced, but I am not an expert. I will pre-measure my lye in a small bowl (glass) while in a dry state (without water, etc.). When I am ready to mix it, I use a large bowl/pan that can withstand hot temperatures with a quick rise in temperature from the chemical reaction. In my case, this has been a ceramic covered metal pot from a crockpot. I've used it for years, and it is easy to clean and seems effective. Part of my reasoning is that the thick sides also help cool the mixed lye mixture so I do not have to wait as long to mix my soap. Also, as for utensils, I have washed my utensils afterwards and am comfortable using them again in my kitchen, but best practice is to use soap making utensils for soap, as lye can be dangerous if ingested. I usually extra wash things I also use for cooking, and again, I personally am comfortable with it.

@@backyardadventureswithandy thank you so much💯

Correct, 8.7 ounces.

The flat part, where you pour your concrete, can be altered to have a cavity for keys or just to make it lighter. Once, I put a bolt through it and sticking out so someone could chain it to something. AS for the house, probably take a pipe or something to create the gap for the hose would work. Good idea as a way to hold a hose or drip line down.

Thanks, and we are still pleased with this a couple years later...

Thanks for watching. I am not an expert on these enough to know, but with a continual effort of shaping, my understanding is that other shapes can happen, similar to a bonsai effect.

@@backyardadventureswithandy Thank you !

I don't sell my molds because the cost and time to make one makes them more expensive than most people realize. This is a hobby more than a business for me.

I use the common concrete mix from my local hardware store, and it says "high strength" on it. It works well without anything extra added to it, however, I got spooked a couple years back after reading recommendations to add extra cement to the mix, and so I usually put a few cups of cement to my mix. It seems to be the same. There are stronger mixes sold, but I have not used those.

I don't know these well enough to say, but the concept has been quite positive for our yard the last couple years since I made this video.

As a general rule, you do not want plants touching a structure, so there is wisdom in that. Is the N. Cal thing for fire safety, bugs, or something else? That seems strange to have no plants in beds near the house. I would suggest keeping things 1 foot from the house, but I don't know your area's situation. By the way, mine is thriving where it is at, and I need to prune each year to keep it the right size and from growing into touching my house. Thanks for watching!

California says it all lol

@@backyardadventureswithandy It is safety. The Dixie fire destroyed our town of Greenville, California in 2021. Luckily, we didn’t burn, but they did start backfires on our property that probably saved our home and barn. Not having the ability to have nice looking plants growing up against or near the house bums me out, but I understand why. Since I posted that yesterday, I discussed moving the Rose of Sharon to another spot and my wife agreed. We are on 6 acres of Ponderosa Pines, Cedars, a couple kinds of firs, and oaks. at the 3600 foot elevation, the Rose of Sharon provides a little bit of semi tropical oasis.

Interesting...maybe some varieties can handle that. I have seen some that get more established can handle more sun, but they seem to thrive with some protection in my areas. Thanks for watching!

I have asked a few companies and researched a bit about this, but never with a lawyer. The response I have heard is that many of the statues sold at beach shops and stores have been duplicated for generations (50-70 years+), with general viewpoints being these are OK to copy. Some have said that there is not clarity on how much a statue has to change to be considered original. Ultimately, I always look for any markings from an artist or company and avoid duplicating things in question. I'm at peace with my conscious on this for my work, but I encourage people to be careful. A local statuary place makes their own designs, so I would never want to use their statues, but most statues or items I find at thrift stores show no signs of a copyright.

@@backyardadventureswithandy Thanks for your insight! Much appreciated. I guess it's like music, after so many years the music becomes public domain, but to copysomething 100% wihtout changing it could cause trouble. :)

For years, I have mostly used the regular concrete from the local stores, and my statues have turned out great. The mix is sand, gravel, and cement to make concrete. With that said, I have also been a little spooked about the products from online experts. Years ago, I bought a bag of cement and stored it in plastic buckets with lids, which I would often tap into when mixing concrete by adding an extra scoop into my mix. Usually I forget, so I can't say this actually has helped anything.

Yes, each place you have the head unit will have the hole to the outside. It's been a pretty amazing system this year!

Thanks for watching!

Sort of... They are not really a climbing plant, but as they grow up, you could weave them into a trellis, and they would look nice. They respond more like a tree than a vine.

@@backyardadventureswithandy thanks very much

Wow, thanks for the compliment. I learned a lot myself from RUclips videos, but struggled to find a lot of content, although it is a small segment of people who do this sort of thing. As for burnout, I think this is a fun hobby, but challenging to make a living with the profit margins and time it takes. I also see a lot of statues now in bulk supply, although they are generally resin or plastic. Anyway, good luck on your restart(s) and I am still learning a lot on this, too!

Thanks, and brisket is a unique and enjoyable meat!

Thanks, and I hope your own statues work out nicely. Good luck!

Making a statue with a mold is actually pretty fast, if you have the mold. The hardest and longest part is making the mold, which can take several weeks or a month. But, once the mold is made, the statue takes about 15 minutes to prepare, 2 days to dry, and another 15 minutes after the concrete has dried to remove it from the mold. And, for the paint, I use am inexpensive exterior latex paint mixed with extra water, along with a little bit of white paint.

Most things are doable, but I limit myself to just a few things because this is a side hobby.

Yes, these are quite yummy!

It's possible, but I don't think that is something I am up for. Thanks for watching, though!

I have found that the latex comes off most things without a problem. I once had more porous wood that it was on, and it did come off, but required some extra pull and care. As for the model item you are casting, I have never sealed an item before casting. If an item was quite porous, I might consider sealing it to make the casting easier.

@@backyardadventureswithandy Thank you very much for this quick response, very much appreciated!!

And, thank you for watching. I hope your tree(s) do amazing!

Glad it helped!

Glad you enjoyed it

Sorry, I am not sure! Thanks for watching...

Yes, I am glad this was helpful. It's a pretty cool hobby and unique, but there are some learning curves along the way.

Again, thanks for watching. Let me know if you have questions.

I generally let it sit a week inside my house at normal temperatures.

I suspect if you sprinkle corn starch and play some smooth jazz, you might have some better luck. I am having the same issue with my puppy!

@@backyardadventureswithandy 🤣

Yes, I am in the same boat as you. It's been a bit since I did this, and I am still quite pleased. I'm glad it was helpful...

Thanks!

There is nothing sharp, it might look like that in video.

You're welcome!

I don't know for sure, but I would suspect that plaster of paris will not adhere very well. Sorry I can't be of more help, but hopefully you can figure this out.

Yes, I altered a couple figurines I found with clay, and the finished product turned out great. I did let the clay dry a bit, which I think was needed.

Thanks! These are also fairly responsive to propagating, too.

Thanks for watching and good luck with your statues.

Glad it was helpful!

I didn't track exactly my materials cost, but from looking at my receipts, I put about $1,000-$1,200 into it, plus time! It has been amazing in many ways for us so far!

Actually, we chatted about the idea beforehand, and he really liked the idea. This allows for his firewood storage near the point of use in the wet winters, so it was mutually beneficial.

​@@backyardadventureswithandyits great to have neighbors like that!!

You are welcome. Sometimes, the old statues are so amazing and the process of remaking them is quite worthwhile, too. Enjoy!

Thanks

You are welcome!

Thanks for sharing and I will double check on this, but my understanding is that this was allowed under my code. I'll check soon...