DIY Fondue Pot
Posted: April 27th, 2009, 2:04 pm
This is something anyone can try. It will deliver a truely unique and dramatic looking pot or slab for your collection and compliment the tree you choose to use if chosen correctly.
The basic ingredients are 12mm chicken wire (hardwear store), fibreglass or acrylic close weave cloth (boat supplies), Cement Fondue can be found in 2 or 5 kg bags (potters suplies) and lots of creativity.
After the first attempt you will find out that the end result uses up a larger than you thought peice of base material.
So I suggest that you first aim for a piece of wire/cloth about 800mm X 500mm for your starter pot.
First sew on the chicken wire in as many places that your patience will allow, but every 50mm will give a good result. Make sure you also sew along all four edges after you have folded over 20mm. The idea here is that you are giving the cloth support with the wire so you can bend and form it to the desired shape.
Don't use ordinary cotton thread, you need the heavier grade thread or fine twine. A curved needle is ideal. You may have to join a few peices together first to give you the size. (see pic) In order to make the flat surface you now have irregular, plete at 40/50mm folds in one direction, open out then plete in the other direction then ease that out. Now the creative fun starts.
Fold and bend it into a simulation of a rock looking pot. Have the wire on the inside and double over the edges so no wire shows when viewed from the outside. This is where all that material gets used.
I tried to make it as irregular as posible with holes and lips for planting complimentry hanging plants and moss patches, make sure it sits down flat or bend into the base three points or bumps for feet.
This might take a while untill you are happy, you may even start again with another idea. This is the beauty of this project, you can change your mind of the shape by viewing from differant directions. Now comes the messy part. This is an outdoor activity.
The Cement Fondue is mixed by adding water. Don't mix it all because you will need to coat your pot upto 3 times to get the thickness required to stiffen it all up.
You will need the consistancy of thick paint and to give it a better texture I used some coarse sand or you may use fine gravel.
Use your mix fairly quickly and apply with an old brush to get in on inside and out. Cover all the cloth with the mix then drape it with wet newspaper and push inside as well. This is to slow down the drying of it after you put it in a shady spot. Wash your hands and brush in water. Another coat every 2 days untill your happy with the thickness, don't forget that you will have to pick it up when it has a tree in it and is full of bonsai mix.
I have found that it hardens and weathers to a natrual rock colour but by all means you may wish to try painting it to attcheive differant rock colours.
Our club had a great workshop here in my backyard making these after I gave a demo on club night.
The photo's are of my first attempt. I will forward photo's of my second attempt with 13 trees in it at the next installment.
The basic ingredients are 12mm chicken wire (hardwear store), fibreglass or acrylic close weave cloth (boat supplies), Cement Fondue can be found in 2 or 5 kg bags (potters suplies) and lots of creativity.
After the first attempt you will find out that the end result uses up a larger than you thought peice of base material.
So I suggest that you first aim for a piece of wire/cloth about 800mm X 500mm for your starter pot.
First sew on the chicken wire in as many places that your patience will allow, but every 50mm will give a good result. Make sure you also sew along all four edges after you have folded over 20mm. The idea here is that you are giving the cloth support with the wire so you can bend and form it to the desired shape.
Don't use ordinary cotton thread, you need the heavier grade thread or fine twine. A curved needle is ideal. You may have to join a few peices together first to give you the size. (see pic) In order to make the flat surface you now have irregular, plete at 40/50mm folds in one direction, open out then plete in the other direction then ease that out. Now the creative fun starts.
Fold and bend it into a simulation of a rock looking pot. Have the wire on the inside and double over the edges so no wire shows when viewed from the outside. This is where all that material gets used.
I tried to make it as irregular as posible with holes and lips for planting complimentry hanging plants and moss patches, make sure it sits down flat or bend into the base three points or bumps for feet.
This might take a while untill you are happy, you may even start again with another idea. This is the beauty of this project, you can change your mind of the shape by viewing from differant directions. Now comes the messy part. This is an outdoor activity.
The Cement Fondue is mixed by adding water. Don't mix it all because you will need to coat your pot upto 3 times to get the thickness required to stiffen it all up.
You will need the consistancy of thick paint and to give it a better texture I used some coarse sand or you may use fine gravel.
Use your mix fairly quickly and apply with an old brush to get in on inside and out. Cover all the cloth with the mix then drape it with wet newspaper and push inside as well. This is to slow down the drying of it after you put it in a shady spot. Wash your hands and brush in water. Another coat every 2 days untill your happy with the thickness, don't forget that you will have to pick it up when it has a tree in it and is full of bonsai mix.
I have found that it hardens and weathers to a natrual rock colour but by all means you may wish to try painting it to attcheive differant rock colours.
Our club had a great workshop here in my backyard making these after I gave a demo on club night.
The photo's are of my first attempt. I will forward photo's of my second attempt with 13 trees in it at the next installment.
