AusBonsai

I am very interested in Root over rocks style but find that suitable rocks with crevices are hard to find.

I plan to make my own rock and visited a nursery famous for root on rocks. But the owner there said that is a "secret formula" he won't tell me.

Anyone who knows any secret formula to make a rock? Anyone has made one and willing to share your experience?

BTW, what is the difference of "to make a rock" and "to build a rock"? Does the latter means gluing smaller rocks together to make a big one?

Bonbon wrote:I am very interested in Root over rocks style but find that suitable rocks with crevices are hard to find.

I plan to make my own rock and visited a nursery famous for root on rocks. But the owner there said that is a "secret formula" he won't tell me.

Anyone who knows any secret formula to make a rock? Anyone has made one and willing to share your experience?

BTW, what is the difference of "to make a rock" and "to build a rock"? Does the latter means gluing smaller rocks together to make a big one?

I have on ever seen rocks gleued together to make a big one, Suppose that woud be called Building one methinks.

as for making one?, Concrete, Epoxy ( with a filler), Fibreglass ( but that is just epoxy with fibres in the mix).
Let us know what you can find out

G'day Bonbon,

A lot of ponds and water features are built from 'mock rock' which is an oxide coloured cement mix over chicken wire frame. If done right it can be very impressive and realistic, if done poorly it can look terrible! This could be 'making a rock'.

Regards,
Steven

G/day! Bon Bon,

I have heard that "Cement Fondue" is the way to go with artificial rocks.
I have seen a book which depicts this process so will get some more info and follow up.

I have been intertested in trying it as well.

A good mate has built a rock from cement fondue and with some coloring it turned out to be a great rock.

He has completed his setting and it was on display at the bonsai Society meeting a few months back.
In fact the rock formed part of his demonstration to the BSA last year so it was great to see he had completed the setting which was first class.

Meanwhile why not google "Cement Fondue" and see what you can find?

more to come..................

regards

Maybe something similar to the DIY Fondue pot
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=1156&p=13542&hilit=fondue#p13542

A friend of mine made a root over rock many years ago but in some places the roots never thoroughly attached to the rock, so he glued more rock onto the existing rock recently and you would never know it was not original.

Bonbon,

You should join "The School of Bonsai". It is run by Clinton Nesci, a very respected bonsai artist. A couple of weeks ago at class, we did a lesson titled "Let's Build a Rock!". This was one of the many exciting and new techniques i have learned from these classes.

Basically, rocks of the same kind were found. They were sat on top of each other to make a larger rock, with hollows and cracks and interesting features. All contact points were cleaned by pressing blue tack onto the rock, and lifting it off to pull off any dust. A product called "Selleys Knead It" is squeezed till it forms a warm putty, and placed onto the contact points. It can be coloured to the same colour by adding oxides. The product dries forming a REALLY TIGHT bond. Any visible joins can be covered with muck/moss.

Clinton brought in several rocks done like this, and they all looked absolutely stunning, and very realistic. I took a photo with my camera phone of one, but it is of poor quality.

JayC

A few years ago at a School of Bonsai Seminar there was a demonstration on gluing rocks to gether, I can't remember what was used as the glue except it was an apoxy compound and it was coloured to match the red rocks.
This is a rock I purchased and it has been made by gluing rocks to gether, but you have to look carfully to see the joins

I have found a post on another forum about making rocks, on IBC

There is a link to a blog on how to do it but it is in Spanish.
http://bonsaistudio.forumvila.com/viewt ... =12&t=1329
If anyone can decifer it I do not know whether he gives his formula but has some photos of the process he uses.

from the IBC post here,
http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/bonsa ... e-t269.htm
he gives the contents as, "In this work we use common Cement, fine Sand, Pigment of color for cement and White Cement."

If anyone wants to have a go then they can post the results for us all to see.

Ken

Steven wrote:G'day Bonbon,

A lot of ponds and water features are built from 'mock rock' which is an oxide coloured cement mix over chicken wire frame. If done right it can be very impressive and realistic, if done poorly it can look terrible! This could be 'making a rock'.

Regards,
Steven

My concern with using too much "real" cement or concrete, is the high lime content. As for cement fondu, not sure of its components, but i do have a wonderful book by Su Chin Ee called "creating bonsai landscapes". He/She sorry not sure, uses chicken wire to make the support structure, then wraps it in fibreglass cloth and simply pastes on the cement fondu mixture in much the same way as you would the fibreglass resin. You can then dress it with chik grit or pebbles, or even simply paint it.

hope this helps
aaron

I use foam, mould it to shape and lay a mix of Hessian soaked in cement over the top to have the layer. I then put cement over the top of the first layer and build it up from that.

i have only tried this with clay, like a tall pot, but looking like a rock by jamming natural rocks into the surface to create texture, obviously not leaving the rocks in the surface... i then glazed with different natural colour oxides only for a not so shiny glaze...

Do a internet search on "Papercrete". Works well for me.

http://www.artificialrock.com.au/artificial_rock.htm#"

Theres a 7 minute video on how to make one. I havent viewed it as yet as im still at work.

Bon Bon

I've located an ancient means of communication called a book! Yeah a real one.
The members have some great sites to search on the net but this is an old fashioned book!

Printed in 2003 it is called "Creating Bonsai Landscapes" and is written by that famous Su Chin Ee (in English).
Anyone know who she/he is? 128 Pages of good stuff on Bonsai landscapes (Saikei bordering only slightly towards Penjing)
She/He explains in graphic detail (even has pictures and drawings) how to fashion your Bonsai Rocks.

Quite a good book to have in your collection! I've borrowed it from a mate who has built a few rocks as mentioned before.

Now, Bon Bon, the secret ingredient is "Ciment Fondu" (Spelling is correct) a registered trademark for a product produced by a French Company. (United nations here , eh?)
From what I can gather in the book Ciment Fondu is "a highly refined very light form of Cement which takes up to 24 hours to dry and dries to a porcelain hardness used mainly in the art and sculpture world. I found a rep in Sydney but have not yet spoken to them. So I have no idea what it would cost.

I quote Su Chin Ee from his/her book - page 43 - " Cut the chickern wire to size and stitch the fibreglass cloth onto it as tightly as possible. Flare out the base of your rock to ensure it is stable, at the same time creating the bends and curves you require to replicate the strong wavelike lines of your rock. Remember to make a cavity in the top of the rock for your tree planting, as well as cavities in other planting areas. With a paint brush apply the ciment fondu mixture to the moulding and then sprinkle the wet finish with chick grit for texture. Cover with damp Newspaper and plastic to prolong the drying time thereby greatly increasing the strength of your work of Art. Allow 24 hours for drying then get planting and potting!"

There you have it!

Avago!
Let us know what and how you build your rock as we are all very interested.

Instant rocks of great artistic and natural presentation (Real Rocks( can be found in a Bin in the local Aquarium Shop. Drop into a few and sort through their collection - your imagination will overflow with ideas!

Regards