AusBonsai

Hey Peoples, I am just after some advise. I have a juniper and a big rock I would like to put together in a shallow tray.... My query is how do I make this rock stand up, it's quite a heavy rock. any ideas?

G'day Woz,

You might find inspiration from FlyBri's She-Oak Tanuki post where he uses resin as a base for his dead wood.
Other options are forming a concrete base or using a masonry disk on an angle grinder and cutting the bottom off so it is flat. If it were mine, I think I would be using resin as it is lighter than concrete and easier than cutting the rock.

Regards,
Steven

Put another rock behind it. and cement it there
Drill some holes it it to tie it to the pot.
Make a base of either Fibre glass or cement.
Just some ideas to ponder. Pup

Thanks for the speedy responses I may have to give it some thought and look at avaliable resources

Day! Woz,

There is a product called "Kneadit" which is a prepared resin supplied in stick form with the catalyst in the core of the stick.
The product is like plasticine and you can cut off a section and then "knead" it until fully mixed and apply it to the rock and it will set in just 2-3 minutes. You can even hold the rock in your chosen position while the "Kneadit" sets.

It will stick to the rock like "kneadit" to a blanket.

I have got great results by shaping dobs of the product and sticking them in advantageous spots on the bottom of the rock and then lowering the rock on to a sheet of plastic or even paper, maybe pushing down on the rock if it does not have much weight until the pressure adjusts the dobs of kneadit to balance the rock in the correct position.

If you are using a small pot you can even create legs for the rock so they raise the rock to just below the depth of the pot.
This serves two purposes - 1 it gives you the opportunity to stand a rock on its smallest end giving you great options to display your rock to best advantage - 2 It means you can elevate the rock off the bottom of the pot giving scope for more room for root growth under the rock, always a problem when having large rocks in small pots.

Take care with your selection of Kneadit as there are two types and you need to choose the special waterproof type.

I hope this helps.

Thanks Tmaster! I was just about to go by a drill and some plastic plugs and drill holes an make a wire base to support it but I reckon the Knead-It will beat the pants of that idea.
Thanks again tmaster, great advice : )

Hi Woz thats going to look cool when you get it done. How are you going to position them? Close together or separate?
Great idea with the needit tmaster. I saw some in the hardware and thought it looked like good stuff. Now I know it is!!!
BB

Over the easter weekend it has been rainy and grey, terrible for camping but great for bonsaiing....

I grabbed some Kneed it stuck it on my rock....

And then I put it all together.... I would have liked to get the trunk a little closer to the rock, and I think the pads need a litle more definition but I didn't want to go to hard on it all in one blow. Comments and critisism are appreciated

Top marks Woz!

The Kneadit is very easy to use as you have no doubt found out.
Looks like you have it all together with your setting.
As solid as a rock! Well done!

If you have some small pieces of the rock or very similar you can glue them to the bigger piece and grow the rock.

Ric R made a poor Root Over Rock into a great ROR by adding extra rock when the roots wouldn't thicken or clasp the rock properly.