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what it is, i need this big bowl about a meter or so long with a gradual curve, so not too deep.
the only thing is i have no idea how to make it.
i have faith with paper mache, so im sure there's a way some how.
-i dont mind spending money on anything that would act as a fram
i got plenty of stuff for the paper mache.
so all i need is to know how to make it.
it will be designed to play the spinning tops game, Beyblade in.
please help me, i need it within 2 months!!!
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Could you give a bit more detailed description? Any link to a photo of something similar? Is it circular or oval or some other shape? How deep is not too deep?
And if you could give a hint as to what country you're in, we could more easily give brand names, and use the right terms. We have people here from all over the world, and sometimes language/local terms can cause confusion.
Sue
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Hi Scorpora
The ideal would be to find something you can use as a mould/template, but on that scale it could be quite difficult. I'd be inclined to use a chicken-wire base, or you could spend more than 2 months just building up enough layers to be self-supporting (particularly if it's got to stand up to games usage). Even then it could be too flexible during the construction stage, so I'll suggest a technique I've used to make a concrete bird bath * ... if I can describe it clearly enough and adapt for p-m!
The basic idea was to make an 'upside down' mould of well-packed sand. You'd need a flat base with a containing wall around the perimeter to dissuade the sand from escaping (I should think card and gaffer tape would do). Then make your upside-down bowl shape, patting into place as for sand-castles (use ordinary builders sand rather than the 'sharp' stuff, it's 'stickier'). Lay clingfilm over the sand, and shape your chicken wire over the top. Then layer, one layer at a time, for 3 - 4 layers working upwards. By the time that's all dried it should be firm enough to let you turn the whole thing over and work on the other side. A final layer of pulp on the 1st side should make the whole thing more robust and reduce flexing.
Antonia
* Our British birds being such snobs, they turned up their beaks at my hand-made effort - OK, it WAS a bit rustic but it was my 1st go with cement. However next-door's cat loves sunbathing in it!
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Perhaps the basking cat was something to do with the birds 'turning up their beaks'? I think ours would turn tail!
I support Antonia's method and offer the following addition.
If you want to make an evenly shaped bowl, this would be difficult to do freehand. In the past I have cut the profile shape of the centre to outer rim from a piece of ply, fixed it to a dowel. I then roughly shaped the mold in damp sand, pushed the dowel down the centre and carefully rotated the profile around the mound. This gave me an even curve.
DavidO
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This is going off-topic a bit David, but I'd like to clarify that the cat didn't take up residence until after the birdbath had been abandoned, the base used for something else and I'd let it dry out. I still think it was (probably justified) artistic criticism - we later acquired a 'proper' cast concrete bird amenity and they dived right in, despite my own moggies haunting the area!
A.
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You might try getting those huge ballons from a party store. They're bigger than my 9 year old. Apply pressure to the top until it is roughly the curve you need then mold, maybe even mold more than needed which you can trim down later. That should do it.
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