FINALLY getting to shopbot projects...

[harryball]

Wow... this house has been a thrill from "peeing walls" to Armadillo assualts. I'm now getting to the fun part, SHOPBOTTING! I know it seems like I died over here. Busier than ever plus the new house/property/shop to boot.

I'm soliciting ideas on creative ShopBot solutions for real and for fun!

I have a hole in the middle of my driveway about 8 feet in diameter. It was a brick flower planter and in the way. It is now gone. I was wondering if anyone has some concrete stamp methods experience? Patterns? I was actually toying with the idea of making the Batman sign like the spotlight.

I need something for the main gate. I can't decide what. I don't really want to do monograms or initials and I think a bat sign there would be a bit much. Something really deco. It's a 14' black iron gate.

Farm name ideas. We have not yet been able to name the place. I want something like "Harry Balls Farms" home of Habitat For Bats or some such (my wife Veto'd that name). I wanted to add a small sign by the road.

/RB

[myxpykalix]

How bout just "BALLS" then let everyone figure it out...

[chiloquinruss]

Battatoria, or Battaterium, or HDB Interprises (Home of Da Bat). I know DECAF! And you're lucky my back to wood related stuff took almost two years after the move! I'm looking forward to more bat related projects. Russ

[oddcoach]

How about Wayne Manor

[harryball]

Ideas on how to create a compass rose?

I was thinking I could pour a concrete base about 2" deeper than the drive, then construct the parts like an inlay using a concrete counter top approach. Would 3" foam make a good mold for the parts?

I really like the idea of a compass rose, just got to figure out how.

/RB

[myxpykalix]

Are you wanting to make the compass rose out of concrete also? It would seem to me that you could make the different "compartments" using some type of steel or brass to seperate the different parts but then I would guess you would have to put something in the concrete to change the colors and i don't know anything about that, or whether it can even be done.

[bleeth]

Rob:

Cut all the parts of the rose out of 2" foam and put them in the drive. Selectively remove all sections that will be one color, pour the concrete in that area, let it cure a day, and then remove the next sections and pour there. Continue till you are done. Any concrete company sells dyes. Talk to them about possible problems in the sections expanding and contracting from Cold Georgia nights to hot days!You could also do it by creating a "stamp" of the lines and then carefully staining the concrete.

Totally different idea: Make your pattern a mosaic with broken tile bits pressed into your fesh concrete. Or you could pour your concrete base just low enough to leave room for thinset and tile, use 12 x 12 sheets of square mosaics cut to your design and then lay them like any tile floor.

Check code for proper thickness of a driveway pour. I believe it varies in different areas but may be 6".

[bill.young]

What about some dinosaur footprints?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iNj0Pr9yR8

http://blog.smu.edu/research/2011/02..._scanning.html

[curtiss]

Can you see the north star from your location ??

[harryball]

Those are all good ideas. I'd not thought about tile and the foam/concrete swap idea is pretty good. Whatever I do it will need to be tough.

If I did dino tracks in a circle my dog would follow them all day.

Local Code what's that? I'm in Butts County GA.

They have a water tower that sort of sums it all up...
I was told that I'm now an official "ButtHead".


EDIT:
The Sundial would be cool, but I can't have anything sticking up in the middle of the driveway. Turning trailers around and larger trucks was a pain and I know anything there will eventually get run over.



/RB