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Home made atlas stones

T

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After seeing the photos of PTC's Atlas stones, I decided i wanted one, After looking at price of getting one made from stone i decided that i should try and build one. After a bit of searching i came accross some instructions to make one out of concrete.

I just thought that some one might be interested.

The basic steps to build a stone will be to create a mold of Plaster of Paris around a rubber ball, remove the ball, fill it with cement, chip off the mold and put a few finishing touches on it. Materials you need are 3 25lb bags of Plaster of Paris, 1 large FIT play ball (they finaly have a good use), 3-4 bags of cement, a wooden platform to build the stone on (it's messy), a 5-gallon bucket to mix the Plaster of Paris in and a wheel barrel to mix the cement in. First you need to choose the size of stone you want. The basic formula is 140 lbs per cubic foot. Some measurements with corresponding

weights are:
54" 216 lbs
56" 240 lbs
58" 267 lbs
60" 295 lbs
62" 326 lbs

To create your mold you need to inflate the rubber fit ball to your chosen diameter. Then place it on your platform. I recommend you do this either outside or in a garage. It is very messy. Then start mixing up your Plaster of Paris. Don't mix more than about half of the bag at one time. Once it gets to a sticky consistency start spreading it on your ball. Make sure to put some on the bottom of the ball. A large wooden spoon will work. Make sure you get plenty on. You will be able to patch it though if you need some more. Make sure to leave a hole in the top about 6 inches in diameter to pull the ball out. You should be able to save the rubber ball future use by deflating it. Once the ball is remove check inside the mold to make sure it's smooth and also to see if any parts of the mold look thin. You can add additional Plaster if you need it.

Now that you have a good mold, you can mix the cement and begin filling the mold. I used a wheel barrel to mix the concrete and it worked well. You can shovel the cement from the wheel barrel into the opening in the mold. Be sure to tamp the cement down periodically as you are filling the mold. I suggest you try to mound off the top to ensure there is not sunken area on the top. You can always chip extra off but you can't add anything after it's done. Once it's full cover the top with a damp cloth. It should set in about 2-3 days.

Once the cement has set you are ready to chip the mold away. A wood chisel and hammer work well. Try to chisel off pieces about 6 inches by 6 inches. This will make cleanup easier. It took longer to chip it off that I thought it would. I probably used more Plaster of Paris than I needed.

I will post photos once i am finished.

Mods if you belive this would fit better into another section can you please move.
 
Having never lifted an atlas stone i am thinking i should start relatively small so it will be around 35cm diameter - 110lbs to start with, about the size of a medium beach ball.

If it turns out ok i will try a larger one. my goal is to shoulder a 220 lbs atlas stone.
 
Only problem is with them cracking I think, its why I never bothered making them. Trust me, they will get dropped, often.

Keen to see how you go, I've had the plans for a few years.
 
PTC said:
Only problem is with them cracking I think, its why I never bothered making them. Trust me, they will get dropped, often.


Hey there PTC. I work in the construction industry and before they do a concrete pour they make up a type of cage (would be the easist way to describe )out of steel bar(reo-bar) and then pour the cement over it. so when the cement sets what you actually have is a steel cage set inside the concrete. i think this would add to the strength of the ball and even if it did crack it would not break up. only problem i could see would be incorporating the weight of the steel into overall weight of ball.:) But if you weren't looking to make an exact size from thestart you could just weigh it once complete
Click to expand...
 
PTC i was thinking the same thing about them cracking. Jboy reo-bar would be good to use but would be a nightmare to make a cage for a ball and to then to try and get it into the mold. I think i might do a bit more research into strengthening it this before i start making it.

Will keep you guys updated.
 
Would it be possible to get some big, roundish stone boulders from landscaping supplies, or even some rural/river areas where they are just lying around, wheelbarrow required...
 
Getting the reo in the mould is obviously the problem.

I solved it by getting 93kg Granite Stones for $100
 
**** good price?

For its use anyway..

That and sandbags cant go past them.. Once i have room i am going to have lots of things to play with :) Does max realise how lucky he is? :D
 
i saw a fibreglass mold that looked pretty good, it has a flange around it so u can bolt it and unbolt it not bad i reckon!!!
 
That mould costs more than my stones, dont really need more than 1 of each size. Still, its the best option, the reo is the key I reckon.
 
not if u make it yourself it isnt.. did i forget to mention ive done years of fibreglassing?
 
I was just talking to a a friend whos a structural engineer and i mentioned this, He was saying that there is a thing called fiber reinforced concrete, it is less prone to cracking from repeated impacts than normal concrete. It is also the same consistancy of normal concrete so the mould idea would work. I think i might go down this line, Just gotta find somewhere that sells it.
 
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yer yer i know the stuff dont know why it didnt come to mind earlier it shouldnt be hard to get ur hands on then youll have atlas stones coming out ya arse
 
If you find out what the reinforcing fibres are that they use, you could just add it to normal concrete to get the same result.
 
The hulk there are a few different fibers common ones are steal wire(like 2mm thick and about 1cm long), some are glass(like fiber glass) and the other is Hemp.
 
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