Faux volcanic rock

The bar will soon become home to a volcano of my own design. I plan to build a frame over which to put layers of mortar. One of those flame pot type lamps will be modified to fit the top, and I'll need to include a small fog machine for the occasional belching of smoke. Also in the plan is a means to create thin glowing lava flows down the sides. I'm going to vacu-form the flows in clear poly carb and then back paint them with semi transparent paint in oranges and reds. These will be set into the mortar with gaps underneath to install what will probably turn out to be rope lighting for that nice fiery glow. I'll back the lighting with red foil, and then touch up the whole works with black paint, maybe some touches of grey for a faux "ash" effect, and a bit of day-glo orange that will come alive under a strategically placed black light. The whole thing should be in one piece and thus mobile when finished (though rather heavy).

So far, I have only come to one snag: How shall I achieve the bubbly effect of volcanic rock? I am planning to try all sorts of things, brushes mostly. I figure a bristle brush pressed into the surface might make the appropriate holes. Then I'll need to add some larger ones with a dowel or two I suppose.

Has anyone done this sort of thing? Simulated volcanic rock successfully?

I'd love to hear suggestions, and I'll be sure to post pics when the beast is done.

pele

how big will your volcano be? (compare to the volcano from The Brady Bunch as a benchmark)

it sounds awesome!

On 2003-01-22 19:09, dogbytes wrote:
how big will your volcano be?

I'm going for a mere six to seven feet or so on this one. Just tall enough to prevent most from staring down at it (and thus ruining the effect). It's going to be positioned in a corner and somewhat out of reach behind fake tropical foliage to give it that "far away" look. The lighting is going to be crucial. Red uplighting should do the trick. That and the black light which I mentioned above. Bear in mind that the whole of the space including the floor will be black. Once the volcanic rock thing is perfected I'll be doing the walls in that too. I want to have a very ominous feel to the place.

pele

[ Edited by: pele on 2003-01-22 19:27 ]

I love this idea and wish I was talented enough to pull it off myself!

Here is something that might work -- put a clear glass container inside the volcano just below the lip. put some water in the container and one of those misters for table top fountains. When the mister is turned on, the mist will pour out the top of the volcano and flow down the sides, like steam. Put red lighting below the pan, and you will get cool shadows above the volcano as well!

-Mike

If what you are talking about is what I THINK you are, then you are talking about the little holes that are there when the lava cools into rock, right?

Well, if it is, I can tell you that the people who built Disney's Polynesian Resort have already solved that problem for you. What they did was use large rock salt (kinda like you would use in a home water softener). As the mortar or exterior starts to dry, press pieces of salt into the mortar in random patterns. Once the mortar/exterior is dry, wet the salt and it will dissolve leaving the appropriate "pitting".

The process was used primarily for the "lava rock" walkways through the resort, which were made of combinations of concrete and other substances which could be hosed down to dissolve the salt faster, so if you can hose down your volcano...the salt will be gone faster.

Hope it helps!
Jason "Tiki" Tackett
http://www.tikitackett.com

Just use peat moss in your mix...after the thing sets just brush them out with your wire brush and you'll bet plenty of pockmarks and holes...just break up the moss as large or small as you want....Spectacular effect....

I'd go with the rock salt idea. It really does work.

:tiki:

Damn! This sounds FANTASTIC! I wanna see it when it's done! I'll drive all the way across the country if I have to! I'll even buy the rum and mix the Mai Tais! Can I, at least, see a pic of the completed product?

On 2003-01-24 09:42, Tikitackett wrote:
If what you are talking about is what I THINK you are, then you are talking about the little holes that are there when the lava cools into rock, right?

Well, if it is, I can tell you that the people who built Disney's Polynesian Resort have already solved that problem for you. What they did was use large rock salt (kinda like you would use in a home water softener). As the mortar or exterior starts to dry, press pieces of salt into the mortar in random patterns. Once the mortar/exterior is dry, wet the salt and it will dissolve leaving the appropriate "pitting".

The process was used primarily for the "lava rock" walkways through the resort, which were made of combinations of concrete and other substances which could be hosed down to dissolve the salt faster, so if you can hose down your volcano...the salt will be gone faster.

Hope it helps!
Jason "Tiki" Tackett
http://www.tikitackett.com

Brilliant! I love it! That will do just fine, thanks for the suggestion. I imagine that hosing her down will be no problem at all. Although that does mean that I'll have to carry it back downstairs afterwards.....hmmmm....

On 2003-01-25 23:48, Traitor Vic wrote:
Damn! This sounds FANTASTIC! I wanna see it when it's done! I'll drive all the way across the country if I have to! I'll even buy the rum and mix the Mai Tais! Can I, at least, see a pic of the completed product?

Your mixing? And bringing the rum?

When's good for you?

Heh heh heh...

I'll be sure to post pics of the progress and the finished volcano. Just don't hold your breath, it's much too cold here for hosing down faux volcanos at the moment.

pele

It may also interest you to know about Minwax Red Mahogany 225 stain. I just used it on my very first concrete tiki and it is a perfect lava color. }:)

Yeah, we definately need some pictures!

This sounds like the kind of effect I am wanting to use around my hot tub. I'd be very interested in knowing how it turns out.

Thanks for the salt & other ideas. As soon as it gets warm around here, I plan to do some serious experimenting!

:sheckymug:

Glad to have been of some help! If it weren't for the fact that I am moving (and will still be living in an apartment) I would be building my own volcano! :)

Any progress to report, Pele?

You can get real volcanic rock at Home Depot, but it is in a bag in chunks...you may be able to use it for texture, though. We have used it to put around our potted plants.

Here's my attempt at Volcano construction/destruction...... Built this for my girlfriends birthday which is the 4th of July. We had a huge party.....our band "The Live Harmless Reptiles" played for hours....then we shot mortars out of this damn thing after dark. It has since delapidated............we used plaster of paris.

T.F.

[ Edited by: tikifreak on 2003-10-16 06:30 ]

[ Edited by: tikifreak on 2003-10-16 06:31 ]

Pretty cool TikiFreak. If that first picture had the smoke coming out of the volcano, you'd actually look like you're taking a bong hit rather than drinking a beer. HA!

This project is what got me into tiki. The volcano had outdoor speakers embedded(sp?) in the base with a looping recording of an erruption(on cd), a smoke machine, lighting, and an automated blast of atomized water blow through the cone. This thing used to scare the $hit out of people as they were shopping the nursery. If you had a sense of humor you would just laugh it off, if not then .... we had a blast with this thing.

[ Edited by: thechikitiki on 2003-10-25 21:43 ]

Hey Chiki, who built the hut in the background? Was that you too?

The structure was there, we decorated it.

Hey KuKuahu...You ever finish yr Volcano?
I'd love to see a pic of it...

That is wicked!!! Wanna come build one in my backyard?

Matty

i did a volcanic rock project recently and used hypertufa, which is portland cement, sand, and peat moss mixed together about the consistency of a mud pie; form it into the shape that you want, let it set up, then brush it with a wire brush. you can theme the surface with flow lines, and the peat moss brushes out and/or weathers out to leave the pock marks. pretty cool effect, but i really like the rock salt idea as well.

You guys Rock!.....

Palama Tiki ....do you have some pictures to post....I would love to see them.....Do you have step by step instructions, I wanna make some stuff..... but I am clueless on where to start

What is the best light weight mixture that would hold up in the weather?