Mike, Love the sphere! How long did it take? How thick are the walls? Any re-enforcement? It's a mortar mix or concrete? Is the bench faux bois? Billie

Thanks Billie
The process is easy.
I have large picnic table covered in plastic under a shady tree. Bought a cheap exercise ball at Walmart - came with a pump. One drywall bucket to hold the ball while I work. Take a roll of mesh drywall tape cut in strips about 12" -15" long. I cover about 1/2 of the top of the ball. Mix 1 pt. portland and 2 parts playsand. I also use liquid Concrete Acrylic Fortifier - about 1/3 of the quart bottle. Water. Mix until it gets paste like. Using my hands and a small rectanular hand trowel I apply the mixture to the top of the ball ( covering the drywall tape) . I suppose that some may apply the mix first and then the tape , but this way seems easy and the tape first keep the miture from sliding off. I will cover about 1/4 of the ball with the mix. Since I cover 1/2 of the ball with tape not all the tape is covered with mixture. (Reason for this later).
I cover with a garbage bag and then come back in 1-2 days. Then turn the ballon its side. Apply more tape, Over lapping the leftover tape. Mix more and apply.
Billie, this process can take several days depending how much you can get to stick. The hard part is to get the opening to look like the ones in the Little and Lewis book. Mine is not. I eventually applied a second coat, but the second coat was very thin. I used my hands to apply the mix ( a little wetter than before) and basically just did a skim coat - this took 3 spins of the ball - or 3 days. Each time I covered with the plastic garbage bag. The ball has a plug and I can be unplugged and the ball deflated. ( I can be used many more times) Remove ball. I also apply a small thin coat of the mix to the inside to cover the drywall tape.

The paint job was done with craft paints. I really wanted to used an acid stain but the cost was too high. I bought type of stain and it had a glossy sheen. The company had lots of colors, but I did not like the shinny look.

I made a base using a cardboard concrete construction tube. Just for fun, I placed a 1/2" galv bolt threads up in the top of the base. I plan to drill a hole in the botton of the sphere and using a washer and nut attach the sphere to the base. That step is not really needed, but my neighbors have a herd of cats (not sure what to call a large quantity of felines) and they like to jump on things.

Hope that helps -
Sorry no pictures along the way.
Mike

Great sphere Mike. I may have to give one of those a go this spring. It has been several years since I made anything "hypertufa" and have been itching to get back into the game.

Regarding your drywall tape, in the past I have used some of the self-adhesive yellow vinyl drywall tape to reinforce my structures. Did you use that type or the regular drywall tape? Thanks in advance!

Mine was white mesh self adhesive - sounds like yours just comes in yellow. You can also use widow screen cut up into strips - but it does not have the stickyness of the drywall tape.
I made a few smaller one to practice. Small kids colorful balls work well, they are just hard to reinflate to use again.

Have fun -
Mike

Thanks for the info Mike.

Mike, are there spheres with similar edge on Little and Lewis' site? Not sure what kind of edge you're referring to, I don't have their book.
Regarding applying the tape. I apply mix then tape then mix but it probably doesn't matter. Billie

Just jumped on their old site and there's a sphere under the "installation" tab. Is that what you mean? That's it's more circular than your's?

Mike, The one on the cover is nice. Thanks for posting the picture. Billie

Mike
The Spheres are Great, and you did a super job on the opening as well as LL, so don't be humble. Actually I'm glad to see someone that uses the exact same process as I do when making these big boys. I do have a question you mentioned that you use 2 parts sand. I find that I have a terrible time when using sand as its seem such a heavy mix so I have a hard time with the ball flipping on me, the mixture sliding off , it turns into a full day event for me when making one this size so any hints you could give me would me helpful. I do love the smoother appearance of the sand mixture. Agin your Spheres look great keep up the good work ..........Bea

Thanks Bea,

The overall process takes a few days. I only do a small portion at a time, otherwise the weight of the sand/portland mix causes the wet mix to fall as I get close to the sides. Maybe if you mix it a little dryier- not so sloppy.
I use a big drywall bucket to hold the rubber ball - You may consider filling the bucket with sand to stabilize it so it does not tip over. This is my second one and I think it is much better than the first.
I have also seen instruction on the web for egg shell thin orbs - I would like to try to make it thinner. This orb is a little heavy. Mike

Beautiful work Mike. Thanks for the tip re filling the bucket with sand. I was almost finished a small sphere and the whole set up ended up on my porch floor....

Bouncy balls from the dollar stores also make a good medium-size sphere, but may have to be covered with plastic before using drywall tape to prevent puncture (alternative - use strips of cloth soaked in cement slurry as first coat, but that takes a while to harden up and is weak).

That sphere is very nice and the garden is too. Can you tell me where I can get portland cement in smaller bags, not the 94 pounders? I wouldn't be able to lift it and my DH shouldn't.

shar, For smaller bags see your local hardware store or ask at a masonary supply house if they could order you one. Around here, the large improvement stores (Lowes or Home Depot) will load it in your vehicle. Someone on this site use to take 5 gallon pails with lids (Lowes & Home Depot sell them) and would wheel the bags on flat trucks out to the parking lot and transfer the portland cement into the pails to take home. You could also use sand topping mix or mortar mix. They come in smaller bags and their basically sand and portland cement and some other goodies. Make sure you mix the contents of the bag well because the sand can separate out. Billie

Billy Ann, thank you for the info on smaller bags of portland. I will check around.
Plantman56, do you have trouble with water collecting in the sphere? Also, where did you get that awesome bench?

I beleive that there is a product in a blue bag called vinyle concerte patch that would work ok It is not just portland , beleive it also contains sand, but will work. It does come in a smaller bag. Start off with a small ball and try some out.
The bench started out as two logs that were cut lenghtwise.
Bought them from a GH that had acces to a mill. They sat for years in my yard - then one day a guy came along with a nice sharp saw and cut one in half ( two legs) . Bought rough cut fence post and some lag bolts and made the bench. My little pond is hidden behind the bench. Its a good place to sit and watch the fish.

Water has collected inside sphere. Actually I would like to find a small globe to float in the water of the sphere.

BTW - I have used kitty litter buckets with lids and filled up in the parking lot of HD. Just clean up after your done.

Billie - nice to see you back -

Mike
Thank-you for the pics and instructions. Great work!!!
~Deb~

Mike, I actually think your ball is much better than the one on the LL book cover! I love the colors and the shape of the opening. Fabulous!!

I may try to make one when I am home over spring break-if we don't lose it to make up for all those snow days we had!

Hey Mike
Thanks for the followup and thinks for the sand in the bucket idea just didnt think about that . I do use vasaline on my ball so that it slides out easier Im kind of wondering if that may be part of my problem. Im going to start a smaller one tomorrow and not use the vasaline see how that goes. I dont know about the rest of you on here but I simply cant wait for warmer weather Spring is going to be so Sweet this year :)

Thanks cyn427,
I liked it too. I really want to find a stain to use to make the colors more muted. But the craft paints are cheap.

I never use anything on the ball. I apply the mesh drywall tape first. It will stick to the ball. The the coating of the mixture. I purchased a exercise ball that can be easily inflated and deflated. With only a little work it will come out. No release spray is needed.

I too can't wait for the spring. Phila Flower show in a few days! Always great containers at the show...Mike

Mike We have "questioned" you to death. But just one more please. I went to WalMart and they have 55cc, 65cc, and 75cc balls like you mentioned. The 75cc only came in the 19.99 and the other 2 sizes were $9.99. Did you use the cheaper or more expensive one? What size is your ball? The 75cc balls were $19.99 and I wasn't sure if the cheaper one would be thick enough to suport the wieght. Why spend another $10. if not necessary. I couldn't determine the size of your. Thanks for all your info. Everyone is being rewarded by you. Great paint job too. Give yourself credit.

No problem
I am pretty sure it was the smaller ball - $10 sounds right.
No other choices. It included a cheap pump.

Mike

Mike, love your sphere and the way it is set up, and the coloring. I have been working on renewing the outside of my sphere. It is covered with a thin coat of portland, fortifier and color. Here is a picture, hope this works!!
{{gwi:67650}}

Love this! Have to try it ASAP! Also, a large group of cats is a colony.

I thought it was a clowder or glaring.

I would try saw dust and peat moss in place of the sand it would be much lighter. Excellent instructions and I love the sphere