Kind words and thanks! It is always encouraging to hear from various people around the world. Please report back on how your brisket adventure turns out and what everyone thought of it. There is something special about a bunch of friends gathering around a great meal!

Yes, you can transplant it in the growing season, but it is going to face more shock, and the risks are higher of it not surviving. If I was moving and didn't have a good option of transplanting when dormant, I would try it. Be sure to get a big root ball and try to minimize disrupting the roots. Get it planted quickly and watered, and then expect some rough weeks as the shock hits, and then hopefully it survives OK.

Thanks for watching and all!

Yes, that first coat helps get a tight seam for the statue. Once the mold is done and ready to come a part, then take a razor and cut that thin layer.

Wow, thanks for the encouragement. I admit that I don't know how different varieties will handle heat and the sun, but for most of the ones that I have seen and had, this is the case. I have a new one this year that seems to be taking it harder than most of my others, but I suspect some of this is the age, size, and watering needs. Good luck on yours and thanks again for watching.

Thanks for watching!

@@backyardadventureswithandy You're welcome

Hello, and yes, sand works just fine as a support. I have one statue that is like 3 inches tall, and I just put it in a coffee cup upside down, and that is enough support. The fiberglass part is my least favorite part, but it also is pretty satisfying to complete. What are you hoping to copy? I am finishing a replacement of my tortoise mold, and also shopping around for my next statue.

@backyardadventureswithandy my mom was a collector....her particular fondness was anything owls. She passed in 2013 and we are just now figuring out what to do with it all. Many many years ago my aunt, her sister, gave my mom 3 large lamps with owls as the base about a foot and a half tall and about as wide. I opted to take them and try to turn them into molds for statuary. I've done mother molds before, and I wholeheartedly agree it's a nasty, sticky, smelly job🫢🥴

Thanks, and I hope your channel is successful!

You are welcome!

I have not used it, but the concept works. The latex provides a thin and durable mold that is quite flexible for ease of removal. The silicone might be too stiff, but I am not familiar with it enough to know.

There are a few that I have come across that are copyrighted, so I do try my best to honor these artists.

Yes! it is important!

It is available everywhere, usually in the paint section of a store.

A hard mold/shell like fiberglass only works if there are not details to "catch" on, which works for things like a planter without details. the latex captures unbelievable details, curves, etc., but can then peel off the fragile concrete. For example, picture a ear or nose of a creature. When you demold a concrete statue, that would break off if it were any sort of indent was in it for a nostril or inner ear. As for latex, I still love the TAP Plastic latex, but have not seen it for a few years. I recently bought a gallon off Amazon of another brand, and so far, it is working well.

@@backyardadventureswithandy Thank you, so far my biggest challenge has been patience. I think its due in part by the crazy high prices you have to pay for any decent large mold and sticker shock on the rubber. i think I am rushing thinking I could recoup my investment quicker, but its only proven to cost me more in failures. I appreciate you and you sharing of your skill and quick response. Soon I will be attempting a mold of the owl of bohemia in bohemian grove.

@@YouOWL3y3 I have a few molds that have been financially worth it, but several others that were either a waste because people don't really have an interest in those or the design needed adjustment. Early on, a rabbit had ears that needed a seam, because they always broke off when I demolded.

No, I just make sure it is clean. It will generally come off the statue. I have had it stick more to raw wood like plywood, but it came off that, too.

Yes, and once this heat wave passes, your hydrangea will recover. I was on vacation until last night, and upon returning, one of mine is getting hit pretty hard, and a few others are struggling, too.

Thanks for sharing and enjoy. It is a unique niche, and the results are fun!

Thanks for sharing and this hobby can lead to some fun results with family, friends, and more!

We had this a couple years ago when I made this video, with temps staying above 100 for several days. I was not able to protect all of mine, but they all recovered just fine, and some even recovered over the weeks ahead. With that said, I would not trim or prune anything until after the heat wave goes away. Trying to umbrella can help by giving some reprieve in the heat of the afternoon. Also, adding mulch under the plant is quite helpful for the moisture retention, so perhaps do that and worry less about the watering. I have been out of town during this heat wave, and as I fly back in, I am sure there will be some wilting, etc., but so many people in our areas have beautiful hydrangea year after year, and survive strong sun just fine overall.

Nice! I find rabbits, frogs and turtles are quite popular, too. Many people don't like the vermin of the animal kingdom, so my racoon, squirrels, etc. are not quite as much a hit.

Thanks for sharing some insightful tips, and I will experiment with this. I don't have a lot of space for storage of a trailer load of gravel and another of sand, so that is part of why I buy a few bags at time, generally, but I am chewing on this as I love saving money. I do keep a bucket of Portland cement that I am starting to supplement my bags with, but so far, I have not noticed a difference. But, what you say is similar to a few others I have heard from. As for the seams and all, you nailed it on the advice. My hen/chicken statue in my video is OK, but I do regret the seam placement as it is not visually the best. Thanks for sharing and giving some wisdom!!

@@backyardadventureswithandy you can go to your local landscape supply and but the appropriate sand and gravel by the bucket. I usually have about 5, 5 gallon buckets of each in my shop. Not as cheap as a truck load but still better.

Yes, or you can buy a mold from an online person.

Hello. I did not need certification, and my recipe is based off a mix of recipes from a book with altercations, for which I followed a calculation to ensure proper sponification. I encourage you to follow a published recipe your first few times.

Honestly, I don't know enough to confidently say, but I have a few very old limbs/trunks, and they have some cracks, etc., but the top is thriving. My experiential knowledge is to leave it, but I also am fostering some new growth for the future. This allows me to replace old limbs over time.

Good luck and thanks for watching...

Glad you enjoyed

Two years ago, when I did this video, I had a few that were hit really hard by a heat wave that lasted for a couple weeks. They looked ugly, but all recovered with new growth. I felt like I had burnt leaves for a while that summer, and many I trimmed off as it started growing new leaves. Each climate is something special, but like you say, there is something really special about the Pacific NW area!

I would generally dig beyond the drip line around the plant. They transplant best when they are dormant, so if you are doing it in the warmer season, be sure to have a mostly undisturbed root ball for best results.

Yes, most evergreen trees...

Yes. If you watch parks and people's yards, you will see this done often for sight lines

Thanks for watching!

Products I used include a piece to copy, latex rubber, paint brushes, a board to make the mold on, hot glue to attach the piece onto, playing cards and tape for seam making, fiberglass and resin, blue tape, Vaseline, and stuff to put do the fiberglass. Then, there will be some bolts and nuts, a drill, and concrete.

@@backyardadventureswithandy Thankyou

I am mostly copying something that I have found. Sometimes, I alter things. I don't always copy statues, as I have found things like a decorative lamp that was a squirrel shape, or a sprinkler that was a plastic set of frogs.

I use a basic exterior, latex paint. I've used interior paint at times, and I don't see it having an issue, but the experts have always said exterior does better, so I try to stick with that.

I'll often use an inexpensive, exterior flat latex paint. I then water it down for the base coat and follow that up with a dry brush of white. I can't say for sure if the type of paint matters, but I'd imagine exterior paint is slightly better than interior.

Yes, and I've got a follow-up that is in the works this season. These berries are amazing!

Yes...thanks for watching!

Later this week, it is supposed to warm up here pretty hot. So far, it has worked well and I have a 400 sq. foot building with 10' walls and a usable attic. Florida is different weather, so I'd research it more, but 200 sq. ft. should be no problem. How do heat pumps work in your climate?

@@backyardadventureswithandy heat pumps are actually amazing in Florida. A good heat pump water heater dramatically will decrease electric bills. To actually heat a building, should be fantastic too.

@@zeal514 Nice. I think you all need the A/C much more than I do, but we use the heat part more over the year. It's a novel invention!

Thanks for the feedback and sharing. I have been learning and continuing to watch my various hydrangea. Most are just now flowering for the first time this spring/summer, and because I have not hit the heat of summer, all are doing well. I have one that will struggle in the weeks ahead when heat waves start, because it gets afternoon sun. Even at the plant store in my area, the hydrangea are written up and signed with the caution about afternoon sun.

Ouch...sorry you aren't a fan. I have love the results, even after a year. More recently, I have planted some flowering shrubs around the drip line and they are also thriving. Originally, the tree was planted before a building grew up near it, but with this raising of the crown, it has worked out well. Any suggestion on how you would do things differently?

Any suggestions for improvement or the proper way in your mind?

@@ohiomp7606 I never heard back from the guy on improvement ideas, but I have loved how this turned out for me. Good luck on your own trees!

When you lack constructive criticism then your comment just looks like something a spiteful environmentalist idiot would say. Get a job.

Thanks for watching. Yes, the head in the basket has worked for some humor. Also, I attached the head to a different mold (a bird), and that has been fun to see. Thanks for watching!

Thanks also for watching!!

My email should be posted on my channel site, so feel free to send me a message. I don't know if I can help, but I'll tell you what I know!

Thanks for watching and I am learning new things all the time. There are some really helpful videos on KZbin that you might also check out.

Thanks for the tips! I altered a lot of my Teflon tape and also covered it with line hide, but the storing of the extra coils I'll need to go back and figure out. That is the one part that was a bit of a challenge to make look good. By the way, I am now about 6 months into having two of these, and both are performing wonderfully. I even had an HVAC guy install a whole house system on the parts of my home that were vented, and he was overall impressed, although I could tell that he was quite skeptical of Mr. Cool.

I am not sure the best remover, but I would try to get that gloss off or scuffed up. Experiment on a more hidden part and see how the surface responds. I also heard someone say a torch, but I don't know about that!

Thanks for watching! The mold actually turned out really easy for me to make statues, and I am glad there were no seams in this one.