Clay cave DIY?

Some more pictures... Sorry for the AWFUL quality. I didn't realize my gf had changed the settings on the camera until I went on my computer to review them...

I finished the front of the cave a couple days ago. I took the foam out today, trimmed loose fibers, and painted the back of the cave with Quikcrete. The back still needs some more coats

Ninjouzata said:

Wow that looks awesome!

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Still not done yet, but thanks

RD. said:

It actually looks pretty damn good, well done Spencer.

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Nah it's just a big ole turd...

coolkeith said:

Nice prototype. It may take a few tries to get something you'll be completely satisfied with. How did you remove the foam? and was it difficult? How solid does it feel?

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Thanks. I'm pretty satisfied with what I have so far. I had draped fibreglass cloth over my foam structure. Some of the wateriest (for lack of a better term) cement seeped through and anchored to the foam. Most of it didn't penetrate though. It actually removed fairly easily. I cut out a hand sized chunk and pulled it outwards and away from the cement shell. I then tried to pull away a larger chunk of foam and the entire thing dislodged. It came out COMPLETELY clean. No foam stuck to it whatsoever. The cement leaked through just enough to anchor it, but not stick. I may have just gotten extremely lucky though...

It's very solid. I'm not afraid to pick it up with one hand (as long as you're careful about the edges where the cement is thin). It's at least 2/3" thick and weighs 30-40lbs for sure. I don't have much cement mix left.