How to Make a Trumpeter Swan Outdoor Sculpture With My Custom Concrete Recipe...

So...I made a Trumpeter Swan Sculpture out of concrete & chicken wire & it now lives outdoors, 45 minutes North of Toronto, on a rock, near a pond, sitting on a handknotted rope nest (see my how to make a Trumpeter swan nest instructable for that), on a Trumpeter swan Flight path, to attract them to the pond...(Note: The Canada geese really like it, a family of 8 come to visit, & a Blue Heron has also be seen checking out the sculpture)...It has lasted a freezing cold Canadian winter so far, so my custom concrete mix seems to be doing its job...The hardest part was figuring out a strong mix...Took me a year of learning concrete theory to get those ideas together...But once you know your mix, the rest is not so hard...I do recommend, spending quality time with some real Trumpeter Swans-bring them some wild bird seed & do a hand sketch-so you get a feel for what they really look like...(don't take pictures, do a sketch by hand-you get a better idea of proportions that way)...

Step 1: 25 Feet of Chicken Wire & a Ball of Sisal Cord...(& Some Coat Hangers)...

So...Start by getting a 25 foot bundle of chicken wire...Shape that into your Trumpeter swan shape...Stick some unwound coat hangers into the neck...Wrap the neck & the body with Sisal cord just to hold it all together...The picture shows how I began...

Step 2: Here Is My Custom Concrete Recipe (for Cold Outdoor Weather)...

So then, make your Concrete Mix & just apply it...(I mix it in a cat litter box with dishwashing gloves & mask & glasses for safety)...(the longer it cures the better...when fully cured, I put an eco-friendly cement sealer)...

Sari's Custom Concrete mix is:

2 parts white cement to 1 part aggregate:

(that 1 part aggregate is in 4 parts itself- so,

25% Perlite(for lightness of weight),

25% Aragonite sand(this is marble sand-I get it at pet stores-for malleability),

25% white silica sand(for strength),

25% alkaline resistant glass fibres...must have, keeps it from falling off!)

Then 1 part liquid, which is 75% water to 25% latex adhesive (Milk-the more milk you use the more waterproof it is)...

Covered in Eco-House special eco no VOC concrete sealer...(Awesome No Voc sealer they made for me, also has graffiti proof qualities)

The black bill has added black cement powder paint integrally...(don't paint on top-mix it in your mix, way better, no peeling)...