Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe

[GerryW]

Hi Gerry, 10 for effort.

To avoid the silicon from sticking try cling wrapping the surface. The weight of the silicon will press the cling wrap into the little corners. When hardened you can snip or tear away the cling wrap...it's clear so can be part of the water as well. You can re-attach the sculpt with fresh silicon using an old small brush that you want discarded later.
You can work in stages and join with silicon. If I can recall it stays in shape and seldom shrink. I know commercial tube silicon starts skinning the moment it leaves the vessel but if you work quickly and extrude the stuff into a working cup you could add a little food coloring and mix like hell and work from there with a spatula, ice-cream sticks and old soft paint brush.
I would suggest airbrushing the whites in and final highlights dry brushing with a paint brush.

That's my 2 cents...basically 8 sen in Malaysian ringgit.

Cheers,
Richard

Richard,
I've found out that silicon doesn't stick to sellotape very well, (when I used the 'merge' pebble 'mold' to try and get the final 'fall' into the larger pool) might just give the area a cling film 'coat' - did think of lining with sellotape (but thought about removing it and decided not to!), to see how hard it's going to be to try and get the falls in place and work on them.
The clear silicon I've got doesn't shrink and 'skins' in about half an hour (but remains wet in the middle for about a day) ends up being like a soft rubber which retains its shape.
Funnily enough, I was just getting to the conclusion that I might just be able to use an old toothbrush to try for the splashes (got a couple in the box).
At the moment, I'm grateful for any and all suggestions for it.

 

[GerryW]

Sounds like a reasonable approach Richard.......remind me to pick your brain when I get brave enough to try this moving water scheme in the future. Press on Gerry.....you have lots of support
Rick H.

Rick,
Give it a whirl, the silicon is cheap enough (mine came from Aldi and has a £2.99 price marked on it, so it was probably less!) and it's about a 500ml tube, so plenty to play with (got to be used within a year) and with your skills, people will be watering their gardens with the result!

 

[adt70hk]

Gerry

I wouldn't even know where to start on moving water. I hope you work it out.

Andrew

 

[GerryW]

Gerry

I wouldn't even know where to start on moving water. I hope you work it out.

Andrew

Andrew,
I didn't either but having a go at it anyway - worst thing that'll happen, is that it goes from a couple of waterfalls and pool to a dried up riverbed!
Gerry

 

[Mini Me]

That's the ticket Gerry.........just keep at it till you get the result you want Rick H.

 

[GerryW]

That's the ticket Gerry.........just keep at it till you get the result you want Rick H.

Think I'm getting there - the latest attempt looks 'reasonable' (to my eyes, anyway!)
Tried the clingfilm 'trick' suggested by Richard, and worked onto the area, rather than onto a flat surface - will give it a chance to set, and I'll put up a photo for discussion later - fair enough, it's not equal to Rons (spanner570) work (doubt if I'll ever be able to equal his results!)

 

[GerryW]

Well, here's the results from the latest attempt, still sitting on the cling film - tried to lift it off, but it still needs to finish drying.
Entry 'falls'


Exit 'torrent'

 

[Mini Me]

That seems to be a promising result......have to wait and see how it works on the landscape. Rick H.

 

[GerryW]

That seems to be a promising result......have to wait and see how it works on the landscape. Rick H.

reckon that the cling film will be able to be removed tomorrow (if it will come away, otherwise I'll trim it close as I can)

 

[GerryW]

Impatient as ever, trimmed off the cling film, put the pool base in, replaced the water and took a flash photo - not looking too shabby, if I say so myself (now edited, taken out the flash picture, and replaced with a couple of daylight ones)

 

[stillp]

Looks darn good to me!
Pete

 

[GerryW]

Looks darn good to me!
Pete

Thanks Pete

 

[rtfoe]

Looks good Gerry, now if you haven't got any silicon underneath the cling film it will lift easily then because the silicon is transluscent you can paint the base underneath the silicon water with any hue to create depth and some rocks as the water cascades over them. Then place the cured silicon back this time with a little fresh silicon to hold it down. Weigh it down if you must by applying another layer of cling film and pour gravel over it. Let it setttle and remove the gravel and cling film after. You can use pins instead of the cling and gravel.
Good job.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Jim R]

Hi Gerry
Fascinating. Looks as if all the work is paying off.
Jim

 

[GerryW]

Thanks Richard, the two parts had to be cut out, so are just laid in place - the coloured part is just a photo of a (local) stream bed cut to size, which I was planning to use with varnish over the top (think that it'll stand up to the application of varnish, as it's a laser print, not inkjet), as it's about the right colour, (and I'm not sure if I'd be capable of getting the pool level/flat with silicon).

Must admit to 'reverting' to my original method with it, and sculpted with a nail (as per Rons method) with a dab of paint on the point, replenishing/cleaning as needed (often!), working in the direction of the 'flow', this seemed to give me a 'better' result than some of the earlier attempts, besides which, I could see what I was doing!

 

[GerryW]

Hi Gerry
Fascinating. Looks as if all the work is paying off.
Jim

Slowly getting there Jim, can't say how long it's going to take, as I'm learning as I go - at least the water looks as though I might be 'there' (until I spot something wrong!)
Thinking that I may well do an 'underlay', rather than painting the falls/run off
Now edited with daylight photos

 

[Neil Merryweather]

It's looking very successful to me, Gerry.

 

[GerryW]

It's looking very successful to me, Gerry.

Thanks Neil, it's the first 'big' one that I've tried, so learning a lot as I go - and having to dump/cut out the failures - perhaps I should have done smaller ones and joined them together oh well, I'm going along ok as I am, so might as well carry on.

 

[GerryW]

Burger, just noticed in the photos, there's a 'straight edge' and 'corners' to the pool - have to alter them before going onto the next phase.

 

[Mini Me]

That looks great Gerry, hope my first attempt comes close to yours. Rick H.