DIY Atlas Stones

Here's a (fairly) easy way to make your own Atlas stones for cheap. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Materials Needed:

• Rubber Toy Ball
• 50# of Plaster of Paris
• 5 Gallon bucket
• Piece of plywood (5'x5' should be big enough)
• A plastic bowl
• Shovel
• Hammer 
• Wood Chisel
• Mixing trough
• 3-5 bags of Concrete Mix

1) Choose the size of your stones. One of the things about Strongman work is that it's not precise. No two items are exactly alike, and won't weigh the same amount. However, to give you an idea, follow the CHART to give you a rough idea of what weights you'll be.

2) Once you choose your weight make sure the toy ball is close to the same diameter. You can either over-inflate, or under-inflate them to get a different dimeter.

3) You will now need to cover the rubber ball with the Plaster of Paris. I was able to cover a 15" and an 8.5" ball with 50lbs. Place the plywood on the floor, and use it as your work surface.  Make sure you only mix 10-15lbs at a time. As soon as the plaster is ready, you only have a few short minutes to work. Place plastic bowl over the nozzle of the ball, and begin covering - with the bowl on the ground, and the ball on top. Cover the ball with approx 1" of plaster. Leave approx 5 lbs of plaster for later.

4) when the plaster dried (8-12 hours), turn the mold over, and remove the bowl. This opening will be where the concrete will fill the mold. Deflate the ball (you can either pop it, or deflate it and use it for later), and remove it from the mold.

5) Check the mold for any holes, or thin walls.Use the remaining plaster to patch it up. Then, leave the mold for around 24 hours to dry.

6) Once you are confident that the molds are dry, mix the concrete. I would recommend on the slightly more runny consistency of the spectrum. Then start shoveling in the concrete to the plaster molding. after every few shovels, tamp down the concrete. Repeat until the mold is full. Do whatever you can to assure that there are minimal cracks, gaps, and bubbles. Mound off the top of the mold with extra concrete. cover the opening with a damp cloth. Re-wet the cloths every day

7) After 4-6 days, grab a garbage can, a wood chisel, and a hammer, and start chipping away the plaster mold. Once the mold is removed, chisel any bumps, or excess concrete. Allow the stone to dry for several hours.

8) Sand the stone to smooth any rough edges, patch any problem area, and seal the surface with something like Cure-Seal! Wait a week before any serious dropping, but from here on, you have an atlas stone!

Notes

• Work outside, in the garage, or the shed. this is a very messy project!
• Avoid using your hands with the concrete!
• If possible, mix the required amount of concrete all at the same time. This avoids different consistancies
• When tamping down the concrete, be careful of not hitting the walls of the plaster molding
• Keep a garbage can, and a broom handy at all times

Parks had fun

Fresh out of the mold!