everything about atlas stones

[wolverine565]

Here are some links to builing and using atlas stones.
http://www.bodyresults.com/S2stone.asp
http://www.ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/stone/fibreglass_mold/fibreglass_mold_how-to.html
http://www133.pair.com/iain/vault/house/stones/stonemaking.html
http://www.slatershardware.com/stonemolds.html

[tjoe]

Chipping in with a few training buddies and getting 4 stone molds. Soon as they pony up some cash I am going to order them from APT (they are Slater molds)

[wolverine565]

let me know how you like them. I'm going to order some molds, just haven't decided which one.

[tjoe]

let me know how you like them. I'm going to order some molds, just haven't decided which one.just got everyones cash today... I should be ordering them tomorrow so I may see them in 2 weeks or so??

[robert da strongman]

what size did you order?

[BK]

Chipping in with a few training buddies and getting 4 stone molds. Soon as they pony up some cash I am going to order them from APT (they are Slater molds)
You will not be disappointed. If you need any help or advice in making them let me know. I made my own stones too.

[tjoe]

what size did you order?14, 16, 18 and 20 :D


You will not be disappointed. If you need any help or advice in making them let me know. I made my own stones too.Good to hear and thanks! I am wondering what type on concrete to use. I went to Lowes and saw: 5000, High Strength, Crack Resistant, Quikcrete... Which one is best?
Also, with the slater molds, is it necessary to put the mold in a "sand box" to keep it from cracking?
Last Q for now: How long do you leave it in the mold before you can remove it?

Thanks fro the help guys.

[BK]

14, 16, 18 and 20 :D

Good to hear and thanks! I am wondering what type on concrete to use. I went to Lowes and saw: 5000, High Strength, Crack Resistant, Quikcrete... Which one is best?
Also, with the slater molds, is it necessary to put the mold in a "sand box" to keep it from cracking?
Last Q for now: How long do you leave it in the mold before you can remove it?

Thanks fro the help guys.
Quickcrete will be fine. Make sure you use sand too. this will increase the strength of the concrete.
A sand box or large trash can filled with sand is okay. The reason you are doing this is so the mold does'nt bottom out and yuo wind up with a flat bottom stone. You will want to make sure at least 25% of the mold is covered.
Leave the mold on overnight and after you remove the mold let it stand for another 24-48 hours to harden. Over time the stone will increase in strength once the it completely dries.
Make sure you add a few coats of sealant to the stone. This will prevent the stone from "chalking" up and it will waterproof it.

[robert da strongman]

q5000 is dense and will take a beating...what i have used.

the sand helps hold the shape of the mold. definitely use it.

also i used vaseline to coat the inside of the mold...almost 2 big jars.

[tjoe]

Thanks!

Rob - You add sand to yours too, or just straight concrete?

[robert da strongman]

Thanks!

Rob - You add sand to yours too, or just straight concrete?

dont add sand to the q5000. no need for it
put the mold in sand to support it

[GameofInches]

I made my stones with Quikrete 5000, that's what Steve Slater suggested. I did not add any sand to it. I left it in the mold for about 5 days and then took it out and left it for a few more days. It was about a total of 7 days of drying before I used it (I wanted to make sure it was good and dry). I sprayed the inside of the mold with the spray Slater Stone sells, but it is basically a silicone spray for plastics. I may use chain lube for motorcycles if I ever run out of this, it is almost the same thing I think.

I want to buy a 20in mold, but before I do that I want to make another 18in with a weighted inside. Should be fun!

[BK]

I made my stones with Quikrete 5000, that's what Steve Slater suggested. I did not add any sand to it. I left it in the mold for about 5 days and then took it out and left it for a few more days. It was about a total of 7 days of drying before I used it (I wanted to make sure it was good and dry). I sprayed the inside of the mold with the spray Slater Stone sells, but it is basically a silicone spray for plastics. I may use chain lube for motorcycles if I ever run out of this, it is almost the same thing I think.

I want to buy a 20in mold, but before I do that I want to make another 18in with a weighted inside. Should be fun!
You don't need to keep the stone in the mold for five days. Let it set overnite and then remove it from the mold and let it sit for another day or two. You can buy the silicone spray at a Lowe's and don't forget to get duct tape. This will strengthen the seam of the mold.

[robert da strongman]

ah yes duct tape!!

holds the mold tight. i would go through 2 rolls


also make sure you get the air bubbles out. a massager works well.

[tjoe]

You don't need to keep the stone in the mold for five days. Let it set overnite and then remove it from the mold and let it sit for another day or two. You can buy the silicone spray at a Lowe's and don't forget to get duct tape. This will strengthen the seam of the mold.Duct tape just arouind the seam?
Apx how many bags of Q5000 would I need? Say for the 16" (240lbs. stone)

[tjoe]

ah yes duct tape!!

holds the mold tight. i would go through 2 rolls


also make sure you get the air bubbles out. a massager works well.
do you attach a pole to it and put it right in the concrete?
I was thinking of Duct tapping it right to the outside of the mold and turning it on while filling the mold slowly.

[GameofInches]

Duct tape just arouind the seam?
Apx how many bags of Q5000 would I need? Say for the 16" (240lbs. stone)

Whatever the weight of the bag says it the weight it will be in the mold. I was told that once and it is pretty much correct. So if the bag weighs 80lbs which I think the Q5000 weighs then you will need 3 bags. I would have an extra bag on hand just in case.


do you attach a pole to it and put it right in the concrete?
I was thinking of Duct tapping it right to the outside of the mold and turning it on while filling the mold slowly.

Typicall you use the massager around the outside of the mold so it pushes the air bubbles to the top. I used that on the outside and a wooden dowl to pock the crete with inside which helped a little too.

[BK]

do you attach a pole to it and put it right in the concrete?
I was thinking of Duct tapping it right to the outside of the mold and turning it on while filling the mold slowly.
Go around the seam first, then apply the duct tape in an X fashion around the seam.
On mixing the concrete you would rather the mix be more on the dry side then too wet. This will affect the amount of mix you can put into the mold.

[tjoe]

Thanks again guys.

[robert da strongman]

with an 18" mold i used 4 bags of q5000

[wolverine565]

quikcrete has a fiber renforced concrete. I'v used it for no rebar application for heavy machinery. That stuff is bad ass. It takes a beating. That is what I'm going to build mine with.
http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/FiberReinforcedConcreteMix.asp

[tjoe]

quikcrete has a fiber renforced concrete. I'v used it for no rebar application for heavy machinery. That stuff is bad ass. It takes a beating. That is what I'm going to build mine with.
http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/FiberReinforcedConcreteMix.aspthe quickcrete5000 looks even better:http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/Quikrete5000ConcreteMix.asp

I checked the spec sheets on both and the quick has higher psi rating at 28 days by 1000psi.

[weightgain4000]

Thank you!

[tjoe]

asked Steve Slater a few questions...

He said Sakrete 5000 is the strongest stuff they have found yet but Quickrete 5000 would work as well.

He leaves his stones IN the mold for 5 days before he takes them out.

Instead of placing the molds in sand... you can put them in tires so they are "off the ground" (much cleaner and easier to set up then sand would be)

He sometimes smoothes them out with a sander.

He sometimes seals them.

[robert da strongman]

i used the tire...much easier to get out of the mold that way

removed mine and rinsed them off with a hose

[thaistyle]

Some of the best money I ever spent was on a stone mold. I have an 18" 240lb Atlas stone and I love it.

[tjoe]

Waiting for my molds............................................. .........................

[robert da strongman]

the waiting is the hardest part.....


oh yeah i would suggest rubber gloves to mix. the q5000 can be rough on the skin.

so when you go to walmart and checkout you should have: rubber gloves, vaseline, duct tape, and a big massager.

[tjoe]

the waiting is the hardest part.....


oh yeah i would suggest rubber gloves to mix. the q5000 can be rough on the skin.

so when you go to walmart and checkout you should have: rubber gloves, vaseline, duct tape, and a big massager.HAHAHA.... I actually lol'd at that one! Funny part is that it's TRUE!! Hahaa

[robert da strongman]

throw in a case of busch light and a giant summer sausage....parteeee!!!

[tjoe]

the 20"er :D

[robert da strongman]

nice ball you have there.

start pouring the concrete

[tjoe]

maybe tomorrow morning.
gotta get the mix, tape, couple tires from the gym to set them in, and set up my garage. I would like to make all 4 stones in one shot so I will need a good chunk of time and a little preparation. Also might need a few more tires to place the molds in if I want to do 4 at once. (I only have 2 tires to use right now)

[robert da strongman]

dont mix all the concrete at once. do it in batches...stuff dries quick

[tjoe]

yeah in the directions Slater sent, I think it says 2 bags at once. He also suggested to make it "soupy" rather than drier. I don't think some of those details matter TOO much until you start getting into 400+ stones. A 240 stone isn't really at risk of cracking/breaking unless you really do something wrong.

[tjoe]

well, I got my 4 molds all taped up with Gorilla tape.
I also got silicone spray which I will use just prior to pouring the cement.
My buddy is dropping off some tires to place the molds in tomorrow morning.
and another buddy is swingin' by later tomorrow night to help mix/pour (and he is bringing the cement)

So, hopefully by tomorrow night the 4 of them will be poured and resting for the next week. Then I will get them out of the molds and let them sit for another 2 weeks. At that point, I'll get some sealant and slap on a few coats. At least that is the plan as of right now.

[GameofInches]

That should be cool man, you are going to like them. I am waiting for the company near me to get more quickrete 5000 in and I am going to pour a 18in mold with a 50lb insert in it hopefully monday at the latest. That will be my last progression before buying the 20in mold

[tjoe]

Some pics from the making of the stones
my buddy got the mix which was just regular Quickrete rather than Quickrete5000. Hopefully it works well. I think it should since the biggest stone in this batch is 335ish. Whenever we make more I will be sure to get the Q5000.
Molds seemed to hold up pretty well and they are pretty solid already this morning. Still, I will let them sit right there unbtil next Saturday and then I will try to get them out of the molds.

[GameofInches]

Those stones looked good man! I actually just poured another one today. I added a 50lb insert to the 18in mold. So it weighs 275lbs. 50lbs(insert) + 225 of cement. I will take it out of the mold on Tuesday and then use it on Sat.

[tjoe]

Wow, thats quick. I'm letting mine sit for a while... but I also want to play it safe since we used regular quickrrete not quickrete5000. That way they cure well.

How hard was it to get the 50lbs weight in the middle of the mold? How exactly did you do it?

[realmccoy]

I been thinking about making some stone myself. What's a good weight to start out with?

[GameofInches]

Wow, thats quick. I'm letting mine sit for a while... but I also want to play it safe since we used regular quickrrete not quickrete5000. That way they cure well.

How hard was it to get the 50lbs weight in the middle of the mold? How exactly did you do it?

I used Sakrete 5000 for this stone and have let my 2 previous stones dry for the same amount of time before using them so it should be fine.

I taped two 25lb. plates together and put a piece of string through the middle. I then tied the string to a beam in my ceiling in basement and adjusted the height so it was just about in the center of the ball. When pouring the cement in I would just push the weight to either side. When the mold was filled about half way I pushed the weight and made sure it was centered and sunk in and then kept filling it with more cement. The weight is heavy enough that it doesn't get pushed around.

I made another stone a few months ago with a foam insert and that thing was a huge pain in the ass b/c it was moving and floating to the surface of the mold like crazy

[tjoe]

I been thinking about making some stone myself. What's a good weight to start out with?Everyone is different. I would say the 18" would be a good start if you just get one mold.
It is about 240 with straight concrete.
Use a foam ball to make it lighter
Use a lead insert to get it heavier

[tjoe]

GOI - It does seem like the foam ball would be a pain. So with the weight in the middle, you just let it dry and then cut the string?

[robert da strongman]

i put foam in one i made. had to cut it in pieces to get it in the hole.

[GameofInches]

GOI - It does seem like the foam ball would be a pain. So with the weight in the middle, you just let it dry and then cut the string?

Yes, exactly. Just cut the string.


i put foam in one i made. had to cut it in pieces to get it in the hole.

You are suppose to place the ball in side the mold then close the mold and pull the string through the hole in the top of the mold

[robert da strongman]

well now i know...
but it works all the same

[tjoe]

Update:
14" stone is out of the mold and just kinda chillin on the floor. It is going to need some grinding as the top part has some ripples in it. I'll do that in a couple weeks once it has really settled.

16" stone is out of mold and into a bucket o water. Same thing, maybe a little grinding but not too bad.

18" stone is out of mold and in the water as well. The bigger the stone gets, the less "ripple" on top and less grinding that may need to be done.

20" stone is still in the tires and the top half of the mold is removed. Looks pretty good though.

[Sandpig]

Great job, Joe. Can't wait to see Derek at the O.

[robert da strongman]

oh man....itching to do stones.

[GameofInches]

I used my 275lb stone for the first time today. I just hit the edge of the platform on my first attempt which made me drop it. I then tried again and loaded it two times to a 42 in. platform. I know the height of the platform was not much, but this is a huge PR for me. So I am pretty happy with it. This was after doing yoke and farmers.

[tjoe]

Nice work GOI.
If you dropped it already and it was good, I would think mine are all set to go. Although with a lead insert... there is certainly less cement to dry??

[robert da strongman]

I used my 275lb stone for the first time today. I just hit the edge of the platform on my first attempt which made me drop it. I then tried again and loaded it two times to a 42 in. platform. I know the height of the platform was not much, but this is a huge PR for me. So I am pretty happy with it. This was after doing yoke and farmers.

nice work!

i always do my stones last. warmed up is much easier than cold.

[GameofInches]

Nice work GOI.
If you dropped it already and it was good, I would think mine are all set to go. Although with a lead insert... there is certainly less cement to dry??

Thank you! I would def think yours is dry, mine dropped with no prob at all. The insert only displaced about 15lbs of cement, so it isn't too much less cement then yours.


nice work!

i always do my stones last. warmed up is much easier than cold.

Thanks! I tried doing stones first only once, and they were def much harder. I like doing them last for sure.

My next goal is to try and shoulder my smallest stone. I have to work on the technique for that.

[robert da strongman]

shouldering....just roll it up there.

did you use tacky?

[GameofInches]

shouldering....just roll it up there.

did you use tacky?

I have never used tacky (I don't even own any). I need to practice the shouldering some more

[robert da strongman]

yeah stick with chalk till the comp

[GameofInches]

yeah stick with chalk till the comp

Yeah, I remember you saying that once before so I am not using tacky in training so that way it will be a bonus for competition.