[SML] Building big fake topiary....

[Dougherty, Jim]

Jon Ares asked about styro topiary.

Big styrofoam balls may be expensive but big blocks may not be - we get it
for something around $0.25 per board foot at almost any dimension we need
(though I haven¹t checked recently).  Our supplier manufactures insulated
panels for timber frame construction. An 18² square block would be around
$10.  You might be able to get one big block then cut blanks for your
various components.

We¹ve done spheres up to 24² diameter using a pattern.  A hot wire cutter,
surform tools and sanders make a sphere from a block (semicircular
patterns on each side, spin the block).  Change your pattern and you can
change the size of the sphere or make your cone.  Labor is an expense, but
it¹s a repeatable process if you need to make several.

As always, consider how your scenery might behave in a fire when you¹re
choosing your final finishes.

- Jim Dougherty
ATD, Middlebury College Theatre Dept.