How to Cast a Concrete Statuary

Make an armature out of steel rebar. Rebar is used to strengthen cast concrete. Wire or weld the rebar to create the armature.

Spray the inside of the mold with a mold-releasing agent. This will keep the hardened concrete from sticking to the inside of the mold when it's time to release the statue from the mold.

Set the mold upside down. Suspend the armature in the center of mold's cavity. A cross piece of rebar at the base of the armature rests in the recessed mouth of the mold. Use mold bands or bungee cords to keep the two sides of the mold clamped tight together.

Mix up the concrete and scoop it into the mouth of the mold. Start by dry mixing 6 parts rock, 3 parts gravel and 2 parts sand together. Take four buckets of this mix and add one bucket of cement and mix together. The amount of water added to this dry mix should be 40 percent by weight. If the dry mix weighs 100 pounds, add 40 pounds of water (a gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds).

Strike the sides of the mold with a rubber mallet or use an electric vibrator to vibrate out any trapped air bubbles in the concrete. This will also make the concrete stronger as well.

Allow the concrete to harden in the mold for 24 hours.

Undo the mold straps and carefully pull, first one side of the mold away from the hard concrete statue and then pull the second side of the mold away. Go slowly so as not to tear any part of the rubber mold or to avoid cracking a rigid mold.

Allow the statue to sit and harden slowly for the first week. If the atmosphere is overly dry, drape the statue with damp towels to slow down the drying process.