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Pedestal made from an Ytong blockSome sculptures are best displayed when they are placed on a pedestal. You can easily make such a pedestal yourself.



Pedestal made of woodPedestal made from an Ytong blockThe shape of your pedestal should naturally complement the sculpture. It should also be large enough to support the sculpture securely and prevent it from tipping over easily. Here you see a pedestal made from a piece of Ytong block and a pedestal made from wood.


Piece of wood, suitable for making a pedestalWood can be effectively used as a pedestal. It's easy to cut into the desired shape and can be smoothly sanded to achieve a sleek appearance. You can paint it to change its color or leave it clear-coated if you want to showcase the wood grain.


Piece of a Ytong block, suitable for making a pedestalYtong blocks are very lightweight and inexpensive. You can cut or carve them into shape. Because the blocks are very light, they are not always suitable for heavier sculptures. When using Ytong blocks, ensure that you have a wide base to make your pedestal sturdy. Ytong blocks can be painted with acrylic paint, but the holes will remain visible. If you want to avoid this, you can fill them with putty before painting.

The dust produced when working with Ytong blocks is not healthy. Therefore, make sure to wear a face mask while cutting and carving.

Piece of soapstone, suitable for making a pedestalSoapstone is also a good alternative for pedestals. It has beautiful irregular shapes and can be easily sculpted. Of course, you can also shape it into a sleek form. Naturally, speksteen doesn't have a flat side. For stability and balance, you'll need to create one yourself. Make sure the bottom is truly flat to prevent your sculpture from tipping over.


drilling a holeSometimes you can simply attach your sculpture to the pedestal with glue, but usually, this isn't sturdy enough. If the sculpture isn't too heavy, you can use a small hole in which you insert an iron rod. This rod then goes into the sculpture on the other side. If the sculpture is heavier, this won't be sufficient.


fixing with gluea snug holeYou can see here how it looks. The hole for the iron rod should be exactly the same size as the thickness of the rod. Make sure to drill the hole perpendicular to the base of the pedestal.


Wooden dowelswoodglueIf the sculpture is too heavy or large, using a metal rod may not be sufficient. In this case, you can use wooden dowels. These are small wooden plugs that are partially inserted into both the pedestal and the sculpture. You secure them in place using wood glue or construction adhesive.


wood chiselsIf you don't want a sleek shape for your wooden pedestal, you can carve it using wood chisels. This allows you to give it almost any desired shape.


Rasps and filesBoth soapstone and Ytong blocks are very soft. You can work with these by using rasps and files to adjust the shape.


working on a YtongblockFor large pieces, you can chip off parts of a Ytong block with a chisel and hammer. However, this method does not work with soapstone. Soapstone is a natural material that contains both harder and softer areas. When you try to break off a large piece by hammering with a chisel, it may not break exactly where you want it to. Therefore, it's better to cut it with a saw.

pedestal made of an YtongblockThis is an example of a pedestal made from a Ytong block and shaped with a chisel and rasps.