Here you will see how I've designed and built a concrete parasol foot from the initial sketch to the finalized and filled mold. You can build this with very simple tools and some basic skills.
If you would like to see what the final product looks like you can watch the second part of the video.
Below is some additional info on the build and materials:
The dimensions of the foot depend on the type of parasol that you are planning to use with it.
Usually, the manufacturer has info about the minimum required weight needed for a specific parasol. Any parasol feet that are suggested by a manufacturer give you a good indication of the required size as well 😊.
The foot that I made is 65x65x10cm, weighs appr. 100kg and is used for a parasol of 350cm diameter. It is very sturdy even with moderate winds. With strong winds you will have to close it in any case. Keep in mind that more width adds more stability!
Below is the list of materials I’ve used.
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• 38mm furniture panel with melamine topping (anything cheap will do)
• 18mm thick concrete plywood for good stiffness of the boards. This can be reused multiple times.
• 8mm rebar (needs to be surrounded by 3cm of concrete for waterproofing)
• Acrylic sealant to build radii (any colour will do 😊)
• Wooden corner pieces (found at local hardware store)
• Olive oil to grease up the mould (you can do this with wax as well) make sure that the corner pieces won’t absorb moisture out of the concrete to ensure a smoot finish of the concrete in these areas.
• Inner bicycle tire to fixate the central post.
• Industrial tape to fixate the tire.
• 20mmx1.6mm nails to mount the corner pieces. amzn.to/3ySmyuB
• PGB-Fasteners 5.0x70 (sizes depends on the mould you make) amzn.to/39IDsRM
• Threaded rod and nuts - M8.
• Polypropylene rope diameter 28mm Hempex, synthetisch alternatief voor hennep vlas (touwbestellen.nl)
• U-bolt clamps 32mm diamter. amzn.to/3wJVMBY
• PVC drainpipes diameter 32mm
• Cable grommet 60mm opening and 68mm max diameter. amzn.to/3sOf4Vy
• Ground anchor for parasols. (size and type needs to fit your parasol) amzn.to/3lw4SNo
• Industrial plug castors (2 with and 2 without brakes) amzn.to/3LCgTLV Anything similar will work, make sure that you purchase a set with plugs included.
• Hole saw, any brand will do. Just make sure the diameter is big enough for the post to fit through when de-moulding. amzn.to/3sM4235
Hope this helps you on your way to build an awesome product!