2001 Monolith build

[alan molstad]

The Date?.....4/7/2024
I have no clue how to make a copy of the Monolith....

But here we go....

Step one....put a 2X4 on the ground,

Step two,,,,,sit looking at the 2X4 on the ground for an hour,

 

[alan molstad]

I think I need to build a set of boxes as is shown on a forum topic.
However I'm limited to what wood and tools and skills I have.
I'm retired so I'm on a fixed income, so I have to make do with what I already have on hand.
I will likely be checking out dumpsters on job sites before this is over.
I have a few 2X4s and just two 4X4 posts, and just three sheets of OSB sheeting.

Is it enough?...I dont know.

Im guessing that a 4X4 at both sides should be strong enough to hold the Monolith in place once they are in cement.

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

because the Monolith is going to be tall, and my 2X4s are only 8 foot long, I will splice them.
I have no skills with wood so I will just do what i think works....

I think the box Im making will have the 4X4 attached to it, so I will use a lot of screws to hold it.

 

[alan molstad]

now to attach the first 4x4 to the inner plywood of the box.

This is the big change I came up with compared to the other monolith's construction that is my inspiration.
The other monolith used metal fence poles as the means to anchor the monolith to the ground.
I dont have any metal fence poles, but I do have two old 4X4s.

 

[alan molstad]

about finished with the first of the two side boxes>

Tomorrow I try to make the box for the right side and attach the other 4X4 post

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

End of Day #1

I was able to build a box that will be on the left side of the monolith.
I attached the first 4X4 post to the inner side plywood of the box.

Tomorrow I plan to build the right hand side box with it's attached 4X4 post...

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

the idea I came up with is to just make 4 boxes...
2 longer boxes for the sides
2 shorter for top and bottom

Then just cover the boxes with plywood and start painting.

we shall see how this plan changes...

 

[bingoh]

Make sure you have your proportions right...1:4:9. Otherwise the Starchild will not be happy.

 

[alan molstad]

Make sure you have your proportions right...1:4:9. Otherwise the Starchild will not be happy.

well.......
that actually does not reflect the movie prop that Im working on.

that whole 1/4/9 thing does not really look all that cool...

Im not a math guy, but if you went up from 9 foot to 11 foot tall by adding 2 feet to the height,,,then would you have to add 2 feet to the width and thickness too?
If you did that would end up with a Monolith that was 3 foot thick?.....is that right?

(Im not a math guy, so let me know....)

this topic comes up a lot as people try to copy the movie Monolith and learn right away that the movie and the book are different from each other.

The other forum topic that is my inspiration has the thickness of the Monolith around 8" inches...but the height around 11 feet.

so that does not work with the book at all....

My own dimensions are still up in the air at this point.

its going to be around 4 foot wide to be sure, as that is the 4X8 sheets of OSB that I have to build this with...

But the thickness is going to be somewhere around 9 inches...and the height is going to be a bit over 11 feet.



The whole inspiration of what I think is the best size is mostly built on the doorway between my living room and my dining room.

its right around 4 foot wide, and to me it looks about right.

and the height im going for in about 3 foot taller than the doorway I am looking at as i write this.

and that seems about right too to my eye...

 

[alan molstad]

the one issue I have is how to dress up the bottom where the Monolith meets the ground?

in the movie the moon Monolith seems to be sitting in a pile of dirt?

and the earth Monolith also seems to be sunk into a pile of rocks.

so....Im not sure what i want to do?

I know I have to make sure the bottom of the Monolith is able to dry when the rain hits it. i dont want the bottom to be sitting in a tight space where no air can get at the wood so it cant dry out and rot....

I got no ideas yet what to do?

 

[Astyanax]

that whole 1/4/9 thing does not really look all that cool...

Im not a math guy, but if you went up from 9 foot to 11 foot tall by adding 2 feet to the height,,,then would you have to add 2 feet to the width and thickness too?
If you did that would end up with a Monolith that was 3 foot thick?.....is that right?

(Im not a math guy, so let me know....)

No, you would multiply the proportions, not add 2 all around.

For example, if you are going up from 9 feet to 11 feet, that means 11 feet is 1.2222 times bigger than 9 feet (11 divided by 9). Now that you know your enlargement value, just multiply it by the other numbers. So:

• 9 feet tall becomes 11 feet
• 4 feet wide becomes 4.8888 or 4 feet,10 and 1/2 inches
• 1 foot thick becomes 1.2222 or 1 foot, 2 and 5/8 inches

With these measurements, you can have a bigger monolith that still looks proportioned right!

If you're trying to fit a specific measurement, let us know and we can convert it for you!

 

[Astyanax]

the one issue I have is how to dress up the bottom where the Monolith meets the ground?

..

I got no ideas yet what to do?

In my opinion, that monolith should not be standing on any kind of stand. That's what's weird and stark about it. Wherever it appears, it looks like it clearly does not belong. Putting it in the front yard? Right on the grass will do, because that's what the monolith does. It appears by itself wherever it wants.

If you're concerned about it tipping, just anchor it to the ground, or fill the bottom of the interior with sand (or both)!

 

[alan molstad]

No, you would multiply the proportions, not add 2 all around.

For example, if you are going up from 9 feet to 11 feet, that means 11 feet is 1.2222 times bigger than 9 feet (11 divided by 9). Now that you know your enlargement value, just multiply it by the other numbers. So:

• 9 feet tall becomes 11 feet
• 4 feet wide becomes 4.8888 or 4 feet,10 and 1/2 inches
• 1 foot thick becomes 1.2222 or 1 foot, 2 and 5/8 inches

With these measurements, you can have a bigger monolith that still looks proportioned right!

If you're trying to fit a specific measurement, let us know and we can convert it for you!

4 foot wide is always going to be 4 foot wide.

that is the size of a 4X8 sheet of plywood, so that is the size I will have.

and I want it to be a little over 11 feet tall...

as for the thickness, the other monolith on this forum went with 8 inches....but that looked a bit too thin to my eye....

I think mine will be a hair over 9 inches...that just seemed better to me...

 

[alan molstad]

In my opinion, that monolith should not be standing on any kind of stand. That's what's weird and stark about it. Wherever it appears, it looks like it clearly does not belong. Putting it in the front yard? Right on the grass will do, because that's what the monolith does. It appears by itself wherever it wants.

If you're concerned about it tipping, just anchor it to the ground, or fill the bottom of the interior with sand (or both)!

back yard...

But when you see the spot, you will understand...

But....I need to keep in mind the rain and the wind...and the ability to dry and standing straight
.

and....my monolith is being held up by two huge 4X4 posts at each end that will be sunk down 5 feet into the cement

so...how to "hide" the 4X4 posts, and not look like Im hiding?

But I like the idea of no pile of dirt at the bottom

 

[alan molstad]

The biggest thing I have to think about is how to keep the finished Monolith from bending over in the types of wind we get here in North dakota?
almost every storm can have very high winds, and the place I will locate the Monolith is more or less unprotected???

so what type of cement do i plan to use and what design for the underground trench do i dig?
and how to do all this on the cheap?

How do they keep a wooden fence from being blown down by the wind?

 

[Astyanax]

Yeah, a couple challenges there. I think I would be approaching it all a little differently. This is what I would do:

• I would be going with a 9 foot tall monolith, as I feel 11 feet will look too narrow from any kind of distance
• I would first sink the 4x4 posts vertically into the ground at about 3-1/2 feet apart using concrete.
• I would build the monolith AROUND the posts, screwing the structure of the monolith INTO the posts.

I hope that is all a bit helpful. Here's a quick sketch to show what I'm talking about. That will not tip over!