Making Rocks

[Dutchie_Boy]

As a Newbie this is my first real post: Hope it helps.

My Way of Making Fake Rocks

This is the technique I used for making fake rocks for my kids models.

Items
Styrofoam sheeting (or fruit boxes) - as much as you can get
Various sized nails or bits of metal rod
Petrol
Craft glue
A container full of water - must be larger than the Styrofoam
course grit or sand
An ice cream container of hot water
Paint - Grey or brown and white
A REALLY well ventilated area.

Technique
1. Cut a sheet of Styrofoam to fit the back of your enclosure. (This becomes the backing board)

2. Break the rest of your Styrofoam into large pieces.

3. Place the pieces of Styrofoam on the backing board.

4. Identify a minimum of two places where you can push your nails into the backing board. These nails need to only penetrate half the thickness of the Styrofoam.

5. Push the pieces of Styrofoam on to the nails. The nails cannot penetrate through this bit of foam.

6. Put the container full of water as close as possible to your backing board.

7. Put some petrol on the Styrofoam and immediately dunk it into the water to neutralise the chemical reaction. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area!!!!
a. I only do a small bit at a time as the foam 'melts' pretty quickly.
b. For different effects spray, paint or flick the petrol on the foam.
c. Remember, keeping dunking.

8. Once you are happy with your backing board. Mix a 50:50 craft glue and hot water concoction

9. Paint the glue/water mix thickly onto your backing board, this seals the foam and prevents anymore 'melting'.

10. Mix the grit or sand into your selected paint.

11. Paint your backing board with your selected paint.

Optional Finish for the best effect

11. Lighten your selected paint with some white paint (no grit or sand).

12. Dip your paint brush into the lightened paint, wipe off the excess, and lightly flick the brush over your backing board - this technique is called dry brushing.

All comments appreciated.

Cheers

Dutch

[bug_collector]

nice sounds like fun, got any pics?

[Vincent21]

I'd love to see pics and nice guide.

[Dutchie_Boy]

No pictures worth looking at the moment.

I am working on a couple of enclosures for some spotties. I will load some photos once I have finished.

Cheers

Dutch

[Carpetcleaner]

I agree, bring on the pics.

[ssssmithy]

thaks mate great help.looking forward to seeing those pics.

[MatE]

You could also try using a heat gun instead of poring petrol over it as its more controlled,but you need to have a mask on as it stinks a bit.And instead of using nails you could try skewers those ones for kebabs.
Just some suggestions hope you done mind.Also post some pics when you have a go at it.

Cheers MatE

[luke.r.s]

good guide and i am definately going to make some have 2 spare enclosures atm im deciding what i want in the for the design. also with the vapours from the petrol/styrofoam make sure their are no ignition sources as it will burn/explode
-L

[FNQ_Snake]

Great idea. I just poured latex over a rocky out crop I liked. Then plastered the latex mould. Simple, yet effective. And voila... instant replica.

Post some pics when you get a chance dude.

[Mrs I]

You can also use turps instead of petrol,

I use it with a painting brush to acheive the desired effect.

Mrs I

xxx

[markbc]

You can make a hard coating using a 1:1:1 ratio mixture of white portland cement, fine silica sand and mineral oxide pigments on a bondcrete paste coat and applied to the polystrene which turns as hard as rock when it dries.

It makes a very realistic looking rock wall with a rock textured finish to the final wall. It looks more like sandstone and you can use different oxide pigments to get different colours.

This method also prevents cracking provided you do not use much foam filler.

[JrFear]

HAY...... im usen ur methoddd to make my backround..
but when i put the petrol on the foam it melts but leaves this weird pink gooey stuff should tht happen?!!? and is there n e thing else we could use besides nails?!!?

THANX><

[Reptile_Boy]

Thanks for the idea mate.

[Crazy_Snake08]

interesting will give it ago...thanks!!!!

-settle

[hydro noun15]

great idea i might try one day. get pics up asap i would love to see hhow they turn out!!

thanx
jason