Mad (4400) Hides and other fake rock stuff.

[IsaHerpLvrs]

Loving it! Think i may have to start planning making some of my own stuff if i can get myself motivated!!

 

[Revell13]

I started a back wall/rock/hide for my copper tail skink enclosure tonight, ill post some pics tomorrow, I went for the super easy option, glued enough foam together to make a brick, enter: Drimmel, shape till I'm happy, grout

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Wow, some nice looking stuff happening here :shock: Awsome

A hot soldering iron is good for shaping styrene foam too.... practice on an offcut (do it outside, it stinks)

 

[J-A-X]

Wow, some nice looking stuff happening here :shock: Awsome

A hot soldering iron is good for shaping styrene foam too.... practice on an offcut (do it outside, it stinks)

And the fumes are TOXIC ! I always put a small fan off to one side behind me to blow the fume away .. Takes a bit of positioning if you use a butane pencil torch like me so it doesnt blow the flame out, but it can be done. I find the torch easier as you don't have to touch the flame to the foam just get close enough for the heat to do its work, less fumes than touch melting it too

 

[Revell13]

This is the scorpion hide I finished last night:

The guy I made it for wanted 3 separate sections each with their own entrance thus the slightly strange look, this is a corner unit btw.



Started off using the soldering iron but I broke it (overheating?) so the drimmel worked really well to finish it off, ill post a pic tonight to show you where I'm at with this one.

Bottom

Front

 

[J-A-X]

Hey Mad! They're hijacking you thread here! Any updates ? good work on your drybrushing too, it really finishes the pieces off well

Revell, maybe you can start your own thread

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Mad..... you are a genu-wine arteest :shock:

Absolutely stunning craftmanship

Crikey they look nice....

 

[Revell13]

Sorry Mad! Didn't mean to hijack, just wanted to share

Ill throw the rest of my stuff up on this thread so I don't continue to hijack

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/diy-zone-5392/first-attempt-terrarium-furniture-186546/

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Yours are nice too rev, yours are very natural.....

But mads are 'super-natural' :shock:

 

[mad_at_arms]

Hey Mad! They're hijacking you thread here! Any updates ? good work on your drybrushing too, it really finishes the pieces off well

Thank you DIY Guru your praise is the highest accolade one could receive in the DIY section.

I've been working night shift and its far too cold in the mornings to be out the shed.

This is as far as I have got on my hollow tree trunk.
I plan to make the trunk a bit higher and make a branch running off it for basking on.
Cap'n RB- I used a soldering iron for the stone work on my temple, I personally love the smell of melting polystyrene.

Thanks for the kind comments all.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Wow, your peices are great, would love to borrow your inventive mind :lol:

 

[mudgudgeon]

thank you diy guru your praise is the highest accolade one could receive in the diy section.
i
i've been working night shift and its far too cold in the mornings to be out the shed.

this is as far as i have got on my hollow tree trunk.
I plan to make the trunk a bit higher and make a branch running off it for basking on.
Cap'n rb- i used a soldering iron for the stone work on my temple, i personally love the smell of melting polystyrene.

Thanks for the kind comments all.

Nice, will add that one to the memory bank its got good potential.

 

[Revell13]

Thats starting to look great already Mad, you have been tempting me to buy some foam in a can for a while now... BRB off to Mitre10...

Mad, just wondering what the "Silastic" product is you were using, and how modge podge compares to other products out there you have used?

Oh, and the tree stump is coming along VERY nicely, can't wait to see the finished product

 

[mad_at_arms]

Revell I use selleys fast curing liquid nails. In the green and yellow tube.
Modge podge was all right, I used it on areas that weren't going to be subjected to a lot of moisture. It wipes down well but I haven't really had to scrub any thing coated with it to test its durability.
I use pondtite as my go to sealer for most my rock work now. They both have the same glossy finish.
A small tub will last many DIY projects.

 

[Revell13]

Thanks mate, I've been using the standard liquid nails, good to hear the fast cure works as well, have you used crommelin pond sealer at all? I used it on one of my pieces that would likely get splashes from the water feature and it seams to be working well, water beading off it, when I'm finished with this bottle ill try some pondtite.

 

[dedseayak]

Revell I use selleys fast curing liquid nails. In the green and yellow tube.
Modge podge was all right, I used it on areas that weren't going to be subjected to a lot of moisture. It wipes down well but I haven't really had to scrub any thing coated with it to test its durability.
I use pondtite as my go to sealer for most my rock work now. They both have the same glossy finish.
A small tub will last many DIY projects.

I bought some non-gloss or matte finish mod podge from a craft store and doesn't obviously have a shiny glossy finish Only used it once on my first (and currently, only) project so far.

LOVE the tree trunk!! Gives me great ideas for when my Jungle gets bigger!

Good job!

 

[Revell13]

You will have to show us how it works out mate

 

[dedseayak]

You will have to show us how it works out mate

No intention on high-jacking the thread - BUT - This is sealed with the matte finish Mod Podge. I made the background with formed bird mesh and paper mache, coated in a few coats of grout and the paint, sealant etc.. First go at making anything for our snakes (made the enclosure also).

 

[Revell13]

Looks good mate, very schmik
Where are you Mad? We want tree trunk progress!

 

[bobby-van]

Any updates on the tree trunk? It's been ages!! Wanna see how it came out.. having thoughts of something similar....