DIY fake rock-wall.
- Thread starter Tit4n
- Start date
Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:
- Status
J-A-X
Very Well-Known Member
Your keen Justin 
Let the render dry properly between coats and extremely well before you seal it! The last thing you need is trapped moisture. I know your keen to get it done but slow down enough to let it dry. Both the render and paint take on a different colour when dry.
Lay some colour on it then WALK AWAY ! Leave it for a good hour or more and then look at it from a distance. You'll then see what areas need tweaking - sometimes the harder you look the less you see and when you've spent a few hours on it you're not objective enough to think it looks good. A liitle bit of patience will pay off.
And like Gruni said - WHERE'S THE PICS ?
PS. When you seal it it may be to shiney for your liking - use some fine grade steel wool and just gently wipe over it, not too much pressure or you'll scratch it up, you'll also find that at bunnings just under the sandpaper
Don't use the stuff under the sink its too coarse and will scratch the surface up
Let the render dry properly between coats and extremely well before you seal it! The last thing you need is trapped moisture. I know your keen to get it done but slow down enough to let it dry. Both the render and paint take on a different colour when dry.
Lay some colour on it then WALK AWAY ! Leave it for a good hour or more and then look at it from a distance. You'll then see what areas need tweaking - sometimes the harder you look the less you see and when you've spent a few hours on it you're not objective enough to think it looks good. A liitle bit of patience will pay off.
And like Gruni said - WHERE'S THE PICS ?
PS. When you seal it it may be to shiney for your liking - use some fine grade steel wool and just gently wipe over it, not too much pressure or you'll scratch it up, you'll also find that at bunnings just under the sandpaper
Don't use the stuff under the sink its too coarse and will scratch the surface up
Last edited:
justin91
Active Member
So I didn't actually take that many photo's. Sorry, this is all I took.. My rock wall is in a corner tv unit so I actually had to build 3 rock walls and have them all line up and not stick out so much at some points so they still fit together when inside the enclosure.
#1 Just all the stuff I bought from bunnings. Bought $100. The list of items is mentioned within this thread. Page 2 I think..
Next I stuck the foam to the ply wood with liquid nails.
Just some designs I toyed around with.
The first fake rock I made. Just the start. Looks better when I finish it. (that rock not whole thing.)
Just some more photos..
First layer of cement. Looks bad but does definitely look better after 2nd coat
Taking a look of what it would look like in my enclosure after one layer of cement + sand.
2 layers of cement and several coats of paint. Still some work to go but thats all I have done so far.
Oh and I realised it was my stupid phone camera that was making the paint look so yellow. Doesn't look as bad in real life but need to touch some spots up.
#1 Just all the stuff I bought from bunnings. Bought $100. The list of items is mentioned within this thread. Page 2 I think..
Next I stuck the foam to the ply wood with liquid nails.
Just some designs I toyed around with.
The first fake rock I made. Just the start. Looks better when I finish it. (that rock not whole thing.)
Just some more photos..
First layer of cement. Looks bad but does definitely look better after 2nd coat
Taking a look of what it would look like in my enclosure after one layer of cement + sand.2 layers of cement and several coats of paint. Still some work to go but thats all I have done so far.
Oh and I realised it was my stupid phone camera that was making the paint look so yellow. Doesn't look as bad in real life but need to touch some spots up.
harlemrain
Well-Known Member
ROFL, ok ok ! She said "I'm blonde - I'm a woman I don't know these things"
Haha the shame I know
that means I have double the disadvantage!!
Bananapeel
Very Well-Known Member
Being a woman is no disadvantage! I know plenty of women who can do as much if not more than many men.
J-A-X
Very Well-Known Member
You do know I'm not a dude don't you ? No formal trade skills- just a keen masochist of all things DIY
Start small and work your way up. Your confidence will grow and you'll progress from there.
This thread is proof of that.
Bananapeel
Very Well-Known Member
You do know I'm not a dude don't you ? No formal trade skills- just a keen masochist of all things DIY
Start small and work your way up. Your confidence will grow and you'll progress from there.
This thread is proof of that.
Wait what? I'm so confused. I know you're not a dude. haha. I was directing this at coastalcarpet12. As she said she has double the disadvantage because she's blonde and a woman. Which is not true.
J-A-X
Very Well-Known Member
oh ok ! i'll go get back in my box then a lot of people think the Gender symbol is a female one as a joke......... which it isnt.....
a lot of people think the Gender symbol is a female one as a joke......... which it isnt.....Very nice work Jax,
I'm about to build some new enclosures myself so I am gonna have a crack at these back grounds in it too. Just glad that I read this first so I can add some extra depth and width to allow for the extra room for the foam etc.
I'd love to start small but I don't think I have that luxury, Coastals, Darwins and a BHP, some giants in there. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
And I wouldn't panic Coastal, I've been a qualified fitter turner machinist for over 25 years and I won't be able to churn out something like this...... I won't be able to weld or machine any of it....lol.
I'm about to build some new enclosures myself so I am gonna have a crack at these back grounds in it too. Just glad that I read this first so I can add some extra depth and width to allow for the extra room for the foam etc.
I'd love to start small but I don't think I have that luxury, Coastals, Darwins and a BHP, some giants in there. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
And I wouldn't panic Coastal, I've been a qualified fitter turner machinist for over 25 years and I won't be able to churn out something like this...... I won't be able to weld or machine any of it....lol.
J-A-X
Very Well-Known Member
Cheers thanks
When I said start small I meant practise by doing a hide first ! It gives you a really good idea how to proceed on a larger scale.
With your trade skills your ability to 'see' what it could become will be your advantage. Most people get a pile of foam and just glue it together and hope for the best and it usually works out fine, but with a bit of additional imagination you can turn 'fine' into AWESOME LOL
When you push your sleeves up make sure you've got a camera handy (phone is fine for forum posting) start a thread and show us what you've got !
When I said start small I meant practise by doing a hide first ! It gives you a really good idea how to proceed on a larger scale.
With your trade skills your ability to 'see' what it could become will be your advantage. Most people get a pile of foam and just glue it together and hope for the best and it usually works out fine, but with a bit of additional imagination you can turn 'fine' into AWESOME LOL
When you push your sleeves up make sure you've got a camera handy (phone is fine for forum posting) start a thread and show us what you've got !
J-A-X
Very Well-Known Member
Any flash on a camera will do that. Turn on some room light or position a torch into the enclosure and turn the flash on the phone off. The flash is too white a light and it throws colours out of whack
justin91
Active Member
Any flash on a camera will do that. Turn on some room light or position a torch into the enclosure and turn the flash on the phone off. The flash is too white a light and it throws colours out of whack
Ah ok that's makes sense. I'll take a photo when I get home from work and upload it
joelysmoley
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the guide on how to build one I just did mine today here's a few photos, not as good as yours though
The last picture is upside down
By the way this should be a sticky
The last picture is upside down
By the way this should be a sticky
joelysmoley
Well-Known Member
Just have to add some paint and I'm finished
joelysmoley
Well-Known Member
Thanks sharkyy
with the painting... just wondering how to get all the roughness/ bubbly parts? i herd about the melting idea......can anyone tell me how that is done exactly?
cheers phil
- - - Updated - - -
with the painting... just wondering how to get all the roughness/ bubbly parts? i herd about the melting idea......can anyone tell me how that is done exactly?
cheers phil
cheers phil
- - - Updated - - -
with the painting... just wondering how to get all the roughness/ bubbly parts? i herd about the melting idea......can anyone tell me how that is done exactly?
cheers phil
J-A-X
Very Well-Known Member
The melting idea ? Not sure I get what you mean by that !
If you are trying to accent the roughness as in trying to only paint the high bits of the render then you need to check out "dry brushing" Warhammer modellers use it a lot, it's the quickest most paint efficient way to add different color and make the rock come to life - well not life really, just make it look like a rock. The really good thing about rocks is that there are no two rocks that are identical so no one can say you painted it wrong. If you want a realistic looking rocky outcrop why not paint some graffiti tags on it LOL
If you are trying to accent the roughness as in trying to only paint the high bits of the render then you need to check out "dry brushing" Warhammer modellers use it a lot, it's the quickest most paint efficient way to add different color and make the rock come to life - well not life really, just make it look like a rock. The really good thing about rocks is that there are no two rocks that are identical so no one can say you painted it wrong. If you want a realistic looking rocky outcrop why not paint some graffiti tags on it LOL
bakessnake
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2013
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
- Status
