wildthings
Well-Known Member
Ha I was just reading about that one, how shiny does it dry?
Plaster of paris hides
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Rogue5861
Very Well-Known Member
This is what i have used for mine due to bunnings not carrying pondtite. As far as im aware they are a similar product.
Rick
Unclewo-wo
Active Member
Thanks for the ideas I have a 4ft tank ill be decking out and this will make it that much cheaper so I can spend just that much more on the snake it's self
B
Bluetongue1
Guest
Myself and my bothers and sisters used it heaps of times as a kid to make figurines which you then painted. It was something most kids of that era did, like playing hop scotch or piggy in the middle or monopoly and the like. Using Plaster of Paris is harmless so long as long as you don’t go out of your way to do something stupid. And we never used gloves.
The addition of asbestos or silica occurred in limited degree somewhere overseas. I gather that it was to do with commercial applications and not hobby use but I cannot find any firm details. These are additives that would not be permitted under Australian Health Regulations. I have read differing accounts of the school accident but I gather she was trying to cast a mould of her fingers and by the time she realised it was giving out too much heat, the plaster had taken its first set and she was unable to get her hands out. I would say that she had to have her whole hand in, up to the wrist, for that to happen. Why someone did not smash the paster open I do not know. It is soft and easily broken for the first 24 hours or so and full strength is not attained for three days. It seems not only human stupidity/error was involved but also human incompetence. You can slice your finger off if you add those attributes to preparing a tomato sandwich.
You have10 mins before the plaster starts to go off and maybe another 5 mins while it still remains workable. It gives off heat as it sets but gets to a maximum of about 60[SUP]o[/SUP]C. It was never hot enough to damage any of the thin rubber moulds we used over and over. It is safe to work it with your hands and then flake the plaster off when it dries. I preferred to use a bucket of water and get to it before it has taken a full set. There is something about loosing the hairs on my fingers that did not agree with me.
If you were pat desert sand or a mixture of sand and soil into the plaster within the first 5 mins or so, most would stick and give an interesting colour and texture. You could use a wire brush about the 10 min mark to provide a rough texture. Even after 3 days, when the plaster has taken its full set, it is soft enough to work with a wire brush to provide a rough texture. Being Gypsum, it has a hardness of 2 on Moh’s Scale, which is one above Talc, which you can scratch with your finger nail, and equivalent to the harness of lead. So even when it has fully set, you can still use a wire brush or very coarse sandpaper to alter the surface texture. Alternatively, fine sandpaper can be utilised to produce a smooth finish to the surface.
I only have criticism... snake refuges in nature are invariably a tight fit and your hides are not. Snakes seek out confined spaces for a couple of reasons. If there is only just enough room for the snake to fit, they are less vulnerable to predators. A smaller air volume helps to reduce heat loss of heat gathered while basking. The reduced air volume is particularly important with snakes living in the arid or semi-arid zones. Exhaled air has a humidity of 100%. The humidity of inhaled air determines the loss of moisture through breathing (along with the breathing rate of course). A small volume of air with minimal exchange allows the external humidity to build up quickly and be retained at a reasonably high level. Hence it has a significant effect on reducing water loss.
In my opinion, the ideal hide is one that: (i) the internal cavity is as high as the snake is thick; (ii) requires the snake to coil up to fit in it; (iii) the entry hole is only just large enough for the occupant to enter through; (iv) has an ‘igloo-style’ entrance. Given that in captivity we exclude predators and provide on-going access to water and warmth, the suggested features no longer have the same survival value required in nature. Consequently, our charges can clearly get by without such features in their refuges. So my only valid argument is reduced to a behavioural one. The style of hide I described is that which snakes will find most ‘normal’ and will feel secure within. Clearly, snakes are adaptable and many cope quite well with more spacious hides in captivity. I just feel that providing something more akin to that which they would seek out in nature removes one possible stress factor.
Blue
The addition of asbestos or silica occurred in limited degree somewhere overseas. I gather that it was to do with commercial applications and not hobby use but I cannot find any firm details. These are additives that would not be permitted under Australian Health Regulations. I have read differing accounts of the school accident but I gather she was trying to cast a mould of her fingers and by the time she realised it was giving out too much heat, the plaster had taken its first set and she was unable to get her hands out. I would say that she had to have her whole hand in, up to the wrist, for that to happen. Why someone did not smash the paster open I do not know. It is soft and easily broken for the first 24 hours or so and full strength is not attained for three days. It seems not only human stupidity/error was involved but also human incompetence. You can slice your finger off if you add those attributes to preparing a tomato sandwich.
You have10 mins before the plaster starts to go off and maybe another 5 mins while it still remains workable. It gives off heat as it sets but gets to a maximum of about 60[SUP]o[/SUP]C. It was never hot enough to damage any of the thin rubber moulds we used over and over. It is safe to work it with your hands and then flake the plaster off when it dries. I preferred to use a bucket of water and get to it before it has taken a full set. There is something about loosing the hairs on my fingers that did not agree with me.
If you were pat desert sand or a mixture of sand and soil into the plaster within the first 5 mins or so, most would stick and give an interesting colour and texture. You could use a wire brush about the 10 min mark to provide a rough texture. Even after 3 days, when the plaster has taken its full set, it is soft enough to work with a wire brush to provide a rough texture. Being Gypsum, it has a hardness of 2 on Moh’s Scale, which is one above Talc, which you can scratch with your finger nail, and equivalent to the harness of lead. So even when it has fully set, you can still use a wire brush or very coarse sandpaper to alter the surface texture. Alternatively, fine sandpaper can be utilised to produce a smooth finish to the surface.
I only have criticism... snake refuges in nature are invariably a tight fit and your hides are not. Snakes seek out confined spaces for a couple of reasons. If there is only just enough room for the snake to fit, they are less vulnerable to predators. A smaller air volume helps to reduce heat loss of heat gathered while basking. The reduced air volume is particularly important with snakes living in the arid or semi-arid zones. Exhaled air has a humidity of 100%. The humidity of inhaled air determines the loss of moisture through breathing (along with the breathing rate of course). A small volume of air with minimal exchange allows the external humidity to build up quickly and be retained at a reasonably high level. Hence it has a significant effect on reducing water loss.
In my opinion, the ideal hide is one that: (i) the internal cavity is as high as the snake is thick; (ii) requires the snake to coil up to fit in it; (iii) the entry hole is only just large enough for the occupant to enter through; (iv) has an ‘igloo-style’ entrance. Given that in captivity we exclude predators and provide on-going access to water and warmth, the suggested features no longer have the same survival value required in nature. Consequently, our charges can clearly get by without such features in their refuges. So my only valid argument is reduced to a behavioural one. The style of hide I described is that which snakes will find most ‘normal’ and will feel secure within. Clearly, snakes are adaptable and many cope quite well with more spacious hides in captivity. I just feel that providing something more akin to that which they would seek out in nature removes one possible stress factor.
Blue
wildthings
Well-Known Member
Okay, I guess it is slightly different then, did change the appearance of the paint?
No, no change to the paint at all but i didn't use very much.
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