Another DIY Rock wall (Pics!!)

[oOLaurenOo]

Crappy photos but one of the bays is half wired up. Well, all of them are but I need plugs for the end of the leads... and Im still waiting on heat mats and thermostats... But looking pretty snazzy. I ended up getting some thin sheets of aluminium and lining the front of the fluro light cage so you don't see the fluro. I think it looks good because it matches the silver vents. Not that you can se in this photo, but you get the idea!

 

[Darksolja]

Hi Lauren

I have experimented with trying to create a really strong rock face but I always managed to break a small bit off or manage to place my finger straight through it.

But there is a solution. Fire. I used a portable blow torch that plumbers use to heat pipe fittings. I basically singed the first cm of Styrofoam. The end result is a very hard and unbreakable object before the grout and sealer go on.

I have made rocks that I can stand on without causing cracks and breaks in the grout which is awesome!

Singeing Styrofoam is toxic – should be done a well-ventilated area with face protection. PLEASE.

Don’t melt the foam – this will become worse than melting sugar … sticky and very painful

Trying to paint nontoxic wood glue on a finish that had detailed painting is useless in my case because it starts to drag the paint with it. I’m looking for a solution that I can spray on without it running – my next thing to try is pond sealer with a spray gun and compressor – lots of light coats

The wood glue does give it a shiny look that I’m trying to overcome – I really like the idea of using sand over the top to give it grip as well as textured appearance – have you found a solution to getting rid of the shine?

To make the grout sealable before applying a particular sealer on it I used some Bondcrete (looks like wood glue) mixed with the grout when painting on the first couple of layers. This does create a sealed yet non-shiny surface – but I haven’t used this method inside terrariums

I hope this isn’t too much – and I hope it can be used safely – please guys be careful when singeing the foam if you decide to use it this way

 

[thomasssss]

darksolja - few tips

render cement , so much stronger than grout and you wont have to burn the foam before hand , grout isnt really very strong and cant compare to cement in anyway really , i to stood on a small hide i made with no braking or cracking

forget about wood glue or anything else as a sealer , just get some pondtite or cromelin(spelling) pondsealer the trick to stop it spreading the paint around with it is to dab the first few layers on and not wipe with a painting motion , its the draging that spreads the paint around

 

[Badass_Beardies]

very nice work!

 

[Darksolja]

Thomassssss - thanks

I haven’t worked with it before so I’m unfamiliar with the texture - might have to give it a go …. Thanks for info – much appreciated

 

[Lord-Doom]

Nice background! You've probably finished it by now but if not there's an easy way to improve the depth/3D effect via highlight and shade.

Mix black acrylic paint diluted with heaps of water (a "wash" of only about 10%-20% paint) and apply liberally over the whole surface.

While still wet, roughly wipe the high surfaces with a rag, the dark paint flows into the depressions and crevices where you leave it to dry.

The wiped off areas create highlight and all the cracks low bits stay dark, so a lot more contrast and realism. It would have to be re-sealed again however.

 

[oOLaurenOo]

Thats a great idea! I kind of suck with the artistic side of things... I have finished it unfortunately, but will defiantly give that a go with my next project. Heres what it looked like once completed.

Its not perfect, but I'm pretty happy with it for my first go.....

Heres a pic of a turtle tank rock wall I'm making. It has drift wood attached into it. Horrible photo though unfortunately...

 

[Vivendus]

looks fantastic! heaps of useful ideas everywhere.

 

[Skitzmixer]

wow that looks amazing! I dont think you suck on the artist side of things, i wish i could do something like that!

 

[Stuart]

wow that looks amazing! I dont think you suck on the artist side of things, i wish i could do something like that!

+1. If I could do something like that I would be pretty chuffed with myself! At the moment im still progressing from the chalk to the crayons in terms of having any artistic qualities

 

[Variety]

Wow i never knew that home jobs could like so nice, deffinatly going to give one a go next time!

 

[oOLaurenOo]

Thanks guys! I love DIYs!! Great fun. I'm glad you like them. I'm particularly excited about my turtle tank. Can't wait till its all set up!!

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Looks great.... well done

I am about to start on my stand up pine coffin, with a skeleton wearing a tux inside and a glass front to put my coastal in :shock::lol: I want to put red led's in the eye sockets and a pir sensor on the front, so when someone walks past in the dark, it scares the poop out of them :lol:

 

[oOLaurenOo]

Yea.. that would scare the 'poop' out of me. lol. Fantastic idea though