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| Fake RocksHow to make fake rocks Some very elaborate enclosures can be created by introducing fake rockwork. You can create any shape any style you wish, incorporating any number of caves and climbing platforms. Furthermore, they resulting "rocks" are far lighter than their naturally occurring counterparts so you can use far more of them without worries. Lets get started. You will need: Some offcuts of expanded polystyrene Expanding foam of some description Tiling grout Water based paints Spray gun or plant misters Water based varnish Step One: Cut and glue the offcuts so they roughly resemble the shape you are trying to create. They will form the basic structure. Silicone sealant is ideal for sticking the pieces together securely. Step Two: Rough up the surface for the polystyrene with a pencil, a pair of scissors, or whatever you have handy to allow the grout to key properly, and break up the edges to avoid straight lines. Step Three: Apply the expanding foam along joins and anywhere you wish to create a bulge or protrusion. Allow it to set completely, it will continue to expand until totally set. Applying the grout too soon will result in cracks as the foam expands within the shell. Step Four: Mix up tiling grout into a smooth paste and work it well into all the cracks and joints. Cover the entire structure well creating profiles and a random surface. The key is to be as random as possible with lumps and bumps. Use at least three coats, allowing them to dry in between. Step Five: Rub the structure down with a stiff brush. There is no need to be gentle, if anything is too brittle to withstand the brush, it is too brittle to withstand any lizard charging around. Fill in any new holes and weak spots and allow to dry fully. Repeat until there are no more weak areas, and sand lightly with coarse sandpaper. Step Six: Using a hoover with a brush attachment, remove all surface dust. Spray 2 or 3 coats of acrylic primer over the structure. Step Seven: Once the primer has dried, Apply a base coat of your chosen colour. This should be approximately the colour you wish the final scheme to be. When it has dried, spray on highlights of a slightly lighter colour where there are raised areas, and darker colours where there are recesses. This will create a very natural look. Keep playing around with the colours until you are happy with how it looks. Step Eight: Finally, apply 2 or 3 coats of water based varnish. I believe most of Ronseals products are suitable, check the side of teh tin to make sure that it gives out minimal VOCS. Ronseals website also gives details of each product. If in doubt, ask someone in the hardware shop for help. Mention that you plan to use it in a herp cage and they may be able to advise you. Allow the entire cage to air out for at least 1 week before reintroducing your animals. Other Projects: Aquarium Incubator Polystyrene Box Incubator Humid hides Fake Rocks Naturalistic Vivaria Set of Cages E-Mail me with comments or suggestions at webmaster@reptileguides.com |
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