My Practice Diy Bg

[DarkEntity]

I did wonder lol

Especially when you said that the tank was running, i was thinking...how in gods name is he planning to get that to stick

 

[RRasco]

Ok, here are the pics after melting and the first layer of quickrete. I had originally bought the quikrete concrete, but when i opened the bag there was a bunch of little rocks mixed in with it. i knew that wasnt going to paint on very nicely. so i went back and asked them, they told me i should use the quikrete mortar mix. so i did. i mixed it rather thin, so it allowed me to let it run all over the place. made it a million times easier to get all the cracks and crevises. the foam didnt take so well to it being watery. ran right off the foam. i will probably use a thicker mix and apply it to the foam by hand. after the first layer dries, i think it will go on better, since it will have a layer of mortar to adhere to, instead of corky styro and smooth foam.. anyway, here are the pics from the first coat.

 

[hoarp001]

I made a model mountain as a tv prop a while ago and i used sharp builders sand mixed with PVA glue. You might not be able to use PVA, but i dont see how it would hurt as its ony PVC plastic once it dries.

It got a really good finish, then after that I sprayed a base coat and then painted fine detail with an air brush. After that you can dry brush a darker colour on the edges and pitting to give it proper definition.

I suppose after you ahv done that you can coat it in eurathane varnish to seal it in...

This is the result I got with the mountain...

Actually its a volcano....

This was during teh building, its a model of the Nemesis Inferno rollercoaster station at Thorpe park...

 

[RRasco]

i have been trying to figure out 1, if i wanted to paint it, and 2, if i needed to paint it. seeing as how its concrete i dont think it is required to be painted. however, im thinking it would make a final stronger last coat to keep it all togethor. i would prefer a spray due to the detail would be hard to get on with brush. do you think i should paint it? more so, seal it?

 

[hoarp001]

if you paint it you have to seal it, paints have solvents in, even after they have dried. I ead somewhere that eurathane paint works.

Also don forget that enammel and acrylic paint (all spray paint and most brush on paint) will melt the polystyrene, so make sure you dont get any onto any un cemented areas...

 

[RRasco]

do you think i should though? is it really necessary? i dont really want to paint it, i think the algae and what not will give it all the color it needs.

 

[hoarp001]

Hmm, its not very natural rock looking, more...cement colour... id paint it....

 

[nocturne]

Nice work Rasco. I'm working on PVC caves myself and am thinking of moulding a styrofoam background to go with it. To prevent the floating problem I am thinking of lubing the stryofoam so after I cover it with the quickcrete i can remove some or most of it and then fill it in with more crete.

Hopefully you know already you have to let the quickcrete cure i think 14 days before putting it in your tank.

I think I read all the posts, but don't recall seeing an answer to this. What is that you have on the seam? Is that the spray on foam that expands as it hits air?

 

[RRasco]

ok, so i finally did the fit test and siliconed it to the tank. fits pretty snug, but its in. im not going to paint it, i like the color it is, and it will get character after the algae starts to grow.

yes that is Great Stuff spray on expanding foam insulator.

nocturne: are you saying that it is supposed to cure 14 days out of the water? i have read several places where people put them in the water, i am planning on setting up a power head and some water softener salt while it cures underwater.

 

[sparklefuzz]

ok, so i finally did the fit test and siliconed it to the tank. fits pretty snug, but its in. im not going to paint it, i like the color it is, and it will get character after the algae starts to grow.

yes that is Great Stuff spray on expanding foam insulator.

nocturne: are you saying that it is supposed to cure 14 days out of the water? i have read several places where people put them in the water, i am planning on setting up a power head and some water softener salt while it cures underwater.

Just want to say I think it looks bloomin marvellous. Love it!

 

[MoondustBob]

You could always paint the background with pond paint, which is obviously 100% fish safe

 

[flyboy367]

that looks pretty pimp. never thought of doing that in a tank before. maybe in the next layer of cement you could dump in dark fine grain sand. it will bind the project a bit better and give you the color without having to paint anything. or at least i think it should.

 

[RRasco]

i did get a cement liquid color additive. i just didnt use it. i took pics of the second layer, and it is also now siliconed in the tank. i will get them up today so you can see the finished product. it doesnt have too much color, and much much darker in the pics where it is still wet. it dries a light gray color. that + the algae growth I think it will keep a nice color. under water it should have a darker tint as well.

 

[RRasco]

so here are the newest pics. these have the second coat as well as being already siliconed in the tank. getting ready to fill her up with salt water, hopefully tonight if i dont have to add any more crete.

 

[troutfly]

so here are the newest pics. these have the second coat as well as being already siliconed in the tank. getting ready to fill her up with salt water, hopefully tonight if i dont have to add any more crete.

That looks great, I like the look, I hope to get to see the finished product, water, fish...You know the drill.