Finished DIY Rock Wall

[Dakota_Ghost]

Hi all,

So I’ve finished the background for the gecko’s new home. I had previously completed the hides in summer (see link) but didn’t get round to painting the background.

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=68721

It’s made from hard board, insulation foam, grout, acrylic paints etc. Annoyingly there is a supporting glass panel in the middle from front to back at the top of the tank preventing me from making the background as one single unit, so I had to make it in three pieces. I would not have been able to fit a single piece in. Also, it is 4 feet long, so it’s easier to transport being in three parts. It also had to be made as shallow as possible because from front to back the tank is only a foot, so I didn’t want it taking up too much room. An area of the right panel had to be left bare to accommodate for a hide.

It has not yet been installed in the tank because I’m going to give a it a few more days to fully air. I’ll post a picture of the set up in a few days. Oh also, after asking for advice on here I decided to add some real air plants to make it as natural as possible

Dakota

 

[Blacksupra94]

Very nice work! That must have taken a ton of time , but it paid off greatly. Were you going for the shiny look in the stones? I think they would look better more dull, the first pic looks like a bunch of salmon Maybe it's just the flash on the camera because only the first pic looks shiny.

Do you use a hot wire foam cutter?

 

[fuzzylogix]

those are amazing! would be a really cool background for a viv as well with a cascading waterfall. are you selling these?

 

[Dougefresh]

Wow very nice, is it real heavy?

 

[Dakota_Ghost]

Oh, I didn't think they were that shiny haha. I used matt varnish, however after a few coats it does leave an ever so slightly shiny finish. But I think it's the flash that picks this up, because in day light it can't be seen, as with the bottom pictures, they were taken in natural lighting. If you mean the white highlights, then yeah they're meant to be there

As for how they were made... Each rock and little rocks on them were individually cut with a knife and shaped with sand paper and stuck together and then stuck on pieces of hardboard. Selling things like this is an idea, but I don't think I'd have the time. Glad you guys like it

Dakota

 

[tlbowling]

All I can say is WOW! I gotta get in touch with my artistic side again...it's been suppressed for too long! That is absolutely beautiful, and amazing, better than anything you could ever buy!

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

Wow that's very nice

 

[tlbowling]

Oh, I didn't think they were that shiny haha. I used matt varnish, however after a few coats it does leave an ever so slightly shiny finish. But I think it's the flash that picks this up, because in day light it can't be seen, as with the bottom pictures, they were taken in natural lighting. If you mean the white highlights, then yeah they're meant to be there

As for how they were made... Each rock and little rocks on them were individually cut with a knife and shaped with sand paper and stuck together and then stuck on pieces of hardboard. Selling things like this is an idea, but I don't think I'd have the time. Glad you guys like it

Dakota

Wait...those are all real rocks! How do you cut rocks with a knife?
EDIT: OK nevermind, duh, I just read your materials used list again, do you have a step by step instruction guide you'd be willing to share? I LOVE THIS!

 

[Dakota_Ghost]

Wow very nice, is it real heavy?

Thanks Yeah it's a little heavier than a structure completely made from foam because the base is made out of hardboard. Even still, it's really not that heavy.

 

[Dakota_Ghost]

Do you have a step by step instruction guide you'd be willing to share? I LOVE THIS!

Haha, nooo they’re not real rocks I don’t think that I did is that much different from anyone else. There’s lots of things on the internet about making fake rock walls for vivariums. The following is specific to what I used. But some of the materials such as the hardboard was only used because as mentioned earlier, the depth of the tank is narrow and I wanted something strong but thin, not sticking out too far and taking up vital space.
I cut out all the rocks from the insulation foam with a knife and shaped them with sandpaper. This stuff is very easy to shape, but produces a lot of dust. I advice to wear a mask! Most people use polystyrene, but all I could get was insulation foam. So now I have tiny rocks, big rocks, more flat type rocks. I then glue them together with a general adhesive and reinforced the individual rock structures with cocktail sticks. These were then stuck on the hard board.

I gave the piece three coats of grout. The first one was more watered down so that it got into all the cracks. The second and third were applied more thickly. I used even thicker grout to create extra texture and add more detail to the structure.

Now this is where I got up to before the end of summer. It’s only in the last week that I’ve had the time to paint it, somewhat hastily. I would have liked to have spent more time on it really. I used acrylic paints. The photos don’t really show that there’s actually about seven different colours used in the painting process. Starting with a dark colour for as a base colour and working up to really light colours. I used a technique called dry brushing to add the final four colours, and eventually finished off with highlighting the edges with an almost white colour. I painted the backs of the panels black. I sealed the whole lot with a clear matt varnish. You need to use something that has a low VOC content. The lower the VOC, the safer it is for there are less fumes produced during and after application. Even still, I’m, giving the whole thing a week to fully air before it’s placed in the tank.

I stuck on the air plants with aquarium sealant. I'm not sure if these will survive to be honest. Even though I'm going to spray them twice a week, I think it might be a bit warm in there. Only time will tell.

I hope this helps. I’m glad you like my work

 

[tlbowling]

Wow, Thanks! This is going to be my new winter project:main_thumbsup: But, How'd you get the "rocks" to stick to the hardboard? Im guessing some sort of glue...but I want brand names

 

[Dakota_Ghost]

I just used this.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Instant-Grab-Adhesive-Solvent-Free/invt/190126

It's meant to be solvent free, but it wasn't so it needs to be aired. I think you could use anything strong enough like PVA, aquarium sealant, those types of 'no nails' glues. Just gotta make sure it's all aired so there are no fumes.

Dakota