Rock background

[Typan]

Just wanted to show you my first attempt at making a rock effect background. There are a few things I'd do differently next time, but I think that's half the fun of it, learning by your mistakes.



Here it is fitted.

[joeyboy]

wow that's amazing!

I may only have inverts but I'm certainly going to give something like that a go? Are they very slippery once you have the varnish or what ever as the last layer?

[Typan]

As this is only for my corn snake , it's not really an issue. But I can see no problem of adding some sort of sand/grit to the final sealing layer. That's just pva glue as it's not likely to get any abuse, but a non toxic varnish would work.

[thetomahawkkid58]

lovely background, well done

[The Roach Hut]

looks real good in the viv. did a great job on the painting too.... well done mate great talent

[joeyboy]

yeah I noticed the painting too, top quality!

Since I have sheets of polystyrene on my top bunk I really need to go and buy some super strong glue and grout then some water proof pva and make one of these.

[Typan]

Thanks, I'm quite pleased with the result, took a few days to make, but most of it is taken up with drying time. I also made the hide too, but not too happy with the effect I got on that, so I may make another. I saw those coconut hides in the pet shop for 3 quid, so I got one from the supermarket for 58p and got my saw out ! lol

[joeyboy]

Originally Posted by Typan

Thanks, I'm quite pleased with the result, took a few days to make, but most of it is taken up with drying time. I also made the hide too, but not too happy with the effect I got on that, so I may make another. I saw those coconut hides in the pet shop for 3 quid, so I got one from the supermarket for 58p and got my saw out ! lol

What did you buy and how much did it cost you? (excluding any cost of the actual polystyrene), did you use it all up?

I'm just trying to price up making one of these.

[Typan]

Well the polystyrene was was probably the biggest expense, it was a stray 4x2 sheet at b&q, cost me 2 pound....grout 1-50, paint I already had, grey, dark and light brown, and green, also the pva glue I had, but I would think you could do it for under a tenner if you shop around. I would use that other styreen that isn't made of little balls next time, I think you can carve it better, and it's less messy. Painting is the trickiest part I found, getting the rock texture. I basicly used a grey first coat, added a touch of green to it to get a different shade, to get highlights and lowlights, and dry brushed ( dip your brush in the paint and wipe it almost dry on paper) the other colours on, just to catch the raised parts of it.

[Typan]

As you can see my corn doesn't seem to think it's too slippery !