Another fake rock/background build! (for a BTS)

bothrops · #1 (**permalink**) 07-08-2009, 11:02 PM

Hi guys

Well, I'm half way through a fortnight off and have decided that Jo-jo, my blue tongued skink needs a new viv. As I'm off I thought I'd go all out with a naturalistic fake-rock and tree thing!

Here is my progress so far.....

First the frame (don't worry, I know it's pine - it already has a coat of matt varnish and the final viv will be thoroughly sealed!)

Add some polystyrene and a bit of wire mesh

Fill wire mesh with newspaper ready for expanding foam finish...

Add more polystyrene rocks etc

That's as far as I've got as yet, more pics to follow (I've already changed the rock layout since that last pic!...)

Cheers

Andy

HadesDragons · #2 (**permalink**) 07-08-2009, 11:59 PM

Looking good so far!

nogatsira · #3 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 08:11 AM

lookin good!
Waiting to see how the expanding foam will work out!

stern69 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 10:19 AM

A good start mate! What better was to spend a fortnight off!

When it comes to finishing (grouting, painting etc) check out this site. The fake rock this guys does is better than anything i've ever seen in my life and he has a bit of fake wood too.....

Lizard care, and fake rock wall landscapes

teiryklav · #5 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 10:31 AM

cool!

thetomahawkkid58 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 07:19 PM

superb stuff mate

bothrops · #7 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 04:11 AM

Foam on.

This was a whole can emptied all over my wire frame. As you can see, I needed to pop out and grab another can!

Second can bought, and I decided to glue in a piece of 'rock' behind the large root in order to allow the root to 'grow around' the rock.

Still can't decide if I leave it as a knarly old tree trunk and paint it as is, or if it looks too much like 'expanded foam' and as such I should carve it and grout it as I will the polystyrene rocks!

I'll continue to sculpt and construct the rocks while I decide!

Cheers

Andy

joeyboy · #8 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 07:14 AM

hmm I think once painted it might look good how it is, the way the expanding foam looks makes it seem like an old gnarly rooty tree evil...thing.

HadesDragons · #9 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 11:44 AM

How about doing a bit of reshaping with sandpaper? It looks pretty nice as it is, but I think you'll still be able to tell it's expanded foam once it's painted. If you roughen it up a bit and maybe smooth out some of the larger bulges you could still keep the grooved effect of the foam, but make it look a bit more like a tree trunk?

excession · #10 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 12:20 PM

Its looking fantastic!

I have been lazy, I really need to get on the case with 2 more viv's I need to do.

But it is looking wicked, looking forwards to finished pics!

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