wand streichen zubehör
hi, i'm s.c.m.samys, you're watching anaconda dreams, the snake blog for dummies. tody i'll show you the last part of building a terrarium background out of styrofoam and tile adhesive. we're going to add the colouring, to seal it to dry it, and afterwards i'll tell you how long it takes and how much it costs. my, am i thrilled to find out,
now, that everything's ready, and the only thing left to do was the painting and sealing that my interim wall is too long to fit in the front of my terrarium. it's just a few millimetres, but it still causes problems to fit in the front. so i just furiously shortened it on one side. now i'll have to give that at least one more coating.
of course i had already dragged the tile adhesive to the cellar, and i'd just been so happy to leave behind that dust and snow and dirt and trash phase. man, i'm so not amused about that one.... of course it's all my own fault - still - yuck, yuck, yuck. hopefully, the last step to finishing the back wall is done.
i didn't film it as i was in a real hurry today. i used epoxy resin and i ordered a variety of colour pigments with it. they came in little bags like this. main colour was dark grey - it's just covered in sand right now. now i'm in a hurry to clean everything up. you've got to mix it, until you've got your desired colour tone.
i just coated my background with it. the camera shows the contrasts quite extremely. it's not that dramatic in real life. now the whole thing has to dry. that's how the thing looks like right now. i hope it looks like rock, right now :-). i used the epoxy resin in order to damp-proof the background. you know, the tile adhesive is quite
water-soluble. now, i'm going to have quite a bit of humidity in my terrarium. this is why i used it. then i threw sand against the damp wall. i did it because -- ah, and i actually see i'll do it again at a few places.
i hadn't realized the epoxy resin will add a bit of an artificial shine to the structure. this i will embellish somewhat. that looks negligently done. epoxy resin is dry now. wall is more or less dry now. still a bit sticky. by the way about the epoxy resin and the pigments
as you see that works quite well. one thing you got to know - it adds this shine and my eyes are watering like mad. it's very irritating to the eyes. hoping it's really as unpoisonous as proclaimed. it really makes you cry. i just tore open all windows. now, i'm going to applicate silicone for the last time. and then i should be done.
of course it still has to dry up and harden out completely. still it's already dry enough for the silicone. the sand is holding well, really much better than i even thought. actually i think i might have used a bit too much sand, but it's alright like this. yepp, it's sticking really fast. so decide well how much sand you want on it.
all in all i'm happy with the result! oh, sliding out of the picture again. i already glued some hair together with the resin before. actually alll other materials were easy. but with this resin i managed to wreck my whole appartment. take care, it's hellish stuff. you'll avoid buying the paint if you colour your resin that's used
to seal the background. the resin is originally colourless/ transparent. you can buy the pigments for 1,50€ or something like that. i ordered a few colours, actually somewhat too many. well, who knows, maybe i use them some other time. i think it's quite a good choice to paint the background. it does shine a lot, though. i used a lot of acetone to clean my paint brushs.
this one was even a somewhat expensive one. it's still really stiff. i think i'm going to throw that away, really. that's just not a useful paintbrush anymore. same here with the small one that i used for the more delicate parts. you could batter someone to death with it. in other words, you'll throw away the paintbrushs
after using the resin. i just realised the last finishing improvements. filled the last little holes with silicone. up there's a little bigger gap left. i'm worrying about that a bit. i might to have to apply silicone one more time, once this layer's dry. well, and now it's getting exciting.
i'll apply the first deco. i had something planned with these lianas. you might remember i collected them together with heidi. see, they fit perfectly in there. terrarium has been airing for one complete week, after applying the epoxy resin. all fumes should be gone. this thing has hardened really well.
it's solid as hell, could break your knuckles. this should be perfectly able to deal with snakes and all kinds of stuff. i'm extremely pleased! i immediately switched on the terra after coming home. it's slowly heating up, and now it's getting exciting! this thing really turned out well. i prepared some greeenish bits with that black sand.
well, camera isn't best quality to turn out the colours. here you can see these green bits. and here on the other side too. see the black? i think it looks quite natural, as if some kind of moss was growing there. apart from that it's only decorated with the interim wall, that i glued in the wrong way round, of course.
still it has two tunnels, that i showed you. let's see whether i can show you: that's the one with a little climbing. and - let me put the moss aside - there's a hole on the ground. there's the thermostate's sensor coming out of the background. ahhh, these rock structures - wonderful -
everything self-made. let me tell you, it was a lot of work. but - you're going to be proud as hell afterwards. no need for tv anymore: it's fun just looking at your work, taking it in, and telling yourself, you know, patting your own shoulder,
to tell yourself, oh, i've got to do that in front of the terrarium. i'm patting my own shoulder. i believe i did a great job here. now, all's left: i've got to get the temperatures right. and the kaya and me will be happy :-). estimated time of work:
cutting out the layers, maybe icluding some preplanning: 1 - 2 hours. stack the styrofoam layers, coat them with tile adhesive to glue them together; about 1 hour. the thing that will really take a long time is the drying. chiseling out basic structures, i'd plan at least 4 hours. same thing for the finishing work, if not more. and don't forget, you will have to
clean up a lot in between, and i don't just mean your surroundings. i could imagine i'm not the only one having to do some repair work: that could cost up to 2 or 3 hours. filling holes and gaps with silicone, as well as glueing it to the back/ side walls: will cost you 2 -3 hours. coatings, of which i did four, take up quite some time,
if you chisel in as many structures as i did. i had to work with a thick and a fine paintbrush, for the more delicate structures and crevices. that took me 2-3 h per coating, did it 4 times for stability. + 1 epoxy resin coating. maybe you'll also experiment a little with colours, sand, little embellishments. all that needs some time, 1,2,3 hours.
last fixings with silicone 1 -2 hours. don't let yourself be fooled by forum entries like: i just did this, already done, second coating - already done, third coating, already done. doing it takes time and then it has to dry for a day. (every single coating.) same goes for the epoxy resin. and until you can pat your shoulders like me
you'll have slaved away for three full days, let it dry for 5 days, and aired it out for a week. would i do something different today: yes, looking back, i'd do things differently. i'd never again start building the background without having the terrarium. you can measure and measure and measure. it's quite some work, and afterwards there might be still a milimetre missing or too much.
next time i'd definitely wait for my terrarium and build it immediately into the terra. fitting it in immediately will save you a lot of work. i would build layers again, because you'll get great tectonics like that. you know, like natural plates. but nowadays i'd build up layer after layer directly into the terrarium. i think i'd skip this terrarium glue that i bought.
it was expensive and had the consistency of water. silcone sticks well enough. and as you use tile adhesive as well, it'll hold steady as a rock. then i'd by no means use left over pieces again. use big, long boards. i had already expected it, and it did happen: as soon as you're treating your background with tools, to chisel out pretty formations,
the little pieces will get loose and fall out. and you'll have three times as much work, repairing these holes. you know, it doesn't look nice, so you fill it up, and you'll need more silicone. and believe me: silicone is much more expensive than styrofoam. styrofoam boards cost 1€ to 1,50€,
if you end up in a very expensive hardware store, then it might cost you up to 2€. so that's not going to make a difference. the aquarium silicone though - you've got to use aquarium silicone as it doesn't catch mould, etc, and it's not poisonous. and that isn't cheap at all. by the way, i really hurt my hands
accidently hitting them on the structures while cutting them out. that's because tools get caught on the hard cement layers between the boards. so try to apply thin layers. but i'd definitley do that again with styrofoam and tile adhesive and also the epoxy resin, as it seals it waterproof. using the pigments
was an inexpensive choice for the colouring. i you use wall paint, first of all, that's quite chemical, and you'd definitely have to use the ecofriendly ones. these are the expensive ones. you'll end up with the same price, as by using epoxy resin including pigments. pigments are really cheap. they can be ordered with the resin,
they come in small packets. they are free of cadmium, of course they're unpoisonous. well, the epoxy resin adds a shine, but don't forget - the tile adhesive is water permeable. it's water dissolvable, and i believe it's good to seal it with something. what i'd do differently: i wouldn't use this white sand again,
didn't like it that much. i'd rather use red or darker sand nowadays. nicer with the stone colours. apart from that i'm happy with the result. costs for the self-made background. styrofoam: 26.59€. tile adhesive 13,99€. silicone, 36,94€. i had to buy two tubes.
would have been better to buy more styrofoam. glue, 6, 95. i'd probably skip this now. rubber gloves, 1,50€. you'll need them for the tile adhesive. plaster cup, 1,49€, you'll throw that away after the resin. epoxy resin and pigments, 35€. terrarium sand 2x 11,85€, much too much. black sand 9,99€. acetone - wouldn't buy that today.
i bought it, because directions said the resin could be cleaned with acetone. that's not true. i'd skip the acetone, just prepare yourselselves to throw away the paint-brushs. rather count that into the costs. all in all: 162,64€. i didn't count in that some people might have to buy or rent tools.
i'm dead sure, styrofoam does the same - i'm dead sure - that em, ey ... well, i'm dead sure -- what am i so sure about? forgot the sentence...