Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I cant remember now what kind of styrofoam is recommended for this.

Also i was going to use the tile grout, it is accually tile grout or adhesive? are there differant kinds, what kind of texture does this stuff have. I was thinking i'll have to mix in sand to get what i want, does anyone have experience with this? i can get it in differant colors too right? i need a dark brown and grey.

I live by a menards, lowes, and home depot, but everytime i go in one they ask me what i need it for and when i tell them they always stop being helpful, like they think im crazy or something.

Great Stuff is the foam people tend to use. It comes in a can, and it's insulation, for around windows & doors, normally.

You can use tile grout, or you can research a thing called Flevopol. I've been looking at it for a while, and playing around with some different ideas. I think it looks better than tile grout.

But, as far as I know, it doesn't make a difference what kind of tile grout/adhesive you use. But, be sure to use the sealer on it, or the grout will scrape off.

To add on Redmoon's post, you can use a varied types of "styrofoam". In fact the correct term is polystyrene, and comes in either expanded and extruded, in sheet form and than great stuff is a can dispensable version. In fact Great stuff is a expanding polyurathene foam.

I like extruded polysterene because its less messy and can fill a big space quickly. It comes in Blue, Pink, and sometimes Yellow, Home Depot and Menards sell Pink, Lowes is Blue.

Expanded polystyrene is the styrofoam you are most familiar with. They make cups plates and the packing material for electronics and kids toys out of it. It comes in white and in sheet form, very messy but easy to carve and create shapes.

Both products can be used together and can be attached together using contact cement or liqid nails actually makes a glue designed for sheet foam. Once the basica structre comes together you can use the great stuff can to fill gaps, cracks creat finer details, etc. Once cured you can finish the carving and coat your work.

When it comes to the finish works there are tones of ways about it so I won't be specific.

Good Luck
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.0.3 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
1.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.6.11 Red Bearded Dragon's
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0.1 Child

can you shape the great stuff when it comes out? i wanted it have like the side of a cliff look, smooth rock faces.

>>can you shape the great stuff when it comes out? i wanted it have like the side of a cliff look, smooth rock faces.

They are all carvable.

But no you can't control the final surface of great stuff, spray it even and hope for the best it will most likely come out looking like pillows.
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.0.3 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
1.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.6.11 Red Bearded Dragon's
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0.1 Child

A post on grout, thinset, etc.: Happy Hillbilly post

I try to read up at a few fish forums where they seem to have foam backgrounds pretty well figured out. Some people prefer the beaded styrofoam while others prefer the expanded/extruded polystyrene.

Model railroaders prefer the pink or blue polystyrene, specifically the denser of the available products. I think the most dense polystyrene product is Foamular 250 which is one of the pink products.

These dense products seem to be preferred by those who like to do detailed carving.

Those who prefer the white, beaded styrofoam seem to be more the type to just put some general structure into their background and then use a torch or solvent or both to add some texture and detail. I guess they like the way it melts better, I don't know.

Lastly, one idea I saw used on a background was to simply texture/carve/melt styrofoam without a lot of detail and then paint with Drylok Masonry Waterproofer. I have to say that for a lot less work and mess it was a very nice background. However, it was in a large planted tank and water and plants are very forgiving to otherwise poor backgrounds.

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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

Most profesional exhibit builders do not use the "great stuff" type of expanding foam as it is quite difficult to carve and shape. It tends to chunk off in large pieces, making detail work much harder.
I use foam pack spray foam made for insulating pipes, this foam is also sold in large blocks in verying weights for carving.
Spray foam with tile grout will break down quickly due to the expansion and contraction of the foam.
Generally speaking it is preferable to cover foam with a fiberglass layer, then add a texture layer over that.
I use and recomend Polygems lightwieght sculpting epoxy, it is fire retardand, easily manipulated and made specifically for use in animal enclosures.
A few lousy pics.
spray

carve

fiberglass

epoxy

finish

Good luck, have fun, show off your finished product.
Cheers,
Ben

Pretty amazing work Ben, thanks for sharing!

Cheers
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.0.3 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
1.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.6.11 Red Bearded Dragon's
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0.1 Child

Thanks for the post and the pics. Very nice.
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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

Some people prefer the beaded styrofoam while others prefer the expanded/extruded polystyrene.

As Jeremy points out the white, beaded foam sheet is expanded polystyrene. Like what cheap beverage coolers are made out of and what many electronics are packages in.

The pink/blue/yellow stuff is extruded polystyrene. There are also cast polystyrene sheets but these are less common.

I used the terms expanded and extruded interchangeably, which was in error.

Regardless, it is worth working with both to see what you prefer.
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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.