Climby thing

[CrazyHedgehog]

This is Marwolaeth's fault, I saw what he was doing and wanted to have a play!!...
Its in progress so I'll let you know how I get on..http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/images/thamnophis/green/statusicon/user-offline.png

7817
started with the polystyrene from cgristmas gifts and stuff

7820
I ripped it roughly into shapes,
its odd I didn't realize there are different polystyrene,
some is soft and bobbly, others is really compressed and quite hard.


7818

tried plonking it together,
Its 3am here and in my impatients I have used pva glue,
A search on the internet said it will set, but not quickly,
well I am in no hurry..If it doesn't work I'll buy some instant contact and start again..

7819
OK this is the final shape,
I used a ton of cocktail sticks to strengthen it,
its glued just need it to dry before coating and painting etc.
(its 2ft 4" wide and just under a foot high.)

[guidofatherof5]

Looking good.

[thamneil]

Looks very good! I bet the snakes will use it quite a bit.

[Selkielass]

Very nice!

[kueluck]

LOVE IT!! What do you use to finish it with, grout and waterproof sealer??

[snake man]

Looks really awsome I might have to do this also.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I do apologize.
If it's any conciliation.It look brilliant and your snakes are gonna love it! ;)

[CrazyHedgehog]

OK, so the first one is not dry enough yet (impatiences of using PVA)
so tonight I have been experimenting with Evo stick solvent free contact glue and No more nails solvent free.
No more nails seemed to be drying quicker and holds better..
Not sure I like tonight's effort as much though, but I am hoping they will look better when coated etc..
7830
A bit too uniform for my liking...

7831but still managed to make a mess!!
white bobbles everywhere!

[CrazyHedgehog]

LOVE IT!! What do you use to finish it with, grout and waterproof sealer??

I'm hopefully going to cover with quick drying filler, was thinking of adding sand at this stage to add a roughness, but still not sure.
See what they look like at that stage , if the sand is ok, then leave as, else paint them.

and then probably resin finish to ensure it is sealed properly.

[StrmChasr]

That looks really awsome. Nice work.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I hated th mess the poly made! I'm still hoovering it up even weeks later LoL
For the next vivs I'll for shure be using kingspan! :D

[ConcinusMan]

You should seriously think about investing in one of these, if this kind of project interests you. I used it to make foam mountains for my mothers tabletop "Christmas village". It allowed me to shape them in a way that makes them look very natural. It will also let you make the vertical edges of your "shelves" have varying angles so it will look more natural. A must-have if you want to make very natural looking "rocks" out of that stuff. And the best part... no little white balls all over the place.;)

Scalehobbyist.com: Hot Wire Foam Cutter by Woodland Scenics (http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Tools/WOO00001435/product.php?gclid=CPvH7-eozrQCFQThQgodtScA2g)

[ChareiHeals]

I just want you to keep saying things like "poly" and "hoovering". I smile everytime I read your posts.

[CrazyHedgehog]

OK, all covered in filler, look proof of me working!

7852

7851 these three are now covered in filler, just waiting to dry.

7850 this was the last one I made..
Its smaller for the smaller 2 foot tanks..

[guidofatherof5]

How will clean up be after your snakes break them in?

[ConcinusMan]

"break them in" = code for "poop all over them" :p

[CrazyHedgehog]

Lol, I am hopefully covering them in resin (the type you use to fiber glass,) so they will be washable, as hard as a car, so can be scrubbed etc!
I have some small pieces drying ready for the resin test.

I also made a cave thing..7854
now just need one more thing for the middle tank
7853

[ChareiHeals]

omg i love your setup! Did you make that?!

[snake man]

I might actually have to do this.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Thanks, my partner made the set up, has glass sliding doors and a nicer front to go on,
and finally the last one is done..
7855

tha'ts all 5 coated with filler, ready for painting.
7856
woohooo, still not sure about the cavey one, I made a few modifications..
7857

If anyone is interested in this, I experimented with about 10 glues,
PVA and wood glue works well takes about 48 hours to dry though, and need cocktail sticks to hold it all together while drying.
Filler does not work well as a glue! :(
I tried several solvent free contact glues, some still wet 3 days later..
No more nails (original solvent free) works well but again needs support. still takes days to dry...
Hot glue gun, works in seconds. :D The trick is not to over heat the glue, get it so its just pushing through the gun, works a treat. If you let the gun heat up too much the glue melts the polystyrene but it still sticks, just with some melting occurring. (I only found this after using the gun after it had been sat heating for 20 mins...).

[kueluck]

They look GREAT!! This might be my spring project, thanks. I'll let you work it all out, so when I do mine I'll know all the short cuts and best way to do it. ;)

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I fount that glue only stuck well when gluing the poly to wood.When sticking poly together,pretty much all the strength came from BBQ sticks and the grout.But I think there are poly specific adhesives that'd work better

[CrazyHedgehog]

I fount that glue only stuck well when gluing the poly to wood.When sticking poly together,pretty much all the strength came from BBQ sticks and the grout.But I think there are poly specific adhesives that'd work better the specific polystyrene glue is about £8 for a tiny tub, I would have needed about 40!.. the glue gun works miracles, 20 seconds later try and pull apart and the polystyrene rips, but the glue holds! quick cheap and super easy!

[CrazyHedgehog]

painted versions, some first coat, others final, etc....
7860786178627863 7864

[guidofatherof5]

Very nice. What type of paint are you using? Are you going to apply a sealer coat of something?

[ProXimuS]

Just catching up to this....AWESOME!

[snake man]

Looking better and better.

[CrazyHedgehog]

In hindsight, I should have used grout to cover them, as the filler is a little too dusty and not as strong as grout would have been, but its a learning process. I am using masonry paint (this should help shield /seal a little too) to cover.
I have a load of small chunks that I am experimenting with,
I tried some car lacquer, its really thin soaks in and melts the polystyrene!
I tried the resin, it stinks the house out! as long as its on the painted surfaces it works brilliantly (melts the polystyrene on contact! hence the filler and paint!) stayed tacky for a full day, but this morning its as hard as a car, good shiney washable surface!

[CrazyHedgehog]

Playing with colour today, can't decide which I like best so am going to do a few of each!
sandstone vs grey????!
78697868

[ProXimuS]

I like both! They could be different themes:)

[guidofatherof5]

I like the sandstone.

[CrazyHedgehog]

decided on a mix in the end..
7870

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Tidy

[CrazyHedgehog]

resin process started, messy and very smelly!
7872
but after several coats they should be solid and fully washable!

[kueluck]

They both look great. For me, it would depend on the background color as to which one I would use. You would definitely want them to stand out in the cage.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

They all look great!

[Dan72]

Very nice. I can't wait to see these enclosures when completed. Great job.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Several coats of resin, takes 3 or 4 days to dry properly before next coat..but its really smelly stuff, so giving it weeks to cure before setting tanks up, to make sure its ok..
I'm in the middle of another experiment, this time with grout as hopefully its not as dusty/soft as filler and I can get away with car laquer...
heres where I am up to, again just ripped up polystyrene, this one has a coat of grout..
8047

[Dan72]

I went through a few of your older posts that had to do with the enclosures your husband makes (amazing). I wonder if you could explain what does he do in the construction of them to create air flow through the enclosures. Where in the design are the vents placed? Thanks for sharing, it's high end snake living.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

If youre going for sandstone colour again. I recomend Sand stone colour floor grout from Wicks.When it dries it look really nice with just the base coat.

[CrazyHedgehog]

I went through a few of your older posts that had to do with the enclosures your husband makes (amazing). I wonder if you could explain what does he do in the construction of them to create air flow through the enclosures. Where in the design are the vents placed? Thanks for sharing, it's high end snake living.

In each level there are two to 3 of these,
805080518052
These are caravan vents I think, we bought them from the caravan shop anyway, and drilled round holes to add them in!

[Dan72]

Thanks for that. In that last image, that area above the vent in the pic, does that open up into a top area of the enclosure? Like a split level enclosure? Please show, that looks awesome!

[CrazyHedgehog]

OK, here goes, this is one tank, but it has 3 levels. We have another the same in the other room, but that is 3 separate tanks..
The top is the hottest, bottom the coolest
.8054
This is from the middle looking up
8053 and again.
From the middle looking down..8057

And then from the bottom looking up

8056

[Dan72]

Inge thank you for showing that. AMAZING! The snakes have got to love that. So how many call this home? Your hubby has some talent for sure.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Inge thank you for showing that. AMAZING! The snakes have got to love that. So how many call this home? Your hubby has some talent for sure.

This one is just for San Francisco at the moment, only 3 but 3 more to go in when they get a bit bigger and hopefully a few more in the summer.
I can separate the tanks again if and when I need (for selective breeding etc)
And yep am pretty lucky with hubby,:D he thought the fish tank I started with 20 odd years ago was ugly, so wanted to build something a little more furniture based!

[CrazyHedgehog]

80868087
this is the grout one, tying car lacquer on this which is much quicker and less messy

[Neo.Reptiliac]

I never would of thought of using resin, certainly wanna see how that turns out. I like rocks to look more matte then glassy.

[chris-uk]

I've used this laquer on a couple of pieces I've made:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rust-Oleum-AE0040003E8-400ml-Crystal-Clear/dp/B001W03PS6/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_0

It has a nice finish and seems durable.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Does that spray make things shiny?

[chris-uk]

Does that spray make things shiny?

I wouldn't call it shiny, it's not as matt as unsealed grout, but it's not shiny. Anyway, you decide...

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//734/medium/TST1_-_on_stone_platform_-_cropped.jpg (http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/showphoto.php?photo=11598&title=twoflower-on-platform&cat=734)

That's Twoflower on his shelf. The shelf is melamine, with some grout to give the flat surfaces some shape, then sprayed with a stone texture spray paint (Rust-oleum Stone spray http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rust-Oleum-AE0070004E8-400ml-Stone-Pebble/dp/B001W03PUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359732503&sr=8-1), then a layer of the matt clear sealer.
The stone effect sprays are more expensive than mixing grout to give stone colours, but you end up with a surface that looks like granite. And all in all I probably only spent an hour making that shelf (obviously with time in between for layers to dry).


Inge - sorry for the thread hijack.

[guidofatherof5]

Let us know how clean up goes with these new climby things.;)

[CrazyHedgehog]

the resin coated one, totally know what you mean about the matt finish though, this is a little too shiny!, but will just wash clean under a tap!
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/check2.jpg

[Invisible Snake]

the resin coated one, totally know what you mean about the matt finish though, this is a little too shiny!, but will just wash clean under a tap!
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/check2.jpg

The entire set up looks great!

[CrazyHedgehog]

OK, got another one into a tank, I wanted to put this one in a different tank, but it was just too big, its deceiving, and the tank I wanted to put it in, it looked great, but didn't leave enough room for the water dish!!
(its about 2 foot wide, almost a foot deep and about 18 inches high)
so here it is...
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1675.JPG

and the other one, I wasn't happy with so sprayed again with different colours and coated with laquer,
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_16801.JPG http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1682.JPG

[CrazyHedgehog]

I'm getting there slowly, here is another tank set up with one of my climby things...
I'm using these as juvenile tanks, these are quite small tanks, just 18inches x 10inches x 12inches, but will do for the ones that are growing on..

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1690.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1692.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1694.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1691.JPG

[chris-uk]

They look great. I really must get my arse in gear and get a couple of these built, my excuse is a knackered knee for the last month which makes traipsing round a diy warehouse unattractive. But I really must go out and find a sheet of Kingspan and a pack of grout.

[CrazyHedgehog]

This is my least favorite that I made, might have to replace it in the near future...

Anyway, another juvenile tank set up...

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1695.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1701.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1702.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1705.JPG

[guidofatherof5]

Looking good. Nice work.

[snake man]

You could honestly sell these. I woul consider it. :D

[CrazyHedgehog]

OK, last couple of tanks set up.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1716.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1713.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_1711.JPG

And finally with the full front put on, here are the five display tanks...
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/IMG_17171.JPG

[ProXimuS]

Very cool setups:) Nice work!

[Invisible Snake]

They all look great!