HOLY CRAP! I was just wondering what folks use to make backgrounds and came accross this!
I HAVE BEEN DOING STYROFOAM CARVINGS FOR YEARS!!!
I never thought I could use it in a tank!
Ive built large scale items primarily for dramatic presentations set builds, wedding backdrops, proms etc.
Youve opened up a whole new world to me here, THANKS!
A few tips I've learned.
Power tools can be used in ways they were never intended LOL
A wire wheel in a battery drill can carve things out quickly.
Belt sanders and palm sanders can shape, mold and smooth pretty much anything you can imagine.
A Heat gun can be used for several things.
Lightly wave heat over your carved or sanded surface and it will just slightly melt the surface, thus sealing all the tiny particles that like to flake off. It helps make the surface more durable and less likely to chip. It can be used to great effect to give a rough natural stone like surface or even rough wood or tree bark with some creativity.
Using white, latex, water clean roofing patch, you can seam any pieces together and smooth them out with your finger. Then you take the box full of shavings that you've saved from the carving & sanding, sprinkle them on the wet seams and BAM, you now have an invisible seam.
I need to find out if dried/cured latex paint is aquarium safe. If so, there is no end to what type of look and coloration you can acheive.
Spray guns give a good base coat.
Pump sprayers give great "splatter effect" to mimic the speckles in surfaces like brick, granite etc.
then using brushes you can shade and highlight the protruding and sunken surfaces of the "rock" or even simulate moss.
AH! Now to find out if latex paint is fish safe, and if not, what other coloration options there are!
I HAVE BEEN DOING STYROFOAM CARVINGS FOR YEARS!!!
I never thought I could use it in a tank!
Ive built large scale items primarily for dramatic presentations set builds, wedding backdrops, proms etc.
Youve opened up a whole new world to me here, THANKS!
A few tips I've learned.
Power tools can be used in ways they were never intended LOL
A wire wheel in a battery drill can carve things out quickly.
Belt sanders and palm sanders can shape, mold and smooth pretty much anything you can imagine.
A Heat gun can be used for several things.
Lightly wave heat over your carved or sanded surface and it will just slightly melt the surface, thus sealing all the tiny particles that like to flake off. It helps make the surface more durable and less likely to chip. It can be used to great effect to give a rough natural stone like surface or even rough wood or tree bark with some creativity.
Using white, latex, water clean roofing patch, you can seam any pieces together and smooth them out with your finger. Then you take the box full of shavings that you've saved from the carving & sanding, sprinkle them on the wet seams and BAM, you now have an invisible seam.
I need to find out if dried/cured latex paint is aquarium safe. If so, there is no end to what type of look and coloration you can acheive.
Spray guns give a good base coat.
Pump sprayers give great "splatter effect" to mimic the speckles in surfaces like brick, granite etc.
then using brushes you can shade and highlight the protruding and sunken surfaces of the "rock" or even simulate moss.
AH! Now to find out if latex paint is fish safe, and if not, what other coloration options there are!
