Large Exoterra build for RETFs

[tinkgirl77]

Alright guys and gals, time to get this thread fired up again. Its been a while but thanks to jcaho (for my medical savy ppl) finally leaving our hospital, I have time again to get cranking on this viv!

So... here is where I was about a week ago....

Then

And then....

So then last few days I have steadily inhaled, ate and been covered in great stuff foam while carving the waterfall. Yuck!
Note to self and for newbies like me:

#1check your gloves often for holes while applying great stuff, its much harder to get off then I thought... thanks to my handy pumice stone and gs foam, my hands are softer than a baby's bottom lol

#2 wear your useless, unused n95 (for all my nurses out there with a stack like I have) mask on day 1 otherwise hello sinus irritation.

#3 redbull + dremel at 2am = some really picasso looking shapes lol.

Ok so I'm almost done carving and I'm getting viv building block again.

What suggestions do you guys and gals have for covering carved gs foam that will have running water over it and will be frog safe?

[DigitalPunk]

The best thing to use to cover a surface to protect against running water is 2 part clear epoxy. You can pain the foam prior to apply the epoxy if you want something other than the dart grey/black look under it.

Epoxy will hold up the best against erosion.

[tinkgirl77]

Hey paul, you say paint and epoxy? What kind of paint and epoxy? Is epoxy safe? Do you cover just the cover the parts where water hits or everything?

Any other methods other than epoxy. That stuff makes me nervous lol

[deranged chipmunk]

Lisa, if the epoxy scares you, you can always use drylok paint. It can be tinted with acrylic craft paints. You can even press cocofiber into it while wet. The fiber will most likely erode away from the water, but you'll at least be left with the tinted drylok.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[tinkgirl77]

Hey bill, thank you! I happen to have drylok at home aleady. Do I need to do anything special to it except let it air dry?

I dunno why epoxy scares, but it does lol. Is it frog safe?