# Non-Toxic Sealant



## EsotericForest (Jun 3, 2009)

So I've been working on my own rock hide, which I carved out of styrofoam, coated in several layers of grout, and painted. So now it's come down to applying a sealant, and I've run into a problem. I admit, I was lazy, my father was planning on being at the hardware store so I asked him to pick some up for me. I told him what I needed, and he came back with:

Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish. I looked all over the can and don't see anything that says it is specifically non-toxic, so it has me worried. He said he didn't see anything at the hardware store that called out being non-toxic. A little help would be great.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2009)

What is it for? as in rep


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## EsotericForest (Jun 3, 2009)

What kind of reptile is it for? Leopard Gecko.

If you mean what surfaces it says:



> Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish is a crystal clear, ultra fast drying protective topcoat for use over bare wood, oil and water based stains, paint, and wallpaper. It has very little odor, is non-flammable, cleans up easily with soap and water, and can be recoated in 2 hours.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

water based is usually a good sign its safe.


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## EsotericForest (Jun 3, 2009)

Alright, that's kind of what I figured, but I thought I'd make sure.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2009)

yeah rep is short for reptile, you didn't even need to use an expensive sealant, you could of used pva if it is for a low humidity environment :S


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## EsotericForest (Jun 3, 2009)

That's alright, thanks for the help guys


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## EsotericForest (Jun 3, 2009)

Ok, so I'm in a really pissed mood now that I just applied that sealant and let it dry. First thing that happened was, I was applying to to the bottom (So not as big of a deal) and realized if I brushed over a spot too much, the paint was rubbing off very easily to reveal the first thick layer of dark brown I applied as the base. So after that I was more careful and was just dabbing it on. So it's been 3 hours since I applied the coat and I went to check on it, and it was reasonably dry. On closer inspection I realized that the sealant did a...almost crackle effect on the entire rock. So when you look close it has that slightly crackle look that some painters use for an antique effect. This is obviously not something I want happening to my rock, so what am I supposed to do to prevent this from happening? I'm really really mad because I was very happy with the paint job I did.


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