# Fake Rock Build: Part 1



## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Well I went to Wickes today. Bought some polystyrene, wall grout and pva adhesive. 

I have only done the most important part of a Beardies enclosure so far. The basking spot! Here are a couple of pictures so far.


















So far a work in progress. And this took me a little over 2 and a half hours to do.

The bottom 2 layers will be under the substrate 

Yet to add the grout. I really want to do this, but am scared I might ruin what I've done so far :gasp:.

What do people think?


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

looks good although you could have some problems getting the grout in the gaps.. i always do


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## paulab (Mar 26, 2009)

I filled all my gaps in with pva, not sure how easy it was to grout as my husband did it for me. I have just put my last layer on and i used play sand, it looks great. Now iam sealing the sand with pva.
Yours looks really cool, hope your beardie loves it :2thumb:


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Yeah I think the gaps might be quite hard to get grout in. But I wanted something with a bit more texture so I opted to have some gaps, obviously facing the consequences but I'm sure it'll be fine. Use a paintbrush and get in all the gaps.

You got a picture of yours paulab? 
I had an idea what my cool end would look like. Now that I've successfully made this part, I'm thinking more ambitiously :halo:.


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## paulab (Mar 26, 2009)

Yep i have a pic but still not figured out how to use photobucket:whistling2: get my hubby to help me later.
Its my first too and now i have bigger and better idea's :lol2:
Hope when i get my new lizards they like spongebob :blush:


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

*Day 2: Fake Rock Build.*

Today is day 2 of my rock build. And....I've ran out of polystyrene. :gasp:

But, I managed to get the look of the cool end that I wanted. Here it is;










And here are the 2 peices together so far;











I'm thinking of changing the left side one a little. I liked how the cool end turned out better than the basking area one, so I'm going to make it blend in better with the cool side tomorrow. 

Build put on hold until tomorrow due to lack of polystyrene.


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

*Day 3*

Went out and bought some more polystyrene, maybe a little too much as I have quite a lot left with not much left to do.

But here is what I have done today;










I brought the front of the cool end around a little to sink the food dish into it. Also added in the back and side, too.

And here are the 2 parts together so far;











I will be putting the first layer of grout on the cool end tonight as that is now finished.

What do people think? : victory:


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## spikemu (Jul 5, 2008)

its looking AWSOME !!!  

im starting my fake rock background soonish hopefully  lol 

gd luck with the rest  
im not looking forward to the painting and grouting cdoz thts the decider of it lookin gd or not lol 


but urs looks AWSOME !!!!

lookin forward to the updates


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## paulab (Mar 26, 2009)

Look forward to seeing it finished. Looking great :2thumb:


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks spike.

I'm quite worried about grouting it to be honest. The only thing I've ever grouted is in between kitchen tiles, and that's meant to be smooth.

Now I have to make the grout look as bumpy as possible really.

I've asked this on another thread. But do you REALLY need to paint it if you're putting sand over the top anyway? 

I only ask this because I am absolutely dreadful with paint and want to avoid it of possible.


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## paulab (Mar 26, 2009)

No you don't have to paint it, just use sand and the seal it.


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Awesome : victory:

Well I'm off to put the first layer of grout on.
Wish me luck =D Haha.

:2thumb:


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## reptile_man_08 (Jan 14, 2008)

Sand does take away a lot of the texture..I'm doing a project now.Just got through a tub of pva and a large tub of tile grout, and haven't even done half.:bash:


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## paulab (Mar 26, 2009)

You can add a bit of acyrlic paint to the grout for your second coat. It helps to see which bits you have grouted and which you havn't but it is opptional, you don't have to :lol2:


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

clidbury said:


> Awesome : victory:
> 
> Well I'm off to put the first layer of grout on.
> Wish me luck =D Haha.
> ...


good luck, i hate the grouting. When it dries it goes all dusty and a pain on the next layer; then when you use thicker grout at the later stages the paint brush just clumps together.


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Some might say it's a lot more hassle than it's worth :lol2:.

Well the first layer is done. I've only done the parts I can see. I don't want to start turning it upside down to do the underside parts while the first bit is still wet. So I'll leave that for tomorrow when it's all stuck together.

Already used half the tub of my grout. And only done 1 layer of half of my build. 

Must prepare my wallet for more.

Brian best like it when it's done :flrt:.


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## reptiles_galore (Aug 13, 2008)

haha wot size tube you buy? i will be buying a 5l to do my beardies one and the left over can be used for the leos vivs


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Its only about 2l I think. Didn't want to buy a large one just incase. Wanted to see how much it would get through for 1coat.


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Finished off the basking spot today. 
Because I have done this in 2 parts, there will be a line down the middle between the 2 parts, so I decided to incorporate the rocks on the back wall to try and hide this gap. You'll see what I mean from the picture;











Just finished putting on the second layer of grout on the cool end. And covered up the gaps with no-more-nails/thicker grout along the edges.

Can't wait until it's all done. 

Will be putting the first layer of grout on the hot end and the 3rd layer on the cool end tomorrow.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

more patience than me mate.. i've done 5 coats in 2 days and varnishing it today.. 

although my pics will come up when it's all done.


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Bumpage.

Ran out of grout, and one of the peices fell off today and am getting cracks in the grout inbetween peices of polystyrene. Bank holiday so can't get down to Wickes to do this today .


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## reptile_man_08 (Jan 14, 2008)

I did a very thin layer of grout (way too thin:blush but put 2 layers of pva and sand on my base, looks pretty decent, waiting on acrylic paints for other objects now.although not as strong as it could be, it still does the job


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## CTI_Perrin (Mar 17, 2008)

looks great so far but as Meko said you'll have some trouble getting the grout into the holes lol


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## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

CTI_Perrin said:


> looks great so far but as Meko said you'll have some trouble getting the grout into the holes lol


I did have trouble, so I decided to get some more polystyrene and make it all one solid thing, will be much easier now .

Just want to get this cool end PVA'd and sand whipped on to see how it looks, then will start the grouting process of the hot end.


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