DIY 3D concrete + resin Background [lotsa pics]
- Thread starter Liquidplants
- Start date
Looks great! Maybe you could have waited to glue the rocks in place until after you had it coated? I don't know just a thought.
Liquidplants;4490654; said:
I have not done this so I am not speaking from experience but from the research I have done. Many people have told me that even if sealed with quickcrete, polyurathane sealant, and/or epoxy a pleco will eventually eat through it and reveal the foam. I guess plecos' mouths are much stronger than I thought. I can't wait to see your finished product. I have been wanting to do it but I also want plecos so I will have to choose between one or the other...plus, a DIY background on 500 gallons will be a massive undertaking.
Tien;4491000; said:I have not done this so I am not speaking from experience but from the research I have done. Many people have told me that even if sealed with quickcrete, polyurathane sealant, and/or epoxy a pleco will eventually eat through it and reveal the foam. I guess plecos' mouths are much stronger than I thought. I can't wait to see your finished product. I have been wanting to do it but I also want plecos so I will have to choose between one or the other...plus, a DIY background on 500 gallons will be a massive undertaking.
Wouldn't people then have problems with plecos with regular decorations?
This is really cool I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Well, most decorations do not have flat surfaces where a pleco can comfortably "dine" so they go to the walls of the tank. In a DIY background there will be tons of new surfaces with algae. I may be wrong though...I hope I am. Has anyone else had plecos and a 3D background together?
Yesterday i tried the color additives to the concrete. i came out cool looking but not that realistic. i will have to paint the concrete before i resin / epoxy it.
The rock / root intersection is getting worse and worse with the second coat =[
I added some gravel as aggregate in the top left and top middle to see what it looks like.. It's definitely more of a conglomerate look. Although I'm not sure thats the look I'm after. what do you think?
The rock / root intersection is getting worse and worse with the second coat =[
I added some gravel as aggregate in the top left and top middle to see what it looks like.. It's definitely more of a conglomerate look. Although I'm not sure thats the look I'm after. what do you think?
It's looking good, though I agree, not very realistic yet. I think the biggest problem is the uniform color. I would suggest multiple coats of thinned concrete tinted to different colors. Think about which parts would be darker in nature (crevices etc.) and which would be lighter. I think some subtle changes in color will provide more depth and realism.
I like the gravel in the top left. Are you trying to get that section to look like a clay bank? Maybe you could add a few twigs or bits of string as well?
I think your rock/root intersection looked good initially, but I you would have been better off gluing in the rocks after applying your concrete/paint. Maybe glue in a few more pebbles later to hide the spots where your concrete has spilled over onto the rocks?
I like the gravel in the top left. Are you trying to get that section to look like a clay bank? Maybe you could add a few twigs or bits of string as well?
I think your rock/root intersection looked good initially, but I you would have been better off gluing in the rocks after applying your concrete/paint. Maybe glue in a few more pebbles later to hide the spots where your concrete has spilled over onto the rocks?
What about an acrylic type spray paint? Not sure if it is fish safe, but you could get a couple colors and blend to make a realistic look. I have seen people spray paint PVC pipes that go in there tanks with no problem. Not sure what paint they are using though. Just a thought.
Good job on the carving. I looks really good.
Good job on the carving. I looks really good.
Here's some inspiration from you. This ridiculously awesome fake tree was made by user "HX" on dendroboard. It's made from pvc pipe, rope and GS foam and covered in multiple layers of tinted grout. That guy is a wizard - I couldn't hope to pull of something like this but it does go to show the level of realism you can get using layers of tinted concrete if you have the skill.
