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Author Topic: New Styrofoam Background Project  (Read 23750 times)

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Offline Burntwave

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #30 on: July 16, 2008, 03:31:23 PM »
Thank you very much! ;D  I have already finished the chimneys.  I made two chimneys for each tree hole in case one gets clogged somehow.

I also ended up breaking one of the bracket fungi as I was painting the tree.  It looks very good under a florescent light and it sparkles for some reason.
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Offline Essabee

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #31 on: July 16, 2008, 03:34:50 PM »
Be careful and don't you spill any paint on the tree, or else you would be playing ping-pong.  :hihi:

Things looking good!   :up:
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Offline Burntwave

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #32 on: July 16, 2008, 04:08:36 PM »
Thank you, Essabee! :D

LOL, yeah.  It'll come to an end someday. :hihi:  I'll be doing that tommorrow so that everything dries out so when I begin repainting the rocks I won't have to have concrete dripping from the tree onto the rocks or vise-versa.
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servo

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #33 on: July 16, 2008, 05:49:12 PM »
I don't know if I would use polyurethane.  If you did I would still let the cement cure, which takes time.  If you did use polyurethane, wear or some other forces could get past it and then the cement would leach.

The dye might also get lighter as the cement cures, which would help some of it.

Lookin good.
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Offline Burntwave

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #34 on: July 16, 2008, 06:15:26 PM »
Really?  How long will it take before my pH finally gets to a safe point after I put my cement covered Styrofoam into my water without the polyurethane?  I didn't know polyurethane was so fragile. 

I went to go check on it a couple of minutes ago and the tree lightened up.  I'm glad too.  Tomorrow is the last day of cement! ;D 

I'll be working on some foreground objects, but I have absolutely no idea what to make!  I want a theme based of of fungi in the swamp, so do you know of any eye-popping mushrooms or fungi that will look okay in the tank?  I don't want anything that looks man-made like terra-cotta pots or tubes.

:hmmm:
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servo

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #35 on: July 17, 2008, 12:06:53 AM »
Not that polyurethane is fragile, however if it starts to get scratched or otherwise fails, then you have a potential problem.

The best way is to keep your background submerged in a tub of water.  Check the ph and change the water every other day.  It might take a few weeks, but eventually the background should cure and ph won't be affected.  Cement has a way of raising ph.
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Offline Burntwave

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #36 on: July 17, 2008, 07:34:08 AM »
I think my mom has a very big rubbermaid tub.  I'll fill that with water and dunk it.  Do I need to dechlorinate the water when I soak my background?

Thanks for your help!
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Offline ShieldWolf

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #37 on: July 17, 2008, 11:40:03 AM »
I think its better that the tree turn out darker. Nice contrast against the rock wall & really gives that 3d effect.
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Offline Burntwave

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #38 on: July 17, 2008, 12:49:00 PM »
Really?  That's good!  I haven't worked on it yet today.  I've been lazy.  I'll go put concrete on it now!
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Offline Burntwave

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Re: New Styrofoam Background Project
« Reply #39 on: July 17, 2008, 02:52:43 PM »
Yay!  I got of the computer and actually finished, or almost finished, the very last cement coating.  No more drippy-droppy on the rocks or the tree (well, except for the few splatters near the limb, but I'll patch it up!).

I think the tree looks a whole lot better!  It is a very differet color from the rocks and it just stands out a whole lot.



Do you think it looks a little bit better?
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