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DIY Large snake hide

J

jet_set_willy

New member
While searching online for a diy solution to making a hide I came across some amazing hides made from Styrofoam and tile grout.

Well as I am after a larger hide I thought I would give this ago myself today and show you my progress.

The Styrofoam bit is pretty simple even for someone like me who totally lakes any creative imagination.

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Very nice so far.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm continually frustrated by the dearth of larger commercial attractive and well made hides.
 
Did you break the styrofoam by hand? Use a tool? Both?

Any tips or tricks to working with the grout?

Thanks in advance. Love it!
 
The Styrofoam is just what I had lying around from packaging.

I either broke pieces with my hands to roughly the shape/size I wanted or cut them first with a craft knife to slightly larger than needed and then shaped with my fingers/finger nails to rough up the edges.

The first coat of grout was mixed so it was quite runny so it would find its way into all the knooks and crannies.

It takes 24 hours to dry before subsequent coats can be applied which will be slightly thicker (Mcdonalds milkshake thickness)

4 coats are needed in total and then 2 coats of waterproof pva to seal.

I didn't have any plan before I started, just started breaking bits up and letting it develop as I went.

There are a ton of examples if you google diy rock hide.

The best example of a fake rock wall I have found is at Lizard Landscapes - http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/reptile-terrarium.html

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Thank you for the video and the details. I think you've answered most of my questions and the rest I can figure out myself.

Very nice work!
 
Wow, the result looks like something you'd buy at any pet store. I may have to keep this in mind if I ever get into lizards.
 
Dragonling said:
Wow, the result looks like something you'd buy at any pet store. I may have to keep this in mind if I ever get into lizards.
Click to expand...

I'll modify that a bit. That's better than what you'd buy in most pet stores!

(However, I did find a large hide from PetSmart that I really like and even better that Mandy likes http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hab...-catid-500027?var_id=36-26155&_t=pfm=category )

IME most of the commercially made larger hides are poorly made with lots of rough spots and either too large, too small, or too open. I ordered and sent back 2 large ExoTerra hides I bought from Amazon due to roughness and poor quality control.
 
Third and fourth coats applied as it was so warm the third coat dried after just a couple of hours.

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My 2 daughters wanted to get in on the action so they both made a cave each

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Hi! Awesome job! It looks great! I was wondering, did you mix the grout with water or did you use the polymer grout compound? The reason I ask, is that I put my first coat of grout on a back-board, and it was really funny and didn't cover very well. I went out and got some of the polymer, but haven't tried it yet. I was just wondering.
Thanks,
~Beau
 
Your daughters could have a sweet side-business going! Tell them their work is both useful and creative... A snake would love to hang out in them!
 
BeauBoi said:
Hi! Awesome job! It looks great! I was wondering, did you mix the grout with water or did you use the polymer grout compound? The reason I ask, is that I put my first coat of grout on a back-board, and it was really funny and didn't cover very well. I went out and got some of the polymer, but haven't tried it yet. I was just wondering.
Thanks,
~Beau
Click to expand...

I just used water and the first coat is quite runny and doesn't cover flat area's to well but gets in all the knooks and crannies.

The second coat is more of a Mcdondalds milkshake thickness and coats much better.

No problems with subsequent coats as they know have a base to build on.

I did think of adding pva to the mix but decided not to incase I decide to paint it.

PVA will be last to seal it all.
 
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