I know there are many, but some more ?s about Great Stuff...

[froggsong]

Ok, first, since it says it is water proof, if building an enclosure out of wood, do you have to use the epoxy paint stuff to make it water tight, or will just completely coating the inside with great stuff be sufficient? (I realize I will have to waterproof the bottom for the false bottom some other way.)

Is it ok to use other sealants/paints underneath the great stuff, or will any toxins leak through?

Is it safe to use the flexible great stuff to make custom, flexible branches? If so, has anyone ever done this? What I mean is taking something bendable, possibly a metal hanger, and using it as a core, then layering the great stuff on the hanger. It is supposed to cure flexible, so my idea is I could have branches that look like I want, are bendable for how I need, and able to be reshaped in the future.

That's all I can think of for now, but if I come up with any other questions I'll post them later...

[Jason]

Aye if you can make sure you have no pinholes in the GS and i mean you can 100% guarentie 100% coverage then ya.. but it has to be 100% and trimed with silicone. as for the branch(s) as long as the animal in question dosent weigh a brick then that would be np, it cures semi flexable and can be cracked under stress, and cannot be reshaped unless you trim and add more GS, you may want to dip the wire in silicone first as the GS wont have very much surface area to stick well and if it does crack it may be pulled off the wire..

[froggsong]

Thanks for the info... As for the first part of your reply, are you referring to my first question or the second one?

[Waterkeeper]

I have used it a couple times now, and I wouldn't trust myself to make the enclosure water tight just with the GS. the stuff just isn't that accurate.

I might consider coating the wood in "Killz" first.
anybody know if "Killz" is safe?

I would try out your flexi branch idea.. sounds like a good one. Let us know how that works.

[froggsong]

I'm not going for water tight so much as can it hold in the humidity and keep the wwod behind it from getting wet... Is it safe to use other sealants behind the great stuff? Like killz or wood sealant or something? I priced the pond liner, and it is about $9 per foot!!! That foot of it is 12 feet long, but that isn't going to help me, since I need a piece with a large area... I may go ahead a use strips of it, sealing it with silicone where it overlaps, and then do the great stuff over the top... I can get a piece with more area to do the bottom so it will hold water. I am starting a smaller (but bigger for them) enclosure for my frogs today, so I can practice with everything.

BTW, for those of you that want the GE silicone type I, they have it at walmart (at least here) The one for kitchens and bathrooms apparently has the mold inhibitor too, but the one for doors and windows does not. It is also over a dollar cheaper a tube at walmart. The guy running the paint desk told me if they run out, they'll order more for me. Home Depot didn't have it at all, only type II, and it was much more expensive. Walmart didn't have it in black, but I got white. (I'm covering it up anyway, it doesn't matter what color it is, but I didn't want clear because you can't see it as well when you spread it out... Ok, off to work.

[Rainfrog]

If you want to know how to build a proper wood box that will be tough and hold moisture and not rot go to Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation Home Page look in the diy tank building area.

[froggsong]

alright, I know you aren't trying to, but you are beginning to get a little offensive. I feel like you are talking down (writing down?) to me and acting like I am stupid. Yes, I value the opinions and advice of people that have gone before me, but this tank is not meant to be permanent, instead it is a way to practice (I've already posted that it is a practice project). It is also a type of experiment to see if the silicone will protect the wood. Once again, it is NOT going to be holding water. I only need for the wooden part to be protected from moisture and hold the substrate. Thank you for your advice, but you don't have to post a reply to me on every single thread telling me how I am wrong. Once was sufficient, twice was "ok, rainfrog just wants to make sure", and thrice was too much. Now, I'm sorry that this is coming off rude, and I'm not trying to make an enemy or anything, so please don't take what I am saying in the wrong way. I'm sure that I am probably taking your intent wrong, since it is hard to convey emotion in a forum. But it still made me feel like you were calling me stupid, which I am not.

[Rainfrog]

I dont see what I have done that is offensive. I havent ment to. Im not calling you stupid. I did not mean to infer your idea was improper, I did not mean the word in that sense. I tend not to think in temporary terms or go into long explanations of my reasons for the advice I have given. I am at work when I come here and dont have alot of time so I try to get to the meat and potatoes of it right away. Silicone will keep moisture from the wood if it has no gaps but even minimal amounts of water can abuse the flexible nature of Silicone and push it into corners and gaps and lead to problems. I have had too many things built of pressboard just fall apart on me so I have no faith in the material. I live on a better safe than sorry philosophy and my advice is given on this same principle. I have wasted lots of time and money doing things wrong and it feels terrible. I try to keep that from happening to others. I tend to put it down in a "Vivariums for Dummys" manner because I dont know what the experience level or knowledge of the person asking the question may be. I also try to answer questions in a slightly generalized way so someone with a similar question reading the thread can benefit from it. When I started out here my comprehension level was very low and I try to make my posts so people that are in like mind as I was when I came here will benefit. I an truly sorry if I gave the wrong impression or came off as insulting I will try and take more care when responding. I have had similar feed back in the past so I am sure the problem is how I come off in some of my posts. Again I am sorry.

[froggsong]

Originally Posted by Rainfrog

I an truly sorry if I gave the wrong impression or came off as insulting I will try and take more care when responding. I have had similar feed back in the past so I am sure the problem is how I come off in some of my posts. Again I am sorry.

I understand what you mean, and I figured I was probably overreacting. It was the "tone" to a certain degree, but it was mostly the fact that you posted almost the same reply three times on different threads. I get what you say about wording a post so that it could apply to other people as well, I tend to do the same thing, it was just that I got three notifications that there were new posts, and all three were you telling me that that was the wrong way and that I was going to regret it (that may not be what you actually said, but it was how I took it). I'm really sorry I though you were being rude, since that wasn't your intent. I'll admit it still urks me a little, but not much; I know you were just concerned that it could come to a disastrous conclusion. I started the log thread though, so feel free to look at what I've done. I don't think I took a picture with the entire inside coated with the silicone before I did the GS, so don't think I left the bottom bare! I used plenty of silicone too, I've already gone through three tubes of silicone. I'm in the middle of the fourth tube working on the background. If worst comes to worst and it DOESN'T hold moisture, then when I move them to the glass tank I will redo the bottom with plexi (or line it with plexi, either one) and use it for plants, or possibly some new frogs (Maybe GTF? It would be nice to have another species from back home. Of course, I would probably end up putting them with the squirrel frogs just to have it more like home... ) Anyway, I think I am going to go do a little more work before bed. Again, I apologize for mistaking what you said. I hope you will forgive me for being short with you.