61"x13.5"x15" Corn Snake Enclosure

[Ozymandias]

well that sucks lol, amazing at the same time that he's that bad at it, usually us men are at least some what passable at it, even if not good.

[froggsong]

You should see the "box" (I use that term lightly, lol) that he built to hold our garbage between trips to the dump... It won't even stay together, lol...

It's sad really, and very frustrating. I, on the other hand, am quite handy, and while I don't have the know-how to do alot of the things I want to, I'm good enough at building things for the two of us, for now.

[Ozymandias]

wow, ether way get him a present or something if he's that mad/annoyed about it, also realized how badly this has gotten off track. for the vent you could cut a whole get some screening staple/nail/glue it to it then make a sort of trim to hide that. and if need me than later you could add a fan, just my thought.

good luck as always.

[froggsong]

Eh, no biggie, this isn't my official build log, lol... We can derail it if we want, I don't think the admin will be too irritated about it...

I was thinking about taking that route with the screen, I even bought something to use, BUT, it turns out is has really sharp edges, and I think I'll just drill a few holes to see how it looks, and decide from there. It's cheaper in the long run, and I can take back some of the stuff I bought for the darn thing.

[Ozymandias]

ok, what are you planing on coating the foam in if i may ask?

[froggsong]

I'm leaning towards crete on the left side, to make that look sortof like a rock outcropping, then a mix of peat and coco with the binder method for the back and the right side. If I decide NOT to do that, I'll most likely paint the foam with Krylon Fusion and acrylics.

[froggsong]

The foaming is REALLY starting to come along now. I've done some work on the left side, and I decided to male it look like a tree growing down over a rock. It's turning out pretty good so far! I really like being able to take my time and work on this without rushing to get the critter inside, lol...

I've got the right side pretty much finished. All I have left to do is to decide where to cut it to make the top removable. I'll figure out how to disguise the seam once I start covering the foam. One of the things I like about using GS is that any time before it's covered, you can cut a door in something and be able to just pull it out whenever and stick it back in TIGHT! so that animals can't move it. I'm hoping to be able to preserve that quality in this build without compromising aesthetics.

I may end up covering the foam almost entirely in crete instead of the binder method, but we'll see when it comes to it what ends up being easier to do.

Here are some pics:

Two full tank shots from different angles:




I put in the upper root on the right last time I did some foaming, and I carved it this morning. After seeing it in the pics, I think I'm going to trim it a bit more, it's not quite natural, looks a bit like a stylized lightning bolt, lol.

A close up of the left, so far (the foam is still expanding in the pic):


Here's the right side, pretty much done with this side!:


And here is a full shot with the cat for scale. :


One tip i have for those building with GS, when you have to do multiple layers, letting them cure in between, save the pieces you cut off when you carve in between layers. You can use these pieces to build and bridge gaps as you continue to build. You can use the GS sort of like mortar, and the cured foam like bricks. It's not exactly the same, but it works! For example, In the picture of the left side I'm working on above, you can see a place where a root comes down over a gap, I used a piece of cured scrap foam to bridge the gap and make a continuous piece without having to do multiple layers.

Also, when you are working in layers, carving or sanding the skin from the GS before adding the second layer of foam helps the GS adhere better. There are places where I didn't do that, and it's fairly easy to peel the second layer of foam from the first.

Comments welcome, of course.

[Grimm]

Looking good Froggy. Im gonna throw this out there early, but I think this will be your best looking viv once completed!

I really like the root system! You should do the concrete or binder method first, then add Silicone/co-co on the roots or something. It would totally make them pop!

[froggsong]

Why thank you! I think it will be the best as well. It's just so much different having the time to work on it the way I want, instead of having to get the critter in the cage ASAP!

I'm not terribly partial to the silicone/coco method, lol... Besides, the binder method looks similar, but better! And it doesn't smell godawful either. I am building this in my den, heh...

I'm liking the root system as well. When I started foaming I didn't know HOW I wanted it to look, but it's evolving into something quite nice, I think. I'm planning to do some of the PVC faux branches to support the glass, but I might only do one, I forgot I had a nice big piece of wood outside that I was planning to use in the cage. I might not use it, depending on how much work it will be to clean it (and whether or not it will fit in the new fish tank, lol), but I might! The snake really enjoys slithering around all over stuff, so I want to make sure he's got plenty of stuff to slither on!

Any ideas for making the ledge in the middle of the BG look more realistic? I was going to merge it with the new root on the right side, but wasn't thinking about that when I carved it. Do you think I should just add another root over there? Or maybe make it look like something else? Heck, if necessary, I can just cut it off...

I'm also contemplating making the "termite mound" hide on the right look more like the remnants of earth and moss under the roots of a tree. Do you guys think I should go that route? Or leave it as is? I think that the shape and placement of the openings lends itself to the tree look, plus it would tie in with the left side.

[boabab95]

what are you covering it with??? silicone and coco??