Making an outdoor frog house (will take a long time)

^^ Ta:naughty:

This is my second go at faux wood-

btw this is not a tutorial. I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm still experimenting.
I would recommend people use grout, because thats tried and tested. I don't know how well the cement/clay mix I'm using is going to hold up long term..

I want stilt roots growing from the wall into the water.
I used polypropylene irrigation pipe($5 for 20m:thumbsup:) I heated it over the stove and cooled it under the tap to shape it-
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I painted some urethen expanding foam onto the pipe, it didn't stick very well, and it doesn't expand much when its spread thin. But that ok-
IMG_2149.JPG

when it was puffing up I wrapped some nylon rope around a pipe.

after about an hour it had cured enough, and I painted the first coat- 1:2 cement:powdered clay(once again I don't recommend it) with a pinch of iron oxide-
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I kept it moist until it set(a few hours) then painted the second coat on.
I cut up some string and coated it with the clay/cement mix-
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then I wrapped it around the pipes-
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I'm really happy how its coming along so far.
I might have to retract what I said about fake wood being harder to make than fake rock.
Making the roots didn't need any carving, and the only tools I used were a pair of scissors and a couple of resin brushes.
 
BTW this is the foam I'm using-
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it took 1 cup of that stuff to make this-
ft2.jpg

:drool: The possibility's with 10kg of the stuff boggles my mind
 
ohbly said:
I'm still experimenting.
I would recommend people use grout, because thats tried and tested. I don't know how well the cement/clay mix I'm using is going to hold up long term..
Click to expand...

Your designs and 'practice wood/vines' are looking pretty awesome! I've been following HX's work over on dendroboard for a long time. When he was posting about his original rockwork (sorry I couldn't find the exact post) there was a back and forth between him and some other re: cement and other materials - similar to what you are doing now which is why it struck me - the big addition that HX was certain made his formula work is the acrylic polymer add in. If I am remembering right a few others who tried it without the acrylic suffered from cracking and disintegration issues once the pieces got slightly larger and heavier than 8 inches or so.

I know HX lists the exact polymer he uses, there was a lot of discussion over efficacy and safety - almost arguments - part of why it stuck in my head....a fair amount of the trouble was also related to dry times and temp - I wish I could link it for you, sorry.

I just wanted you to know, it would be a shame to have something that looks as good as what you are making come undone too soon.

Please keep posting pics, I've been studying these creative build projects for years - I keep telling myself that one day I'll get brave enough to try, hats off to you.
 
Nora said:
Your designs and 'practice wood/vines' are looking pretty awesome! I've been following HX's work over on dendroboard for a long time. When he was posting about his original rockwork (sorry I couldn't find the exact post) there was a back and forth between him and some other re: cement and other materials - similar to what you are doing now which is why it struck me - the big addition that HX was certain made his formula work is the acrylic polymer add in. If I am remembering right a few others who tried it without the acrylic suffered from cracking and disintegration issues once the pieces got slightly larger and heavier than 8 inches or so.
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Thanks :)
I think this is the link you are talking about- http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/16605-making-fake-rocks-13.html.
One of the reasons I haven't used grout is because the polymers in it make it more water resistant. I want the fake wood to draw and hold water so it will grow mosses better.
I think the main reason some peoples rock crack and disintegrate is because they let the cement dry out before it has a chance to cure. I use a mister to keep the cement damp when I'm working with it, and I seal it in a plastic bag and put it in the hot water cupboard to cure for a few weeks. Then I'll let it fully dry out, before soaking it in water for a few weeks.
So far the tests with the cement:clay mix are promising. I can't mark it with my finger nail, and when I tap it with a hammer it tends to dent rather than crack. Its softer than cement:sand and more flexible.

The thing I find with HX's work is that it's just too good to try to fully duplicate, so I'm going to tone down the detail and hide the workmanship with moss.
 
not to sidetrack the thread, but i'd never heard of a "weta" before.

the concept of an 8 inch cricket is somewhat mind-boggling. do they export them?
 
re: adding polymer or using polymer- (latex-) modified grouts

the latex improves the water resistance of cementitious product by essentially "corking" microscopic internal pores which form as the material cures. in most cases this happens because the calcium kills the emulsifier in the latex in the first few minutes and each individual rubber bead gets trapped as the gel forms and cures. (if this is what's happening, there is no need to dry the cement out to "cure" the rubber before you start the damp curing of the cement and as you say drying the object first can only weaken it.)

i would say that water resistance is a good thing, especially for projects of this nature, because the water is eventually going to penetrate the cement, swelling it and leaching out some of the ions. with such thin layers, this may weaken the coating as time goes on until it sloughs off.

i wouldn't think that at the levels used the polymer would significantly affect the porosity of the cement surface at a scale where the attachment of plants would be affected. i also doubt that much of the water that mosses could find would arrive by wicking through the bulk of the cement. i suppose some practical experiments would be in order.
 
I think I will have to get some grout. I've looked but I've only found stuff that is anti mould and mildew so far. I think you're right about porosity thing. The experimental roots didn't hold up too well to the wear and tear of being outside. Clay and cement isn't strong enough for a thin veneer.
I brought some 4mm weeping irrigation pipe that I plan on winding around the fake branches like little fake vines. Hopefully they will irrigate the mosses and ferns growing on the branches.

pbeemer said:
not to sidetrack the thread, but i'd never heard of a "weta" before.

the concept of an 8 inch cricket is somewhat mind-boggling. do they export them?
Click to expand...
They don't get that big unless you count the legs. They are pretty ferocious looking and I wouldn't want one as a pet. I think they are best left outside.
I know you can buy them in the UK, so they may have been exported sometime. They were probably smuggled out though. Also they were the common tree wetas not the endangered giant wetas that grow enormous.
 
This is awesome! Can't wait to see more.
 
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