# My Hebel Stone Hide



## markannab (Mar 30, 2013)

Hi
Apart from sealing it, I've just completed a hide/cave/climbing area for my spotted. The block (300mm x 200mm x200mm) from Bunnings cost $3.00. It was a lot of fun and so easy! For those who haven't done it before, these are the steps I took.

1. Used an old flat screwdriver and small hammer to tap out the general shape.
2. Used a masonry drill to create tunnels and used screwdriver to enlarge them.
3. Fitted a wire wheel to continue shaping - less impact than hammer and screwdriver, so less risk of cracking.
4. Used course sandpaper to do final shaping and smooth.
5. Applied acrylic, watery, ocre wash for first coat.
6. Applied a second wash with brown added to ocre. Allowed dark to wash into crevices and under ledges to enhance 3D effect.

Mark.


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## BDkeeper (Mar 30, 2013)

Nice that looks like something you buy from a shop


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## J-A-X (Mar 30, 2013)

Awesome job Mark great idea for the smaller species


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## andynic07 (Mar 30, 2013)

Thats a really good idea.


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## markannab (Mar 30, 2013)

It is great for smaller species. But at that price, nothing would stop you rough-shaping two or more, then attaching them to one another before final shaping - I would think.


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## andynic07 (Mar 30, 2013)

markannab said:


> It is great for smaller species. But at that price, nothing would stop you rough-shaping two or more, then attaching them to one another before final shaping - I would think.


I think I might try some kind of stone archway for one or two of my enclosures.


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## thomasssss (Mar 30, 2013)

markannab said:


> It is great for smaller species. But at that price, nothing would stop you rough-shaping two or more, then attaching them to one another before final shaping - I would think.


thats what im thinking , how heavy are these hebel blocks i vaguely remember someone saying there really light , think i might give these a go would a heap of liquid nails be enough to hold them together ? thanks for sharing , great idea mate


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## leeroy1983 (Mar 30, 2013)

i like it


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## markannab (Mar 30, 2013)

They are light. I think the 300x200x200 would have been around 2kg. They're aerated concrete so much of their size is made up of air. I'm figuring construction adhesive would work as long as it's squeezed well into the surfaces. If not squeezed in well, a surface-only grip may not hold it together well enough.


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## Porkbones (Mar 30, 2013)

Hebel is great !! stuff I use it a bit and do indoor and outdoor carvings with it.


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## sd1981 (Mar 30, 2013)

Aerated concrete is awesome. It's very light. I've ground it down coarsely before and mixed it in with resin to make fake rock... It does damage easily if dropped or hit. You can pick up damaged blocks from bunnings really cheaply (just a tip)


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## Porkbones (Mar 30, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> Thats a really good idea.



Hey I saw ur question in the other thread but thought I would answer back in here since its to do with hebel. Answer is no I haven't used it in my enclosure..... Just yet lol. Reason is I have styrofoam and sand cement mix I want to use. Will definitely do something for my bredlis enclosure when I make it . It really is so easy to carve this stuff!!


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## andynic07 (Mar 30, 2013)

Do you use a pneumatic tool or just hand carve the hebel?


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## markannab (Mar 30, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> Do you use a pneumatic tool or just hand carve the hebel?


I'm not sure if your question was posed to me. I use a hammer and chisel/screwdriver to start, then to wire wheel, then to coarse sandpaper.


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## andynic07 (Mar 30, 2013)

markannab said:


> I'm not sure if your question was posed to me. I use a hammer and chisel/screwdriver to start, then to wire wheel, then to coarse sandpaper.


Yeah sorry I should have said that the question was more towards Porkbones. I did read that you use hammer and chisel and wanted to see if there were other methods.


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## montysrainbow (Mar 30, 2013)

unreal!


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## Porkbones (Mar 30, 2013)

markannab said:


> I'm not sure if your question was posed to me. I use a hammer and chisel/screwdriver to start, then to wire wheel, then to coarse sandpaper.



All of these are perfect and are what I use! For bigger bits I also use a grinder.Other tools I use, paint scraper ,files and ended up buying a cheap carving tool from bunnings


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## Porkbones (Mar 30, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> Yeah sorry I should have said that the question was more towards Porkbones. I did read that you use hammer and chisel and wanted to see if there were other methods.


 Yep check my last comment. It's really easy to carve


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## ronhalling (Mar 30, 2013)

Hmmmm, my mind is going around and around now thinking of the possabilities of Hebel and my Dremmel kit i got for xmas, thanks guys, another project to think about, those rocks look fabulous markannab, they look like you bought them from the pet shop......................Ron


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