# Display enclosure - Fake tree



## Malley (Feb 20, 2012)

So I decided to build a rainforest display enclosure. Going to spend time on it over the next 6 months or so trying to make it look as good as I can. Here is a fake tree I made:









Going to wrap some fake vines around it etc. Going to try my luck with live plants too. Feel free to critique/make suggestions


----------



## hurcorh (Feb 20, 2012)

Wow looks great! what is the quick overview on the process? chicken wire with paper mache or something?


----------



## Malley (Feb 20, 2012)

More or less, not sure if I made it the complicated way or not, but it seems to have worked fairly well. The back, top and bottom is ply, so it can be screwed in place in the enclosure. I put chicken wire around the front, stuffed it with newspaper, then used expander foam to fill the remaining gaps. Chopped off the excess expander foam, then covered it with a few layers of grout, painted, then coated it with pond sealer...


----------



## hurcorh (Feb 20, 2012)

Ah good idea with the plywood back. How long did it take?


----------



## Just_Plain_Nuts (Feb 20, 2012)

looks good, should have put some more branches on it. Go nuts with the vines and it will be alright


----------



## Malley (Feb 20, 2012)

It took about a week of doing work here and there, having to wait for each coat of grout to dry etc. I did paint it a couple of times before I settled on how it looks now. I think the painted moss looks a bit better than the photos make it out to be. I am also considering getting some dried moss and sticking it to the tree in places...


----------



## guzzo (Feb 20, 2012)

I like it!


----------



## Malley (Feb 20, 2012)

JPN - I was worried that it might look unnatural if I put a lot of branches on it (a tree with so many branches within 1.2m height). I figured that I could just use that branch to wrap vines around which then go to another tree or through the roof etc. I never intended the branches of the tree to be used as perches, but the vines will be.

I'm in the process of working on another couple of items too, a fallen log/tree with concavities in it to plant some plants, and a tree stump with roots coming down an embankment of exposed clay/soil...


----------



## Kc_read (Feb 20, 2012)

LOOKS AWSOME! i wish i had the patience to create something so realistic but coming from a pencil and charcoal sketching background i prefer quick and simple


----------



## Klaery (Feb 20, 2012)

Nice work fella  I'll be there later in the week to do those water bowls. Enclosure mk2 in the works also


----------



## Jungletrans (Feb 20, 2012)

I don't have the spare time to make fake trees , so I just use real ones . Mine do look very realistic :] Never had a problem , just wash them first .


----------



## Heelssss (Feb 20, 2012)

I'll have one


----------



## Malley (Feb 20, 2012)

Dan - where are you making the next one?

Jungletrans - if I put the real object of everything I want to have in the enclosure, it will probably weigh a tonne


----------



## Just_Plain_Nuts (Feb 20, 2012)

Malley said:


> JPN - I was worried that it might look unnatural if I put a lot of branches on it (a tree with so many branches within 1.2m height). I figured that I could just use that branch to wrap vines around which then go to another tree or through the roof etc. I never intended the branches of the tree to be used as perches, but the vines will be.
> 
> I'm in the process of working on another couple of items too, a fallen log/tree with concavities in it to plant some plants, and a tree stump with roots coming down an embankment of exposed clay/soil...


ok


----------



## Klaery (Feb 20, 2012)

Was going to do it at mine mate but I could knock it over in a day if you wanted a weekend sesh at yours again.


----------



## Malley (Feb 20, 2012)

I don't mind either way Dan.


----------

