mikethemidget
Not so new Member
Hey guys!
I've been away for about a month visting the states and we managed to pick up some gifts for our lovely snake Whil Wheaton on the road.
We visited all over the southwest USA and decided it would be cool to give Bill his own Hollywood sign he could climb in and out of.
All you need is...
-Balsa or lightweight wood letter cut outs as seen here
+ http://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=letter wood&redirectFrom=Any
-SAFE silicon glue or paste that obviously after curing will not harm the herp
-Fake moss! We used sheet moss which was very simple to cut and shape. It is also dried in an oven and killed so it's not living, harbours no creatures, and is safe for Bill.
These guys seem to have interesting options, although we just went to a local store on our visit.
+ https://www.masterworksbasketware.c...plants~artificial-twigs-sticks-and-moss-items
*The last option is like we did with the DIY rock face and walls, you can paint the balsa with a thick paste made of tiling cement and water that leaves it looking exactly like a fake rock after 3 coats. It also ensures there are no sharp edges or splinters for your best mate to get caught on.
1. Give the wood three coats of tiling cement/water. The mixture is very low water, something like 5:1 cement. It should be like a thin syrup. You can make it thicker with each coat though.
2. Basically lay the sheet moss on the table, lay the letter on top, and with a very sharp knife or exacto blade, cut neatly around the letters. You can easily trim the moss after its on.
3. Once all letters are done lay a THICK layer of silicon glue or sealant (THAT'S SAFE) and stick the moss to it.
4. Once all is dry I recommend a complete layer of non-toxic acrylic clear coat to keep the moss from peeling, because it will shed and break apart if brushed roughly otherwise.
5. Let everything cure and air dry for at LEAST 24 hours AND you can no longer smell any acetates or chemicals on the grass or rocks.
6. Attach to the vivarium using the same silicon glue and HOLDING it there for a good long while (longer than it recommends). There are other options like command strips if you should choose, but these can get caught on your mate if they come too close or it comes loose.
Enjoy your new pet mates personalized Hollywood sign covered in moss!
As you can see here, Bill friggin loves it!
Also sorry for the lack of photos I didn't expect to make this a DIY but I figured it looked so good and was so easy that I had to!
Thanks guys, hope all is well, Happy Easter!
I've been away for about a month visting the states and we managed to pick up some gifts for our lovely snake Whil Wheaton on the road.
We visited all over the southwest USA and decided it would be cool to give Bill his own Hollywood sign he could climb in and out of.
All you need is...
-Balsa or lightweight wood letter cut outs as seen here
+ http://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=letter wood&redirectFrom=Any
-SAFE silicon glue or paste that obviously after curing will not harm the herp
-Fake moss! We used sheet moss which was very simple to cut and shape. It is also dried in an oven and killed so it's not living, harbours no creatures, and is safe for Bill.
These guys seem to have interesting options, although we just went to a local store on our visit.
+ https://www.masterworksbasketware.c...plants~artificial-twigs-sticks-and-moss-items
*The last option is like we did with the DIY rock face and walls, you can paint the balsa with a thick paste made of tiling cement and water that leaves it looking exactly like a fake rock after 3 coats. It also ensures there are no sharp edges or splinters for your best mate to get caught on.
1. Give the wood three coats of tiling cement/water. The mixture is very low water, something like 5:1 cement. It should be like a thin syrup. You can make it thicker with each coat though.
2. Basically lay the sheet moss on the table, lay the letter on top, and with a very sharp knife or exacto blade, cut neatly around the letters. You can easily trim the moss after its on.
3. Once all letters are done lay a THICK layer of silicon glue or sealant (THAT'S SAFE) and stick the moss to it.
4. Once all is dry I recommend a complete layer of non-toxic acrylic clear coat to keep the moss from peeling, because it will shed and break apart if brushed roughly otherwise.
5. Let everything cure and air dry for at LEAST 24 hours AND you can no longer smell any acetates or chemicals on the grass or rocks.
6. Attach to the vivarium using the same silicon glue and HOLDING it there for a good long while (longer than it recommends). There are other options like command strips if you should choose, but these can get caught on your mate if they come too close or it comes loose.
Enjoy your new pet mates personalized Hollywood sign covered in moss!
As you can see here, Bill friggin loves it!
Also sorry for the lack of photos I didn't expect to make this a DIY but I figured it looked so good and was so easy that I had to!
Thanks guys, hope all is well, Happy Easter!
