# 12X12X12 Resin Rock Cast Build



## VivariumWorks (Feb 27, 2008)

I showed a preview of this in another post and have the time at work now to show off a little more of this little guy.











I started off by destroying an 12X12X12 zoomed by making the original design in one out of real rocks, foam, and clay. Then used silicone rubber over it, and then foam to make a mother mold. This proved almost impossible to remove from the tank, until I got bored with dealing with it and it became HAMMER TIME. So now I have a spare broken one for future use of this same method, more easily removable now that the panels are all taped together...

Anyways now that I had the mold, on the left, I could make what is seen on the right.











I casted into the mold a mixture of urethane resin, pigments, and additives to achieve a basic black color and then painted this into the mold. After curing, I followed it up with a rigid polyurethane foam to give it more strength. You can see the total volume this thing takes up here. And the total weight of the cast piece is dramatically lower than that of the original real rocks.


















Despite the really bad focus of the camera, my fault, this piece has really awesome detail. Its hard to tell also due to the monochromatic scheme I've got going due to using too much pigment. It was supposed to be a grayish black with dark black crevices, but it just became black on really black. 










I then foamed in the sides a little, added some silicone and peat and drilled a hole for the waterfall tubing. Its not much of a waterfall as the pump was tiny but it still was enough to move water along the deeper crevices and wick water through the moss to the rest of the plants in the setup. The bottom was a basic drainage layer of LECA with a smaller white rock on top, but all this got covered in mosses so its really a mute point.

You can see where the water comes out from by the difference in these two pics below. The one without the moss patch is where the water comes out of.


















I then added in the plants into the deeper crevices I planned out when making the original, and smeared a clay/dirt mix into the remaining spaces between the rocks and covered them with moss. The result is the rocks sticking out of the growth.











Now that I have this mold, I can continue to cast out this design for future tanks/sale. This is one of many I've made this way, and with any luck I'll have some of these for online sale sometime in the future. I'm working on getting the material costs down and experimenting with some of the additives to reduce weight and ensure there is no leaching, but as this is the same way many other companies make their backgrounds, I doubt there will be much of an issue.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

great rock work!!


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## Epiphile (Nov 12, 2009)

Neat method- it looks pretty convincing from here.

What's the grassy plant you've got in there?


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## VivariumWorks (Feb 27, 2008)

The grasses are local bog grasses found here in South Texas along the Guadalupe River. I like them a lot and when they flower they produce tiny pine cone looking spikes.


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## ghettopieninja (Jul 29, 2008)

really excellent! I have been meaning to try casting for a while, what kind of latex molding did you use to make the mold? have you tried making molds in the field?


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## D3monic (Feb 8, 2010)

wow super cool! Is that a rabbit foots fern i seen bottom center? If so I hope it lasts longer than mine did. Several people I know of that have tried that in a viv said theres died as well.


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## ghettopieninja (Jul 29, 2008)

D3monic said:


> wow super cool! Is that a rabbit foots fern i seen bottom center? If so I hope it lasts longer than mine did. Several people I know of that have tried that in a viv said theres died as well.


I don't think that is rabbits foot, unless it is a very small cutting. Humata ferns are primarily epiphytes or grow over rocks and builders and do not like their rhizomes to be buried. How were you growing it?


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Hey, was wondering what company/ product of urethane resin you used? Thanks!


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## VivariumWorks (Feb 27, 2008)

Don't use latex rubber. Its worthless unless your making railroad car props.

In the field? Hmmmm Maybe?




















Rock casts making in Rainbow Falls State Park in Hawaii. Banyan tree casting same place.

I use smooth-on products. 

Its not a rabbits foot fern. I've used those before with some luck but I find they like it in dryer spots of the tanks. I don't recall what its called but its a very common fern. You can usually get larger versions at most retailers, but I got lucky and found a local source for 2 inch pot versions of them.


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## ghettopieninja (Jul 29, 2008)

Smooth On seems to have quite an extensive list of products. What specific products do you use for the mold making? I will probably use polygem epoxy to create the actual pieces. Those castings from hawaii look great, I hope I can make a few while I'm working in Panama this summer.


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## VivariumWorks (Feb 27, 2008)

Each product is different with different properties for different applications. I'm not going to say which ones I use other than stick to silicone if your casting epoxy into them. 
Demolding from urethane rubber will prove almost impossible even with a release agent. I've used a large number of their products and have been happy with them all. I have yet to use something of theirs and be disapointed. Cruise through their website and determine what materials and methods is going to be best for your specific application based on your molding location, materials at hand, cost, and demolding/pot life. It will benifit you greatly to make an educated purchase on this stuff rather than taking what works for ME as the way to go. If you can, I'd start off with buying their "trial" packs to get some experience before you buy your material in bulk. Mold making is a giant hobby/business in of itself and smooth-on is amaizing at the way they spell things out for people jumping into it.


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## DRep (Jun 2, 2009)

Very cool stuff! Will you be selling castings, or do you do commissioned work?


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## VivariumWorks (Feb 27, 2008)

Yes sometime in the near future once I'm able to make my designs fool proof. Right now it requires someone with basic knowledge of vivarium construction to put them into the tank as it isn't flush against the sides. You'd have to silicone them in/foam them in. Until I can make them where they fit nugly into the tanks edges and can still get past the top trim, I'm a bit hesitant to start selling them. I fear I'm going to get a lot of people upset/sending them back as its almost, but not 100% plug and play.

I'll be working on making some new casts of individual rocks in the near future for another commision and afterword will probably be offering those up for sale on this board only, as most guys here know how to lego/foam them together to make a design.


As for commision work thats mostly what I do. If your interested in something like that send me a pm and I'll look into it. Making molds isn't cheap but if its something I think I can resell mulitple copies of later, then that will help reduce the cost of a custom designed piece.


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## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

Quit being mean and offer some up for sell


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