My DIY Styrofoam Faux Rock Wall

[Bigfoot727]

xcelprintingcom
I am sooo hating this project right now

It is a pain in the a$$ to coat the inside of holes and tight spots, the rest is a breeze.

Had I known this I would have not done holes, just settled for ledges.

I've spent hours just on one of th 4 sections last night, and hours today on another.....and this is only the 1st coat, although I did apply it thick.

I'm sure it's gonna look awesome, but if I had to do it all over again, I'd either not do any holes, or maybe just save to do the old egg-crate/rock method, or like Ted's cement back wall, it looks great.

What if you mix a larger batch of your cement, take your wall put in a plastic tub or some other container and just pour your thin mix all over it to fill in all the holes. Then lift up the wall to let what filled the holes drip out. Do that a few times and that migh work. I would think it might be quicker than a paint brush.

[xcelprintingcom]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot727

What if you mix a larger batch of your cement, take your wall put in a plastic tub or some other container and just pour your thin mix all over it to fill in all the holes. Then lift up the wall to let what filled the holes drip out. Do that a few times and that migh work. I would think it might be quicker than a paint brush.

I thought about that, but I don't have anything 2'x2' to fit the pieces in, and I have tried in a few sections where the cement didnt want to go in to drog blobs, and sometimes no matter if you drop a blog on a small hole you have to work it in with the brush, so submerging it you will still have to go back and work some areas, only that now you wouldnt be able to handle the piece as the whole thing is covered in cement.

And the trick is to work from the inside of holes out, otherwise if you start working from the edges in, then when you get to the holes you can't lean the piece at an angle or a corner because it has cement.

In anycase I only have a small piece left to do now, then i'm going to give it a week before applying another coat, want to give this 1st coat a few days to really harned up.

[TurboGuru]

Need pics!!!

[xcelprintingcom]

Originally Posted by TurboGuru

Need pics!!!

I'll be updating pics either Mon/Tues, been spending time with my son.

I'm contemplating selling this Foam Wall since it is already cemented, just not in my tank yet, bcus I'd like to maybe do one not so deep, not really sure, I'm undecided, keep it or sell it, if I sell it might just go for like $50, if anyone is interested.....if not, then It'll be going in my tank, I put ALOT of creativity into not to mention time which is one of the reasons why i'm undecided, I reeaally like how it came out, but will only sell if someone inquires about it.

[kcress]

How's it going?

[xcelprintingcom]

Originally Posted by kcress

How's it going?

I decided to scrap it....decided to just go all the way natural and do a real rock wall using Marco Rocks.

[kcress]

Hi xcel,

Too much work? Or was there a hitch in the scheme?

With the Marco are you going to do the foam on egg-crate deal or just stack it up?

[xcelprintingcom]

Originally Posted by kcress

Hi xcel,

Too much work? Or was there a hitch in the scheme?

With the Marco are you going to do the foam on egg-crate deal or just stack it up?

It was not too much work, it was actually easy, very easy, and fun.

I just decided I didn't have too much money tied up into it, and although ordering rock and all the materials needed to do the eggcrate/pond foam method will be very costly, it will look more natural.

Marco Rocks just looks too good to not make the rock wall out of it.

[kcress]

OK, COol. Thanks for the info! Good luck with the crate job.

[Koehn]

I think the rock looks good.

[flying_dutchman]

Any updates?