Manmade Reef Rock

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7705110#post7705110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by herpchat
So is this fake rock demonstration still on for this next meeting 15 July?

Or am I looking at an old post.

I believe the suggestion was offered after the meeting was established. If anything I would venture to guess that the next meeting would be it. It also depends on where the meeting is located. If we are meeting at someone's house that would prefer to not have a mess, then we would attempt this project at a later date.

 

[Russ Braaten]

I see Paul used a torch to heat and bend the PVC pipe. I wonder if the scortched PVC is dangerous. I have read about using an oven to heat the whole pipe to make it floppy and soft for sculpting. It does not cause the black scortch marks.

I have no idea what the temperature should be set to but any DIYer can experiment. If you use this idea, sculpt it in front of your sink with the faucet dripping. Once you get the bend you want, drip water on that part to set the bend, then work on next bend.

Be careful to get the PVC just warm enough to bend and not so soft it all collapses.

 

[BlackSumbel]

A heat gun from the local Harbor Freight would also bend without burning.
They also don't get -quite- hot enough to do major dammage.

 

[Paul B]

Do it outside, burning PVC is poisonous. I also keep a hose running to cool it after bending. Then I glue gun plactic window screen on it to hold the cement. It takes about four or five coats of cement because most of it falls off.
Paul

 

[Paul B]

A good portion of my rock is homemade. The rest I collected. Even I can't tell which pieces I built.
Paul