The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

[sunkool]

Here is the video of the other rock.

 

[sunkool]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10154820#post10154820 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr.wilson
Sunkool,

Is the salt still in crystal form when you add it to the sand casting? I couldn't see it in the video.

Don't your hands burn after handling caustic cement without gloves?

Thanks for posting the video. I assumed there was much more to the casting process.

I use the water softener salt in the blue bag.
No burns from the cement. I wash them right after I'm finshed. the cement has no time to dry on my hands.

 

[Insane Reefer]

I've found that the white doesn't "burn" as much as the grey, typically, unless I've been sweating a lot. It is a bugger to get out from under the nails. Using hand lotion is also supposed to protect your skin from burns, but thin latex gloves like the medical field uses will give you some protection and give you fine casting control. I like "Mr Clean" gloves - the orange elbow length one's - they fit tightly and will last me for several castings if I wash them off

An alternative to "pinching it in" is to use a hand trowel, or my favorite, a 1/2 or 1 gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out (on an angle, to form a point) - it has a "scraping edge" for getting all of the cement out if my mixing box, and the angled corner allows for shaking the cement out in small dobs like that, without involving your hands too much (once you get the hang of it).

 

[reefrubble]

sunkool , You have an email , and a pm . Ted

 

[jkta99]

Ok sorry to be a PITA but is there a summary of everything that can get me up to date and if so can someone give me the link.

 

[Barto]

there has been summaries posted every few pages lately.
I'll bet if you work your way backwards a max of 5 or 6 pages you'll find it

I'll try to look & link in a bit...

kids are calling me for fathers day breakfast...
cold coffee, undercooked eggs & overcooked cornflakes I'll bet

 

[Barto]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10158729#post10158729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jkta99
Ok sorry to be a PITA but is there a summary of everything that can get me up to date and if so can someone give me the link.

Here you go,

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10035085#post10035085

the kids can wait another minute
good luck, have fun, welcome to team rock!

 

[jkta99]

Thanks

 

[sunkool]

And the removal

 

[Noise]

Sunkool thanks for the videos, I have a better idea of the way other are doing their rock to get those shapes. I will probably be making a batch tomorrow now.

 

[silverwolf72]

I use one of those cheap pot cleaning brushes to remove all the extra sand. Doing it by hand I kept getting lots of small cuts from the rocks.

 

[sunkool]

O.K. here is the rock after a 36 hour dry and 1 hour soak. I plan on soaking the rock for 4 days with a 3x water change a day. Then it's going to dry cure for about 30 days.

I will take more pics after the 4 day salt release soak.

 

[reefrubble]

sunkool , That stuff is really looking good . Ted

 

[sunkool]

hey thanks Ted. You want to get togeter Wed. to show me your new plan?

 

[reefrubble]

That will work . What time is good for you ? Ted

 

[reefnewbie54321]

Whats a reef safe paint? I want to shade some light gray in to my rocks after there done curing to take away from that dark cement color and I actually wanted to paint on some corraline algae aswell.

Ive seen people paint on corraline algae before but I dont remeber wich thread. Has any one done this before ... I havnt had time to read thruogh everything so hopefully no one has answered this or already done this in this thread.

 

[reefrubble]

sunkool , YGAPM

 

[Tahlequah]

Here is a pic of some of the DIY rock that I put in my tank about a week ago. I let it kure for 3 months just to play it safe. I added 1 to 2 pieces a week over the past 3 weeks. I am going to make some more and add later. After 3 weeks I am already getting some algae growth on them.

 

[mr.wilson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10167768#post10167768 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefnewbie54321
Whats a reef safe paint? I want to shade some light gray in to my rocks after there done curing to take away from that dark cement color and I actually wanted to paint on some corraline algae aswell.

Ive seen people paint on corraline algae before but I dont remeber wich thread. Has any one done this before ... I havnt had time to read thruogh everything so hopefully no one has answered this or already done this in this thread.

The cement will look lighter once it's wet, and calcium migrates to the surface. Coraline algae will cover it in 3-6 months and you won't be able to distinguish it from live rock. take a look at the pictures in this thread.

Epoxy paint is safe, but it may chip off in time, as DIY rock is semi-soluble. You can use cement pigments, but coraline algae will cover it either way.

 

[bored4long]

I've been following this thread for about 2 months now. I've read it all from Post 1 and I'm now trying my own DIY rocks.

I was lucky enough to find some white portland cement. I've been looking for a white sand I could use with it and the best I've found is dolomite (DoloWhite brand). Can anyone tell me if it is ok to use this for DIY rocks? Will it have any adverse affects on the water chemistry?

Thanks,
Mark