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  • 01-10-2010, 01:45 PM
    kitedemon
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    THANK YOU this is a very good idea! My mom used to make flour clay when I was a kid I had forgotten about it! I had a thought on waterproofing, if you are worried about toxic stuff what about paraffin wax. Just wax the whole thing. It will not hold up against hot water but most other things and if you get it at the grocery store it is food grade. Just an Idea.
  • 06-06-2010, 01:07 AM
    CeLLLLL
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    found this thread .. and I have to bump it just so that new members can see this and possibly save some money

    THANK YOU
  • 06-10-2010, 05:06 PM
    Josh Emmons
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Mine didn't turn out right...... it kind looks like a boob for some reason, it has cracks, and part of it bubbled up at the top. hence the name.

    http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0-1351-1-1.jpg




    Here's my ball python zeus, (male snake). slithering up on top of his new found hide kind of exploring it......

    http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...00610-1357.jpg





    And here he is nice and happy inside his new boob hide, (thats my boy!!!) he seems to like it in there, but it is crumbly, and might cave in on him,

    http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...00610-1359.jpg


    i will need some pointers how to make a non boob like, not crack filled, or crumbly, any help???
  • 06-13-2010, 10:37 AM
    tonyaltn
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    This is freaking cool...and easy, the shapes and sizes are endless! Thank you for sharing!!!!!!! :gj:

    I will try this for sure, luckily I have kids and I think they would love doing this...cheap labor ! hahahaha :D
  • 07-17-2010, 09:34 PM
    Jadonh
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Ok so now I need ideas to use this for a 17 foot retic.
  • 07-18-2010, 05:28 PM
    cstruthers
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Jadonh View Post
    Ok so now I need ideas to use this for a 17 foot retic.

    A whole lot of clay lol
  • 07-18-2010, 05:37 PM
    Raverthug
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Jay cook it pig roast style. A pit, wood and beer.
  • 07-21-2010, 10:46 AM
    Jadonh
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Lol.... Whats funny is i thought of that because I was thinking of a place where I could cook something that big...I have to admit I didn't think of the beer part but I can see adding that in..
  • 07-21-2010, 10:48 AM
    Jadonh
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Boobs are good, How did you do that so I can make two of them?
  • 11-16-2010, 04:27 PM
    STRider1300
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Excellent post! the kids love making them. I have made 6 already, recipe works like a champ.
    one extra step I did was Clearcoat the whole thing, then paint then clearcoat again. has been holding up very well.

    just made some larger ones, my BP's are wearing the others as beanies.

    Thanks
  • 11-16-2010, 06:18 PM
    Aes_Sidhe
    Very Nice DIY :) :gj:
  • 11-20-2010, 11:02 PM
    NWReptiles
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by OhBalls View Post
    I was tired of using bowls, terracotta and other stuff that just looked cheap and fake. After much trial and error, mistakes and a small kitchen disaster (don't ask!! LOL), I finally came up with a hide that I can make myself that is very inexpensive and great to look at! It's even easy enough to do as a project with the kids! They're a lot of fun to make and with a bit of creativity, you can make some amazing looking hides for your animals.


    Please feel free to share some tips that you have used on your own hides!

    May I share this on my site?
  • 11-21-2010, 12:51 AM
    onna_shinigami
    I found out too that if you make a batch of this stuff up and have extra, store in a ziplock bag in the fridge. I've had a decent sized chunk from almost 2 months ago that's still good if I need to make another hide.
  • 12-14-2010, 11:57 PM
    Tidus10
    Love love love!! Made my first tonight for juveniles out of the inside of the exoterra hut in the first post

    http://184.72.239.143/mu/43f121fe-3c6f-bd19.jpg

    I used the inside of this
    http://184.72.239.143/mu/43f121fe-3c91-bd59.jpg
  • 12-15-2010, 12:18 AM
    Bellabob
    Thats awesome! I'm so doing that for all my snakes. All I need is the krylon stuff.
  • 02-27-2011, 02:54 AM
    KatStoverReptiles
    This is awesome! Thanks op! Mines in the oven now. Did any of you who had problems with them going soft and collapsing ever resolve your issues?
  • 02-27-2011, 03:10 AM
    Thepythonman12
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tidus10 View Post
    Love love love!! Made my first tonight for juveniles out of the inside of the exoterra hut in the first post

    http://184.72.239.143/mu/43f121fe-3c6f-bd19.jpg

    I used the inside of this
    http://184.72.239.143/mu/43f121fe-3c91-bd59.jpg

    ok call me stupid for this question,but i am not getting one thing,do i leave the regular store brought hide on the clay and place it the oven or do i take the clay out and place the clay it's self with out the mold in the oven?
  • 02-27-2011, 03:17 AM
    Thepythonman12
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Josh Emmons View Post
    Mine didn't turn out right...... it kind looks like a boob for some reason, it has cracks, and part of it bubbled up at the top. hence the name.

    http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0-1351-1-1.jpg




    Here's my ball python zeus, (male snake). slithering up on top of his new found hide kind of exploring it......

    http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...00610-1357.jpg





    And here he is nice and happy inside his new boob hide, (thats my boy!!!) he seems to like it in there, but it is crumbly, and might cave in on him,

    http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...00610-1359.jpg


    i will need some pointers how to make a non boob like, not crack filled, or crumbly, any help???

    By far one of the most funniest post i have yet to read,how did the boob hold up?
  • 02-27-2011, 06:16 AM
    llovelace
    Did you use self rising flour?
  • 03-16-2011, 06:22 PM
    Skittles1101
    I made my first hide today! Using this recipe of course, I used a (banana bread) tin as the mold, so it's rectangle..all I have to do it paint it! I did have to add more flour to the recipe, so maybe it should be changed to 2 1/2 cups flour? Anyways, I'll post a picture of it when it's all nice and painted :) THANK YOU!
  • 03-16-2011, 06:35 PM
    Skittles1101
    Here it is! Without the paint of course....and too hot to take the mold off lol :gj:
    http://i54.tinypic.com/ranp90.jpg
  • 03-17-2011, 06:21 PM
    Skittles1101
    Came out perfect, thank you!! :)

    http://i56.tinypic.com/r7q91l.jpg
  • 03-17-2011, 06:37 PM
    cecilbturtle
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by LGray23 View Post
    Came out perfect, thank you!! :)

    http://i56.tinypic.com/r7q91l.jpg

    nice work there :gj:
  • 03-26-2011, 11:04 PM
    MissDizzyBee
    This is brilliant...and as Java has decided he prefers his bigger hide, I think I'll try it tonight.

    I'm wondering if I could make a nice water bowl out of this with some resin as the sealant too. Time for some experimentation!
  • 04-06-2011, 01:17 PM
    ocean girl
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Okay, so I did this recepie and it was way too wet, had to add more flour.
    So far it has been in the oven for 6 hrs and is still slightly spongy. I don't think I made it too thick? 1 hr definately wasn't long enough for mine.
    It looks really nice though. I bought some similar paint, they didn't have exact stuff, but it is the same brand.
    I'm wondering, should the can say it's waterproof? And, should I spray the specled paint first then the clear coat?
    Thanks.
  • 04-06-2011, 02:29 PM
    Bones
    LGray: That looks awesome! Great job!

    Ocean Girl: You must've missed LGray's post stating that she had to add more flour to the mixture. :P If it is slightly spongy after being in the oven for 6 hours, something is definitely wrong and I'm betting that it is too thick and can't cook all the way. Yes, the can will state if the paint is water proof. As soon as your hide is ready for paint, use the waterproof spray paint first, then the speckled spray paint, and then another coat of the waterproof spray paint.
  • 04-10-2011, 02:47 PM
    gardenfiend138
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mrshawt View Post
    Isn't shellac really poisonous?
    Does anyone else have any tips on how to make these completely waterproof? Mine are in the oven, but I don't want them to mush up on the snake.

    once fully dried shellac is non-toxic and safe to use on food serving/ eating dishes, toys, etc. I thought the same thing, googled it, and verified the safety by various sites. That's what I'm going to use to seal mine as soon as they cool!
  • 04-10-2011, 02:50 PM
    gardenfiend138
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Has anyone had any problems not painting theirs? I'm just planning on sealing mine with shellac and using those, i figure they'd be easier to see when they need cleaning, and i don't want to put too much money/ effort into these first ones cos' i know i'm going to screw something up... anyone else not paint theirs and have good results?
  • 04-12-2011, 03:29 PM
    CookieCutter
    Wait, so why were the hides getting all soggy after awhile? Was it the humidity in the tanks/tubs?
  • 06-05-2011, 12:13 AM
    JamieH
    mine are finished, still a little soft so I put them in the oven upside down for a bit. Ill deff post pics of the finished product.... :D

    It was wayyyy easy, and I used 2 1/2 cups flour, and a little over a cup of water. and mine are alot thinner than 1/2 inch. more like a 1/4.
  • 06-22-2011, 02:22 AM
    Jared2608
    This has to be the most legend idea I've heard in a while. I've been looking around, and Hides are so expensive for nice looking ones, and the snakes grow out of them, so it's kind of a waste.

    I figured I could build one that looks like a pyramid, and one that looks like an African termite mound, since both those things tie into the whole ball python thing. Then I read that some people had problems with theirs dissolving, or going mushy from the humidity I guess. So I pondered a way to maybe make them more water tight, and I figured, why not try water based Polyurethane, since it dries to almost like plastic, and you can seal chipboard and ply wood cages with it. The first problem I could see with this is that the wet polyurethane might melt the whole thing...So, you would have to make the first coating very light, so that it dries before it can do much damage, maybe put it in front of a fan! Then from there you can make the second coat a bit thicker, and make a third final coat nice and thick. If you could get this to work, I think the Hides would be almost indestructible. Or you could spray it like normal with the spray on water proofing, and then give it a nice coat of polyurethane to seal it?

    I am going to try this as soon as I have some spare cash to buy the polyurethane, it really sucks being a student, lol!!

    If someone else wants to try this out, and make a dummy one just so we can see if the polyurethane idea works, that'd be awesome!!!
  • 08-27-2011, 05:11 PM
    Munizfire
    did you paint the inside too?
  • 09-24-2011, 05:27 AM
    aboutsnakes
    well done .. i might be using your technique
  • 11-26-2011, 06:42 PM
    Dirtyb762
    Has anyone tried to make square or rectangle pieces of the clay, bake them then attach them to eachother after they are hard? I'm trying to figure out how to make something to go around my waterfall that consists of a water pump and a rectangular sterlite container to make it look more natural.
  • 01-17-2012, 10:44 PM
    Twist
    I'm also doing this right now. Will post pics when it's done. ^^ my retic is starting to outgrow her hides.. When I was mixing it I was like what is this blasphemy.. it's all crumbly then I started mashing it into a ball with my hand and it all came together nicely. I'm going to have so much fun now. XD 40 minutes left for me. :(
  • 01-28-2012, 09:16 PM
    Quantum Constrictors
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Here is the hide I just made for my snake! :D

    http://i43.tinypic.com/25p37sh.jpg
  • 01-29-2012, 03:14 AM
    c.nash
    So, I tried to make these years ago when I found the thread and could never get it right.
    Now to today... I thought that I should try it again, first attempt sucked, but my next two... Well you can judge. Here they are before waterproofing and paint.
    My ethos was a little different.
    2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup of salt, 1tbsp olive oil, 1 cup water.
    Then I bake for 1 hour with it on the form, then strip it, 30 minutes upside down and 30 minutes right side up. They turned out nice and hard, we'll see how they last. I plan to waterproof and paint them tomorrow to go into the enclosure on Tuesday.

    Without further ado, here is a pic. :)

    http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...x/37cd5c2b.jpg
  • 06-21-2012, 05:34 PM
    M&H
    Curious if anyone has had any better luck with making these waterproof. Also I bought Thompson's Water Seal Clear Multi-Surface Waterproofer. Anyone tried using this? My thought is that it's water proofed sealer and not just water resistant. Not sure if this is a no go with reptiles.
  • 07-20-2012, 11:03 AM
    camel
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    This is brilliant. Thank-you so much for the advice. I am definitely going to be making a few of these :banana:
  • 01-05-2013, 07:08 PM
    MootWorm
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Making mine right now!!!! I'm super excited about this. Got about 30 minutes left. Pure brilliance! Will post pics when they're complete-they're not so pretty right now lol
  • 01-06-2013, 02:01 PM
    MootWorm
    Here it is! I'm totally loving this. I still have to do the clear coat then air it out for a few days, but I've already got flour on my grocery list :) I can't wait to do my next batch!!!
    http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/01/07/6una3uje.jpg
    http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/01/07/6ede5aqa.jpg
    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
  • 01-15-2013, 02:53 PM
    skully23
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    I am working on a XL exo terra hide right now. I was having the same problem with the dough being too wet and soft. I added some more flour but hope this turns out right. After this I will tweak the recipe a little to get the right feel to the clay.

    What is shellac? Where do I get it. All I bought was Krylon water sealer and paint.
    -Skully-
  • 04-17-2013, 11:23 PM
    Elusive Dream
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    On my to do list!
  • 04-21-2013, 11:46 AM
    Elusive Dream
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Ready for the oven. The girls enjoyed the first step in the process. Made 2 one for Squelch our ball python and one for Chef a small bearded dragon. Going to get more supplies and make some more.

    http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...ptilehides.jpg
  • 05-02-2013, 09:38 AM
    Elusive Dream
    Re: DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Here are our 2 hides that we made. I love the way they turned out and the kids loved making them.

    http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...alWorks009.jpg
  • 10-15-2013, 11:11 PM
    vankmen.
    DIY Home-made "realistic" Hides
    Omg ,I had mine sculpted so perfect it looked sooooooo natural . But when it went into the oven it puffed up like a cup cake hahahahahahahaha

    It's still rock hard though :)
  • 11-07-2013, 11:28 AM
    Dev_DeCoste
    I have black paint that I use as a graphic designer. Is only spray paint okay, or will any paint be okay if let dry/aired out? Its called Designer's Gouache...
  • 11-07-2013, 02:20 PM
    Dev_DeCoste
    I wanted to edit the above post but I guess I have to just add it. Hope y'all don't mind the double post...

    But will this method work fine for just spraying down tupperware containers for hides? And I'm assuming if you're using tupperware you only need the final waterproofing coat...

    Thanks!
  • 11-07-2013, 04:21 PM
    MootWorm
    I think the stone spray paint would just flake off. You would most likely need to rough up the surface of the container first.
  • 11-07-2013, 04:51 PM
    .:LRG:.VinTaGe1947
    This is really cool. Thanks for the write up. I am going to try and make one for the next snake that i get.
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