Great stuff walkthrough

[Klinger #4077]

Hey all, I'm soon going to change my custom enclosure to a large dragonstrand one. I really the idea of using great stuff to mask the pots and zip ties. However, I do not know if there's any steps I need to take or if I just spray it on and that's it. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[JacksJill]

Have you looked at the tutorial on the dragon strand website?
•Wear clothes you never need to wear again and gloves. It is very difficult to remove.
•Stuff your pots very firmly with paper or something so they don't collapse. It comes out like shaving cream and expands. •Allow for the expansion in your layout (will the door still close).
•Mask off any thing you don't want coated with parchment paper and packing tape.
•Do one can at a time let dry then do additional cans. There will be spots you missed but didn't see.
•You can cut away excess with a serrated blade but it leaves a rough edge that I covered with black silicone caulking.
•Post lots of pictures I want to see how your turns out.

I did mine on a corrugated plastic backing so I would have the option to remove it or redo it with out having to rescreen the cage. I attached that to my ledges.

 

[Lennoncham]

Everything @JacksJill said. And make sure you wear the gloves. I got some of that on my hands this past weekend and it's still stuck on me.

 

[Virgil1972]

You can buy non expanding foam as well.

 

[JacksJill]

You can buy non expanding foam as well.

Is that a different brand or is it labeled differently? Do tell.

 

[Virgil1972]

Is that a different brand or is it labeled differently? Do tell.

I misspoke a little. I was talking about Great stuff window and door. It still expands but not very much and with very little pressure. They make it for insulating windows and between door jamb and studs. The low pressure keeps the foam from bowing the window frames and door frames.

 

[JacksJill]

Thanks, I'll check it out for my next project.

 

[JacksJill]

Oh, one more thing, once you start a can use it all up there is no way to use part of a can and get the rest out later.

 

[RedMountainHome]

I agree with most of what jacksjill said, but a couple additions...

You can use a can multiple times if you wipe off the excess then cover the straw hole in plastic. You may need to cut off the tip of the straw where it's hardened to start the flow again, but who cares?
You'll want to silicone the great stuff whether you cut into it or not, because you don't want those chemicals leaching into the water they might lick off it.
You've got to have way more artistic talent than I do to make great stuff look good, cause mine always looks like piles of ropey poop!

 

[jamest0o0]

Don't do it inside, wear a respirator, gloves, and eye protection. Very bad fumes. What I like to do is foam onto light diffuser and then attach that to the dragon ledges so you can remove it when necessary. Dremels are nice for carving it out how you want.

 

[jamest0o0]

Oh also wear a respirator if sanding/carving it!

 

[Tortdad]

I'm very intrigued... what in the world are you doing with great stuff foam? Making your own 3D backgrounds??? Anyone got pics of this

 

[jamest0o0]

You can make living walls and stuff with foam. I like to have egg crate, attach plant pots to it, branches, and whatever. foam over, carve designs, silicone coco fiber onto it. Similar to how dart keepers do. There's a so much you can do, I've obsessed over it many times lol.

 

[JacksJill]

This is how mine came out before the plants went in.

 

[Tortdad]

I found sonof the older threads from when you guys doing this. Looks pretty cool. I, however, don't have an artistic bone on my body. If I did that I'd just make a big ole mess in my encloser.

 

[Klinger #4077]

Thanks for all the great replies! In about 2 weeks I'll be getting the new enclosure and will start working with the great stuff. And just to be clear, I should silicone over the great stuff?

 

[jamest0o0]

Yup, make sure to use aquarium safe silicone. Spread it over the surface.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

It's actually almost impossible to get off your hands, that's not an exaggeration. I built a retf enclosure with it. Also be sure to run airline tube through the bottom of the pots for drainage.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

That's the whole tank, just a cheap 55 long with lots of work put into it.