[EsotericForest]

Months ago I attempted to make my first rock hide carved out of polystyrene, covered in grout, painted, and coated in sealant. It was going great up to the point that the sealant was applied. Once it was all said and done, my rock basically came out shiny...which will bug me to no end since it completely defeats the idea of it being realistic looking. So what I'm wondering is, what sealant I should use in the future that won't cause this to happen. I believe at the time the problem I was having was I couldn't find any water based sealant that was flat.

[killuminati]

Originally Posted by EsotericForest

Months ago I attempted to make my first rock hide carved out of polystyrene, covered in grout, painted, and coated in sealant. It was going great up to the point that the sealant was applied. Once it was all said and done, my rock basically came out shiny...which will bug me to no end since it completely defeats the idea of it being realistic looking. So what I'm wondering is, what sealant I should use in the future that won't cause this to happen. I believe at the time the problem I was having was I couldn't find any water based sealant that was flat.

you can get this thing that buffs it out. lizard landscapes uses it look at his vids

[EsotericForest]

It's basically like an extremely fine sand-paper. I did try it and had limited success. Main problem being that it's almost impossible get into every divet and low spot in the rock without taking it down so far you end up removing the sealant and part of the paint.

[brettstl]

What sealant did you use?

[EsotericForest]

Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish.

[brettstl]

i used modge podge. It's not that shiny but is a good sealant. I found it at wal mart but you can probably find it at a crafting store. Hope this helps,good luck!

[EsotericForest]

I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion

[killuminati]

do you have to use a sealant?

[EsotericForest]

I'm not sure...I used acrylic paint and wasn't sure how well it would hold up without being sealed. If I had just used the grout it might be alright, but then it wouldn't look very rock like.

[killuminati]

Originally Posted by EsotericForest

I'm not sure...I used acrylic paint and wasn't sure how well it would hold up without being sealed. If I had just used the grout it might be alright, but then it wouldn't look very rock like.

ya i use acrylic paint to and always here people saying i have to seal it but never why. I can see having to seal it in a humid cage but in a desert?