51 replies to this topic

[klawfran3]

On the sides of the grout? You could smear some 100% silicone on there, that is probably what I would do if trying to make something similar to the Tarheel designs

 

Alright cool. I didn't even really know about the tarheel designs until I started but I'm going to be sure to not copy them now. I have different tunnel designs in mind and different hydration methods I believe. The only similarity is the material it's made from. Hydrostone and acrylic. I'm not even sure if I'll use magnets because they might be easy to accidentally remove.

[NightsWebs]

THA uses magnets on their formicaries and personally I like them.  I currently have a 2015 Talus modular founding chamber that uses magnets to secure the modular nest to the plastic holding container.  I also purchased a 4x8 Nucleus with Museum glass mounted with magnets to Ytong.  Sturdy with a tight fit and easy to clean. 

[klawfran3]

THA uses magnets on their formicaries and personally I like them.  I currently have a 2015 Talus modular founding chamber that uses magnets to secure the modular nest to the plastic holding container.  I also purchased a 4x8 Nucleus with Museum glass mounted with magnets to Ytong.  Sturdy with a tight fit and easy to clean. 

Oh they make their products out of Ytong? I thought it was hydrostone.

[NightsWebs]

The Nucleus formicarium is made from carved Ytong according to your request or species.   The one I purchased has magnetic vents in the out world lid/top as well as the museum glass.  Mack was very helpful with every step.  I wanted this nest specifically for pogonomyrmex Californicus species so I have isolated dry areas as well as wet areas for the ants to choose where and what to store in the nest (mainly granaries). 

[klawfran3]

So I tried putting a coat of silicone on the outside of the formicarium to seal it and make it watertight but that doesn't seem to work as it just rubs off kinda easy once dry. Does anyone have any suggestions for a sealant I could use?

[Crystals]

I use the rubber spray meant for cars.  Works quite well.

I have used black Rock Guard spray a lot.  About $10-15 at most places with things for vehicles (Home Depot, Lowes, etc).

[klawfran3]

Oh cool I think I have a can of that laying around. Thanks for the quick reply!

[NightsWebs]

double bubble works great for just about any ant application and most aviation ones too.

[klawfran3]

What is double bubble. Got a link to it?

[prettycode]

The Nucleus formicarium is made from carved Ytong according to your request or species.   The one I purchased has magnetic vents in the out world lid/top as well as the museum glass.  Mack was very helpful with every step.  I wanted this nest specifically for pogonomyrmex Californicus species so I have isolated dry areas as well as wet areas for the ants to choose where and what to store in the nest (mainly granaries). 

 

EDIT: Sorry for the confusion. You guys are right--Ytong is used. I've mistaken been thinking of the "Atom" style formicaria when referring to "Nucleus," so ignore everything that follows this EDIT.

 

I don't think it's "carved" or "Ytong." It's poured and a plaster or grout mix, if you ask me.

 

1. I don't see any of the "holes" Ytong has. You can see the edges of the Nucleus substrate is rough on the side, but there are not holes. Notice also the flat smooth-surfaced top has no roughness or holes.

2. You can see a mold was used because of the ring around the middle in the second picture.

3. The magnets--they're embedded in the plaster or grout mix. They were put in place before the substrate was poured. A hole wasn't drilled and the magnets inserted. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I can assured you, there substrate has solidified around the magnets.

4. Virtually impossible to produce the rough interior surface by "carving" dried substrate. The granularity of the interior's "roughness" is too fine to create with dremel or similar tool. Roughness characteristic has to be attributed to the mold, in my mind.

 

I would love to know the formula for this substrate that THA uses. I would have guessed hydrostone gypsum but I've never seen any gypsum crystals form even with high levels of hydration applied to the substrate (sometimes referred to as "sweating" or "dissolving.") Maybe the paint around the Nucleus keeps the gypsum from sweating out?

 

Ytong "holes":

 

 

 

* Rough interior surface, but not ostensibly porous (holes) like Ytong is/has.

* Also notice the magnets had substreet leak over them while the substrate was still viscous. 

* Where are the Ytong holes on the smooth, flat top surface?

 

 

 

Sign of mold used to poor substrate into--notice indented line around circumference:

 

Edited by prettycode, September 3 2015 - 6:07 AM.

[ctantkeeper]

that's not a nucleus, it's the atom (style A) founding formicarium

[klawfran3]

Well to get the rough interior I mixed up some sand an hydro stone and painted that on the inside. It ended up turning out really well.

[prettycode]

Well to get the rough interior I mixed up some sand an hydro stone and painted that on the inside. It ended up turning out really well.

 

I think this is a great solution. I'm going to do some experiments this weekend. 

 

What I'm going to try is creating a formicarium using clay/hydrostone. The clay will be used to mold the chambers. The hydrostone will be poured over the clay. After the hydrostone dries, remove the clay.

 

Specifically what I'm going to try is mixing sand in with the molding clay. Or pouring sand over the clay chamber molds before I pour hydrostone over it.

Edited by prettycode, September 1 2015 - 9:39 AM.

[klawfran3]

 

Well to get the rough interior I mixed up some sand an hydro stone and painted that on the inside. It ended up turning out really well.

 

I think this is a great solution. I'm going to do some experiments this weekend. 

 

What I'm going to try is creating a formicarium using clay/hydrostone. The clay will be used to mold the chambers. The hydrostone will be poured over the clay. After the hydrostone dries, remove the clay.

 

Specifically what I'm going to try is mixing sand in with the molding clay. Or pouring sand over the clay chamber molds before I pour hydrostone over it.

 

Hmm... That sounds interesting. The only issue I see would be the difficulty in removing the clay since it would probably end up stuck in little bits on the cemented in sand. Try it and update us on how it worked out.

[klawfran3]

So will this stuff work? I just picked it up today http://imgur.com/fszve8A

Edited by klawfran3, September 1 2015 - 6:03 PM.

[prettycode]

 

 

Well to get the rough interior I mixed up some sand an hydro stone and painted that on the inside. It ended up turning out really well.

 

I think this is a great solution. I'm going to do some experiments this weekend. 

 

What I'm going to try is creating a formicarium using clay/hydrostone. The clay will be used to mold the chambers. The hydrostone will be poured over the clay. After the hydrostone dries, remove the clay.

 

Specifically what I'm going to try is mixing sand in with the molding clay. Or pouring sand over the clay chamber molds before I pour hydrostone over it.

 

Hmm... That sounds interesting. The only issue I see would be the difficulty in removing the clay since it would probably end up stuck in little bits on the cemented in sand. Try it and update us on how it worked out.

 

 

Yeah, if the clay doesn't work for that reason (too difficult to clean out of dried hydrostone cast), then I'm going to try a few other substitutes:

 

1. Moldable Plastic (http://www.amazon.co...duct/B003QKLJKQ)

2. Epoxy Clay (http://www.amazon.co...duct/B002QAKT94)

3. Silicone Putty (http://www.amazon.co...duct/B00JIRJBOW)

 

The good thing about these three is that they all harden permanently. Hopefully that means they don't bond permanently to the hydrostone though! Assuming they don't, I'd be able to reuse the molded tunnel/chamber forms--unlike the molding clay. We'll see!

Edited by prettycode, September 2 2015 - 7:59 AM.

[Crystals]

Try an oil based clay (never drying model clay.  I often mix a bit of vaseline inot the oil based clay to encourage it to come out of the mold easily). 

Mine almost never sticks to my grout formicariums.

[NightsWebs]

yes, the nucleus is made of Ytong from Tarheel Ants.

[NightsWebs]

double bubble is two part epoxy. I believe its hardmans adhesives but if you search in google double bubble epoxy lots of places sell it and it mixes in its own package.

[NightsWebs]

go to THA The Nucleus is carved Ytong.