Glue ?

Something has been puzzling me lately....

I want to coat the outside of a PVC pipe frame in a "glue" so as I can then sprinkle/pour substrate all over it to give it a more natural look...

So far I am lost on the glue I can use as I need quite a bit to smoother/paint the whole frame with it (just the outside).

The egg crate squares are intended plateaus where I can put corals that are more light hungry up top, the egg crate squares will be glued to the zip ties and the zip ties glued to the PVC frame. But to show you the sheer amount of area I need to cover here is a picture....


So what would be a good reef safe "glue" to get substrate to stick to it ?

Cheers

Couple of things you can use mate:
1. silicon, just make sure you cure them properly and long enough before putting it back into the tank
2. epoxy resin, this stuff is used by many to coat expanding foam when use in the tank, just like mine, but it can be quite expensive
3. fiberglass resin, this is the cheaper alternative to the epoxy resin, and what I used.

I agree with dendrobate, the polyester resins are much cheaper.

Nowhere near as flexible or adhesive with out a good bond as epoxy, but for that they would probably be okay.

http://www.recochem.com.au/index.php/products/consumer_products/fibreglass/item/diggers_fibreglass_resin

This kind of stuff if so it would make it much easier to do and cheaper as you mentioned although it does look a lot "thinner" which makes me think it may not hold the substrate so well...

Perhaps a couple of layers of substrate will help it all bind together ?

There is a powder of sanded fibre glass-resin that you mix with to thicken the resin nicley.

I used to repair my own boards,jet ski,surf ski and boat hulls with it,using polyester or apoxies.

It turns it into a paste.

good luck with it mate.

It says in the instructions to "Mix catalyst with resin" I assume this is what you mean which turns it into the "paste"

The catalyst is what makes it go off-harden.

Like a part B of two parts.

Ok so I am a little confused as to how this "paste is formed" by the looks of what you get there are only 3 things...the resin the catalyst & the fiberglass sheet

http://www.masters.com.au/product/902365112/diggers-diy-fibreglass-kit-no-3 (since there up the road easy and the pics are more detailed).

Yer

So forget the fiberglass matt, you won't need it....

Mix the clear resin with the catalyst in the recommended amount...probably using slightly less catalyst as it is the catalyst that makes it go rock hard...once mixed just get an old paint brush and paint it all over you little frame....while it is setting grab your substrate of choice and pat it on to give a good coverage, all over the wet resin mix on the frame to coat it with the substrate before it sets....

My recommendation would be to do a smallish area at a time, so only make a smaller mix as it can set quite fast (depending on the brand)....and it wouldn't hurt to rough up the PVC pipes with a bit of 150 grit sand paper just to ensure adhesion... .

Otherwise it should come up a treat....will look cool as it ages and be a practical base for your frags....

Have fun.!

There is a powder that is actually captured powder from sanding fibre glass baots or what ever, you add it to the catalyst and resin and you get paste and then it goes off.

Ask around either at good time surf shop or resin supplies, they will know where to get it if you want it.

The powder thickens resins.

You can just get the glas beads they use in the white lines on roads,it thickens resins as well,even fine sand mixed with the resin before the catalyst will turn resin to paste then put it on and sprinkle the shell grit or what ever onto it befoe it goes hard.