Making rocks

[mbota]

just to add a little to George's post...

try laying the "trout stream" rocks on badly wrinkled up plastic garbage bag and roll them around on it. it will give you a great texture.

burnt umber (dark brown) also works well with the two colors he mentions

[AndyO]

I sat at the World Show super seminar for probably a total of eight hours. I tried many methods of making rocks and what George listed above is my favorite for commercial mounts. If your wanting small rocks you can use chunks of foam covered with McKenzie rock mix. If you don't have extra foam chunks buy floral foam at Walmart or make your own with two part foam-- Let it harden, carve, apply rock mix. I use different tools and techniques to texture my rocks before the rock mix hardens. I use sponges, screwdrivers, putty knives, water bottle, etc. Experiment and use your imagination.

[Missouri Creek Studio]

Any hardware/ Building supply or paint store usuallly has it

[Sawtooth Taxidermy, Todd]

Kevin,  Have you tried any mold builder yet for smaller rocks.  Find a rock that you like, brush the mold builder on per directions, peel off when dry, mix up some plaster of paris, swirl around, do several coats, let dry and paint. Use water colors. I usually start with a watered down black. Do some in reds and brown. Makes for a great river bottom scene. On ;arger rocks I use foam carved into the shape I want and some McKenzie Rock. Paint the same. If you go to the mammals catagory and look under the recent post about the wolverine, you can kind of see how the McKenzie rocks turn out

[gwp]

i use the Zimmerman method as George has described above for large rocks, and at the end, seal the entire rock with a diluted bondcrete solution of about 30 %Boncrete is a commercial water based sealant available from large hardware stores  that concrete workers use to seal concrete. It dries clear and protects the finish from scuffing.
l have also seen the same stuff used in the horse industry as a hoof sealant for dressage.
Small rocks, again chunks of fractureed foam, no shiny outer sealed surfaces , dipped in a plater slop with a dash of pva glue, tinted if you wish.
Again water tint further and seal.
For the real fine shale stuff, the broken down fine stuff you see on mountain nooks and crannies l save all the colored plaster fractures you get from the bottom of the plaster bucket, tint or color as you wish, sprinkle over last so they find there own place between the klarger rocks, and again seal them with the bond-crete solurtion, Once the boncrete dries, the fine stuff is stuck down nice a tight and wont go anywhere.
l also use bond crete to seal cleaned skulls

[Doug Bridges]

Kevin,
For small gravel and pebble size stones, go to www.michigantaxidermist.com and then the newsletter & events page. You will find the summer news letter there. Download it and read the articel "Rock On" This method is smple, cheap and makes some of the best small rocks and gravel that you will find.

[KevinH]

Hye thanks Doug, but Im getting the spring newsletter.  Ill chack back in a few days to see if the summer one is up.

[Doug Bridges]

The summer one is up.
http://www.michigantaxidermist.com/SummerNewsletter2006websiteversion.pdf

Try this link.

[Jims Wildlife Studio]

   Hello Kevin, One way that I make rock's of all size's is very simple. I use a fish carving foam, carve the rock's to size, then pour or brush on fiberglass resin. Make sure you don't mix to hot.When the fiberglass is still wet and tacky I pour and sprinkle sand on them. When the rock's are dry this will give you a very hard rock like appearence. Then you can paint or shade with airbrush. Good Luck.
                                                               Jim's Wildlife Studio
                                                               James Checho

[Dean]

Kevin, Durams is also  called water putty. Another way to make rocks, especially larger scenes like shale rock etc. Pour foam and build it to the shape you want by carving, sanding, chipping, gouging. create cracks undercuts etc. Then when you have it the way you want. Mix bondo and fiber glass resin together until you get a syrup consistancy. Mix both hardners in keep it light so it kicks slower. Brush the mixture on the foam. It soaks into the pores of the foam and when it kicks you have about an 1/16th to an 1/8th shell over the foam stong enough to walk on. Paint with flat house paints and different washes until you get the colors you want. Once you get the hang of it you can do about a 3'x3' area in one mix. I've made bases for mt goat size animals in an afternoon. Sawzall is your friend when carving. You can attach other pieces of foam on as you go along. I've even made large trees using this method. It's also very light. I can pick up a 4'w x 8'Lx 4' high rock base easily and carry it. I've carried a 12' tall tree with a 10" diameter trunk over my shoulder. Small rocks can be made the same. Simple fast and very stong. Casting rocks take to long and you have the same  rock over and over unless you make many different molds. 

[Leaf-art]

I spread silicon caulk on a slab to get the texture. I ended up with a mat about 12" x 18". I use the 'mat' to press into plaster on carved foam. I like the effect. Just be sure you seal your slab or it's a bitch to get the silicon off!