# Best way to cut styrofoam and alternatives to styrofoam



## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

What is the best way to cut styrofoam? As I understand it, a knife takes is difficult and takes a long time.

Are there alternatives to use instead of styrofoam which are less buoyant, easier to cut, but work just as well with drylock?


----------



## a_c_arnold (Mar 7, 2008)

I found that a steak knife works the best. A knife with a smooth edge is much harder to cut with. I used a drywall saw to cut the overal shape, but the steak knife is much easier to carve with.


----------



## greenbirds (Jul 30, 2007)

For larger cuts, a jig saw works great. Cuts like a hot knife through butter.


----------



## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

thanks for the tips guys.

arnold, i looked at your tanks and the backgrounds look outstanding! any chance you could let me know your thoughts on what I hope to do for my first small DIY project? The link to the thread where I'm trying to make sure I'm going at it the best way possible is below:

http://cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopi ... highlight=


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

A small paint brush that you keep dipping in acetone will cut right through the styrofoam. No crumbs and no rough edges. You can also use it to carve the styrofoam, and it will leave a more solid plastic like coating on the foam. It will also glue pieces of foam together once you get a feel for it. Ventilate well while using acetone. It has a smell like when you walk past the nail places at the mall.


----------



## a_c_arnold (Mar 7, 2008)

I would recomend the drylok. I believe that it would work just fine if you put it straight on the styro. Just be sure to use a ton of silicone when you install the background in the tank. Drylok is a great product and you can do several shades of greys and browns by coloring the drylok with concrete dye. Start with a very dark coat and then add additional coats of drylok using different and lighter shades.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Waterfall foam is a reasonable alternative to styrofoam. It is designed to blend in with the rocks inw a waterfall you make for your goldfish pond. You don't really need to paint or coat it unless you want light toned "rocks". You can do most of the shaping when you spray it out of the can. then once it has "skinned over", you can shape it by pressing places you want sunk in.


----------



## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

Wait. McDaphnia, are you saying that there's something you can just spray out of the can and it will look like fake rocks? No cutting, no coating, no lengthy curing process?

Why isn't everyone doing this? I've read so many threads. I'm sure this came up, but cannot be too often because I never saw it.

Can you give me a link to it? 
Have any samples of what it looks like as a background or as a rock in a tank?
(I'll obviously start looking myself now too)
How buoyant is it?


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

cholile said:


> Wait. McDaphnia, are you saying that there's something you can just spray out of the can and it will look like fake rocks? No cutting, no coating, no lengthy curing process?
> 
> Why isn't everyone doing this? I've read so many threads. I'm sure this came up, but cannot be too often because I never saw it.
> 
> ...


Yes it sprays out a can and looks like fake rocks. The latex formulations are ready to submerge in about two hours.

Not everyone is doing it because it is no challenge and some like doing it the hard way. Also it only come in one color -- black -- so if you want any other color of fake rocks you have to use sonmething else. You can see pics of it used in pond waterfalls where it blends natural rocks together. It starts out bouyant and then waterlogs, like some kinds of driftwood.


----------



## balachel (May 24, 2008)

where can you get that waterfall foam at


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

balachel said:


> where can you get that waterfall foam at


Lowe's, Home Depot, local garden centers that carry some pond supplies, or online at places like:

http://www.pondsonline.com/filter1.htm#FOAMSEAL

That site above also has some AquaMats to make wierd looking backgrounds doubling as biofilters and fry refuges.

https://www.islandnet.com/~pondusa/filter3u.htm


----------



## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

It looks like the waterfall foam is great to use in combination with other items to create a loose rock or background. However, it doesn't look like it can be used on its own to create a nice looking background or rock.


----------

