The Official Formicidae Project

[DougF]

Well good luck! ;)

And if you can get to work Please post pics.:hihi:

[Mercedes Benzene]

I can hardly contain my excitement!!! B)

 

After struggling with the plaster formula, and what I could only GUESS was an ant hole, my first test far exceeded my expectations. After letting the plaster set for an hour, i slowly began to uncover my work.

 

Moving downwards with a screwdriver, I carefully scraped away at the dirt. Despite my expectations of finding a failed first-try experiment, I began to notice bright white tunnels emerging from the dirt. Here's a pic of when I first started digging.

 

As I moved further downward the tunnels became more numerous, spreading many inches away from the main column. Here you can see a few:

 

The plaster was fragile, so unfortunately, much of what I uncovered soon broke away, revealing hollow chambers where air still existed.

 

As I neared the end of my hour long dig, I noticed that the colony was situated around a rather large weed root. All the main chambers existed there, from which many smalled tunnels and chambers branched out. Here's the final central area after I removed it from the ground.

 

I am completely overjoyed. This small test yielded such miraculous results that I have to try again tomorrow... and keep trying after that to perfect my methods. I know I can do even better.

 

I'm sorry for such an incoherent post, and the poor spelling, but I'mn literally shaking from excitement!

Ahhhhh!

[Mercedes Benzene]

By the way, I forgot to mention: After letting my plaster molds cure tonight, I'm going to try to remove all the remaining dirt. Pictures to follow.

[Turtle]

By the way, I forgot to mention: After letting my plaster molds cure tonight, I'm going to try to remove all the remaining dirt. Pictures to follow.

 

nice work! B) depending on the consistancy you mixed the plaster to, you might be able to thin it down with more water and end up with fewer & smaller bubbles.

 

another possible option is to mix thin and use a large bore irrigation syringe to inject the plaster.

 

 

any idea what species you have there? :doh:

[Mercedes Benzene]

Alright! I'll take to suggestions into mind.

 

As for the species... I have no idea....

...just some generic, non-special, mid-east ant.

 

I don't suppose anyone could identify an ant by the pictures I took of the colony. B) Yeah yeah, I know. Not the best quality pictures, and the nest wasn't very intact... Next time should be better.

[blamski]

cooooooool. i'm off to look for an old ants nest, a large bore irrigation syringe and some orthodontal plaster B)

[DougF]

Mercedes Benzene

 

I am completely overjoyed. This small test yielded such miraculous results that I have to try again tomorrow... and keep trying after that to perfect my methods. I know I can do even better.

 

I'm sorry for such an incoherent post, and the poor spelling, but I'm literally shaking from excitement!

Ahhhhh!

 

Don't you just Love it when a plan comes together, FINE JOB! :thumbs_up Have a Coke on me.

[Turtle]

:) maybe some food color mixed in with the plaster? if you use several colors during the same pour you could get some idea of how the plaster is distributed as it flows in. ;)

[Mercedes Benzene]

maybe some food color mixed in with the plaster? if you use several colors during the same pour you could get some idea of how the plaster is distributed as it flows in.

 

Indeed! I thought about doing that for the mold I did about a day ago... but the ant hole wasn't very big, and I didn't get good results at all. Since I have a lot of plaster though, I'm going to start experimenting.

 

Can anyone think of anyway to make plaster of paris dry harder?

 

Also, when finding directions for mixing, it gives a ratio of x part water to y parts plaster. Are these quantities by volume or by weight do you suppose?

[Turtle]

Indeed! I thought about doing that for the mold I did about a day ago... but the ant hole wasn't very big, and I didn't get good results at all. Since I have a lot of plaster though, I'm going to start experimenting.

 

Can anyone think of anyway to make plaster of paris dry harder?

 

Also, when finding directions for mixing, it gives a ratio of x part water to y parts plaster. Are these quantities by volume or by weight do you suppose?

 

here's a helpy link with info to answer some questions on plaster casting. >> Mixing Plaster: A course in beginning plaster casting

...Some old-time tricks to change the setting speed of plaster:

Old-timers would add a little alum to their water to speed up the setting of their batch. Alum will also make the casts harder.

 

To slow down the set of plaster, the old boys would add some ammonia or stale beer to the water. In the early history of the plaster business there was plenty of beer to go around in the shops. Owners provided a pint of beer for lunch or allowed the men to bring their own. Boy, the second half of the day always seemed so much better in those days!

 

Like any medicine taken to produce a cure, these additives may have side effects; most common is a weakening of the plaster.

 

i would think 'by volume'? a consumer is more likely to have measuring cups than a scale is my reasoning here. :) ;)

[DougF]

Good link Turtle,

I make my plaster the same, using Potassium alum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or potash alum to speed up the setting of the batch.it will also make the casts harder, (just a small handful for a five gal. mix) and just as foot note I measure by volume but you will want a thinner mix to pour it in an ant hole.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Thanks a lot for that link Turtle! It should be just what I need to make an ideal formula.