23 replies to this topic

[SleepyAsianAnter]

Hi all!

 

So I've been making a lot of nests and projects, and I've decided this is as good a place to document them as any. 

 

I also have written a guide as to how to make a chambered nest, I would appreciate it if you take a quick look!

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

My first attempt at a nest:

 

 

My first heating thing, a heating cable ran underneath the sand.

 

 

Some nests that I made more recently 

 

 

 

And a bunch more, I'll update this post whenever I find time to take more pics

Edited by SleepyAsianAnter, November 11 2020 - 8:14 AM.

[steelplant]

Love them! What are they made of and how do you hydrate them please?

Edit: am now reading the doc to find out. Really excellent guide thanks 👍

Edited by steelplant, November 11 2020 - 2:59 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Magisterial!

Melting the mesh onto the water towers is pure genius.

[KitsAntVa]

A hearth, a phalanx, a atrium, and then a phalanx that had surgery done to it. I like them all the material looks so natural but so good looking.

[KitsAntVa]

Why do you have sand underneath those, do they heat up faster that way or get hotter than normal?

[SleepyAsianAnter]

Why do you have sand underneath those, do they heat up faster that way or get hotter than normal?

It was my first heating setup, the idea was that the sand would conduct the heat evenly and then that heat would warm up the entrance of the tube. Wayyy more complicated than it should've been

[KitsAntVa]

That’s what I was thinking since sand and other materials of duct heat more easily than others such as metal, slate sand or rock. If you want to heat the sand more so it works better get a heat light since that will mimic the sun which makes sand at beaches hot.

[cocdeshijie]

Awesome guide

[FSTP]

Looks really great! 

[ANTdrew]

A good source for the straws leading to the water tower is from the ink straw in a cheap ball point pen. These are sturdier than coffee straws.

[Ants_Dakota]

i cannot access the google doc. and i REALLY want to read it. can someone correct that please!!!

[KitsAntVa]

Try using your phone.

[Ants_Dakota]

Try using your phone.

i don't have one.

[KitsAntVa]

Try using your phone.

i don't have one.

When you click on it does it say you don’t own it or what? If so reload the page or try again when you aren’t logged into a google account, or maybe that’s the problem you aren’t logged in.

[Ants_Dakota]

 

 

Try using your phone.

i don't have one.

When you click on it does it say you don’t own it or what? If so reload the page or try again when you aren’t logged into a google account, or maybe that’s the problem you aren’t logged in.

 

it says i need to ask for access. 

[KitsAntVa]

Oof try logging out of your google account that seems to always be the problem for me.

[KitsAntVa]

Hopefully that helps.

[Ants_Dakota]

thanks so much!

[AleeGuy]

thanks so much!

A Guide to Making a Chambered Nest

 

This is a guide to make any form of nest that has sand-embedded chambers and a hydration station, it is fairly easy to make, but has a little bit of a learning curve. People who have a bit of experience making different nests will likely find this easier. Feel free to come up with your own designs, strategies, and methods, this is just a basic guide and a quick lesson on technique. Who knows, maybe you’ll come up with something new! Without further ado, let’s start.

 

Materials

• Ultracal

  • https://www.amazon.com/Ultracal-Plaster-Dioramas-Dentistry-Resealable/dp/B0728CM7BH?th=1

• Magnets

  • Here’s the one I used, you can probably find stronger/bigger ones somewhere else

  • https://www.amazon.com/DIYMAG-small-6x2-Refrigerator-Premium-Brushed/dp/B07KZQGWNN/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1Z4BLO5BLYA13&dchild=1&keywords=neodymium%2Bmagnet&qid=1605026019&sprefix=neodymiu%2Carts-crafts%2C238&sr=8-11&th=1

• Acrylic container

  • Any will work, but I used a cheap daiso one so that I can dremel it off or break it if need be

  • Here is the one I use

  • 

• Cosmetic containers or any other container that can serve as a hydration station

  • https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Cosmetic-Samples-Container-Jewelry/dp/B07VWMBNNS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=cosmetic+sample+container&qid=1605026383&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFHMVQxSDNYVVBQWEUmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4Mjc5MjYxVzEyNTRPMTZHNlQzJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzNzI2NTAzUktUNzRYQVFOVVVXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

• Mesh

  • https://www.amazon.com/Packs-Stainless-Screen-Filter-Filtration/dp/B07XFMPQR1/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=fine+mesh&qid=1605026292&sr=8-3

• Thin tube, ⅛ of an inch at most. I use a random coffee stirrer, this tube needs to be thin enough for a syringe to enter, it will be how you refill your hydration station

• Sand

  • I use the white zoomed reptisand, as it is fine and I like its color

  • https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSand-Pounds-Desert/dp/B0002DIZKC?th=1

• Epoxy, I use gorilla glue brand

• Vinyl tubing, large enough to accommodate the queen of the species you intend to keep

• Drill and drill bits

• Step-bit 

• Frying pan, either a old one you don’t use or a new one which you don’t mind melting plastic onto

• stove

• (optional but highly recommended) Dremel with plastic cutter

 

1. hydration stations

   1. hydration stations are a must-have in a lot of nests, they are easy to make and provide the ants a good spot to place their brood. Through evaporation, the brood will receive moisture by being placed on top of the mesh.

 

2. Start by drilling a hole in the bottom of the cosmetic container, I use the bottom because it already has a hole(ish) in the center which allows the step bit to not move around as much. SEPARATE THE LID FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE COSMETIC CONTAINER BEFORE DOING SO.

 

2. 3. You will need a wood plank of some sort, because most step bits will exceed the height of the container, and you don’t want to drill your table or floor. Make the hole as big as possible without damaging the walls of the container

 

2. 4. Mesh: Cut a square of mesh that will fit on top of the cosmetic container, make it bigger than the face of the cosmetic container.

 

2. 5. Heat your stove and place the mesh on the frying pan. Ensure the mesh is flat. Leave the stove at max heat, with the mesh on the frying pan 

2. 6. After around 3 minutes or so, take the cosmetic container and (hole side down) press it into the mesh. You will likely feel it melting a bit, which is good, it is sealing the mesh onto the container. Refer to the below picture to see what a good seal should look like

2. 7. Trim off the excess mesh with a pair of scissors, watch out for the mesh after you finish trimming, it’s pretty sharp

2. 8. Drill a hole in the side of the hydration station, with a diameter that snugly fits your thin refilling tube. Drill it at an angle, around 30 degrees or so

 

2. 9. Insert your thin tube, and ensure that water can pass through the inside of the tube, but not the outside. It should be hard to insert, so that the tube seals the hole by itself. The tube should be about half a centimeter within the hydration station.

 

2. 10. You can also put some sealant around it, but I have never done so, therefore I can’t give a recommendation. That’s something for you guys to try! Stay away from poisonous things, aquarium safe silicone would probably be your best bet.

 

2. The Nest

   1. Now is when you start the nest portion

 

3. 2. Mark the places where you want your hydration stations to be refilled, it’s good to place the hydration station and it’s filling tube into the nest so you can estimate the place to drill. Cut your hydration station filling tube to size, drill a hole in your container, again, so that the tube can enter with a little bit of squeezing. Ensure the hydration station(s) are facing up, and that they’re sitting flatly on the floor of the container

 

3. Have a weight of some sort, I just used the extra magnets from the magnets box. Place it on top of the mesh of the hydration station, this will prevent the hydration station from floating up and ruining the first pour.

 

3. 4. Place your “front panel” attachment magnets, but just the bottom row. IMPORTANT: make sure that the attachment magnets are all closer to the floor than the top of the hydration station, and allows a couple mm of ultracal to be on all sides of it when the first layer is poured

 

3. 5. By now, your nest should look something like this, (I didn't put  the magnets/weight on in this pictures, you will see them in the next one)ensure that there is sufficient weight on the hydration station, and if you’re like me, with an inverted container, seal any possible leaking spots with a large amount of clay (you don’t need to if your container won’t leak.)

3. 6. When you’re finished checking for possible leak spots, double check magnet placement and hydration station placement. Then mix up a batch of ultracal. The ratio that they give you isn’t really that important, you can eyeball it. Mix it to an eggnog like consistency and pour it in, check that the hydration station doesn’t float up, which it shouldn’t. The ultracal should cover the attachment magnets but not cover the hydration station, ensuring that the mesh on the hydration station is untouched.

3. 7. Once the ultracal sits for a couple minutes, sprinkle dry sand on top, ensuring that the floor of the areas you want as a chamber are covered with a layer of sand. Don’t put too much, or it may sink to the bottom and ruin the pour. Only sprinkle sand in areas where you plan on the cavern being. Leave 1 cm or so from the side and back walls untouched, these areas are needed to bond the first layer to the second. MAKE SURE YOU ARE AROUND WITHIN THE FIRST 30 MINUTES OF POURING THE FIRST LAYER. You need to pour the second layer as soon as the first layer is firm enough to support weight.

3. 8. Prepare a bowl, fill it with enough sand to form the cavern you want. Wet the sand with enough water to make it shapeable, but don’t saturate it too much, the more water you use here, the more water will be showing up at the end

 

3. 9. Check that the first layer has semi-hardened, it should be able to resist a poke with a pencil, this is usually around 20-30 minutes after the pour, but it will be faster the thicker your first pour was. You may see a layer of water on top, remove it by dipping a paper towel into it, letting capillary action do its thing. Once you ascertain that the ultracal can hold the weight of the sand, put your sand onto it, in a fashion like the picture below, press it up against the wall where you plan on having your panel, should be the same wall where your attachments magnets are. MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR hydration stationS, COVER THEM COMPLETELY WITH SAND.

3. 10.  This is also the time for you to make stalactite holes, use a pencil or some other object to poke holes into the sand, don’t make them too deep. Avoid putting stalactites above the hydration stations

3. 11. Place your second layer of attachment magnets a few mm above the sand chamber. 

3. 12. Prepare another batch of ultracal, you will likely need to do multiple pours, don’t worry about ratio, as long as they’re still liquid different batches can mix together. Pour on the side, not on the sand, as pouring on the sand will reshape it. Let it rise up and then fill in the stalactite holes and cover the tops of the attachment magnets. A more liquidish consistency would be better, so that the stalactites will be filled in. Pour so that the ultracal level is slightly taller than how tall you want it to be, as the ultracal precipitates, the excess water will rise to the top, so you may need to pour more just to make sure the attachment magnets are covered.

3. 13. Let it cure for a couple hours, checking in to make sure the top attachment magnets are still covered with ultracal. If the ultracal is still liquid, and the magnets aren’t covered, pour some more, if it’s solid, then you can still try pouring more, but it may not bond.

 

3. 14. Once it’s dried, either smash it a couple times to remove it or just do what I did and use a dremel plastic cutter to cut the container open.

 

3. 15. Remove as much sand as you can for reuse, and then rinse out the rest

3. Finishing Touches and Outworld

   1. Prepare your outworld container, pour a thin layer of ultracal, no more than 1 cm tall, make this mixture a slightly thicker consistency than eggnog. Wait a couple minutes and sprinkle sand.

 

4. 2. Choose the spot where you want your entrance to be, make sure that the hole isn’t directly above the hydration station, as that would negate the purpose of the hydration station. Use a drill bit to drill a hole in the spot you chose, ensure that the vinyl tubing is a tight fit.

 

4. 3. Place the outworld onto the nest, then drill a hole that matches with the outworld. Your vinyl tube should be able to pass through the two holes with some resistance. 

 

4. Prepare your epoxy, cut your vinyl tubing to the length you desire, I prefer to cut it so that I can see 1-2 mm of the tubing poking out of the holes on both sides. Epoxy the outside of the tubing for the first half, and push it through the bottom of the outworld so that the epoxy will create a seal around the hole. Push until your preferred/marked position.

 

4. 5. Liberally apply epoxy to the bottom of your outworld container and the rest of the outside of the vinyl tube, guide the tube into the hole first, and (while ensuring the tube won't shift upwards, by pressing down on the other side) push the rest of the vinyl tube into the hole. Press all the way down until the outworld bottom is flat against the top of the nest, rearrange however you want. Wipe off excess epoxy.

 

4. 6. Last step, cut an acrylic or glass screen for your nest, I just use another container that is identical to the one that the nest was molded in, and cut off a wall. Make sure it fits, and is sanded down a bit on all sides. Place it against the face of the nest, and dab a tiny drop of epoxy on top of the spot where a magnet is, take its matching magnet and put it onto the epoxy, repeat this until all the magnets are paired. After a bit, remove the acrylic/glass panel and check that the magnets are still epoxied on

 

4. Congratulations, you are finished!

With the layering method that I used on this particular nest, there are many other nest designs you can contemplate and attempt. If you have time, try out new designs! Here are a couple of mine that I made. 

 

If you got this far, thanks for reading!