11 replies to this topic

[Jamie_Garrison]

I was wondering if anyone has converted something like this into a nest... i am thinking about it...any thoughts

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.c...016UX4TNO?psc=1

 

 

[Jamie_Garrison]

take it apart and coat it with something to stick sand to the yellow parts

[Jamie_Garrison]

[Jamie_Garrison]

put some cotton balls or something in some of the areas drill a little hole so you can get a syringe in to wet 

[Loops117]

That's pretty neat. Could print something like that with my printers, but with proper hydration. I'd say if you're going to rework it, try to use the middle area for your hydration. It'll hide the absorption material and give you a much larger reservoir. I could give you some tips on how to do it if you would like.

[SamKeepsAnts]

What printers do you have?

[Jamie_Garrison]

make me one....I know a guy that will buy them...

make it so that you can add to it of course your no rookie

[Loops117]

I have 2 Prusa i3 models. I'll have to add it to my list of work. Have a few nests i have to finish up for customers. You know anything of that size is going to require a mature colony, right?

[Jamie_Garrison]

I ordered three of the https://www.amazon.c...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

 

 i am going to take them apart...

 

 

What should i use to change the texture of the green walls.....

What is a good media to place in the center for hydration 

Edited by Jamie_Garrison, March 3 2017 - 8:21 AM.

[sgheaton]

Isn't it cheating if the ants draw a pheromone trail to the exit every time though? 

[Jamie_Garrison]

I have 2 Prusa i3 models. I'll have to add it to my list of work. Have a few nests i have to finish up for customers. You know anything of that size is going to require a mature colony, right?

 

not really i am going for a more uniform look for my colony shelf (that does not exist yet) I have this big picture where i have the maze boxes on a shelf that is solid with a door and then a shelf on top of that one with all the outworlds on it 

[Loops117]

This is all off the top of my head without knowing how those are actually built.

If I'm not mistaken, those have a cylindrical center.

Id try to get a pill bottle that fits as snug as possible, or something similar.

Cut the top lip off and sink the bottle down leaving the top 1/2 open.

Drill tiny holes to allow water to flow through. roughly the same height as the pill bottle.

Try to stuff a little cotton into the holes. This will help wick the water from the center to the outside.

Fill the rest of the cup with sponge.

 

FIRST scour the plastic so your mixture sticks.

As for coating the outside, get some grout mix and crushed perlite (try not to use anything with fertilizer).

Crush the perlite and mix it with the grout, i find that a 60g/40p mix is optimal for hydration.

Add water until it's just slightly less thick then peanut butter or slightly thicker then syrup.

Paint that onto your walls and cover the holes. lightly. Sometimes it helps to dust the cotton with some crushed perlite to stop the grout from sealing the holes.

Take your sand, or anything else (try to use something that reacts to liquid, like crushed perlite) and dust it over the grout to give it a nice coating and to hide micro cracks that are inevitable. 

 

Make sure you drill holes for expansion.

Edited by Loops117, March 3 2017 - 8:32 AM.