# MagicalLobster's custom hide thread



## MagicalLobster (Oct 25, 2014)

Hey, all! I make hides in my free time out of foam board, various nontoxic paint, and other decor. Foam board is great because it's easy to sculpt and poses no threat to crushing a T like rock or terracotta. I'll be using this thread to post pictures of the hides I've already made and the process pictures behind the ones I'm going to make. If you have any questions let me know. All of the hides I've made for myself thus far are for various species of tarantula. 

These five pictures show some hides I made for juvenile LP males about 2-3" in legspan. I should note that these T's were in no risk of falling on to the harder objects in their enclosure as the shoebox didn't have much height.  I'll include a picture of some sculpted foam board to show you how I start.

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## MagicalLobster (Oct 25, 2014)

*Big LP juvenile*

These five pictures are of a hide I made for the same LP about a year later when he was around 4". It's pretty big for him (as you can see) but he'll grow into it. I chose to leave a few unfilled and unpainted spots to leave it looking rock-like. I liked the graininess. I wasn't as concerned about having the hide match the coco fiber. Thoughts? I'm not the biggest fan of these pictures' quality and he's webbed it up quite a bit.

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## MagicalLobster (Oct 27, 2014)

Here's a custom hide I'm working on for user tweakz. The tarantula inhabiting it will be around 8-10" and the hide itself will be 12". Right now it is unpainted with only a base coat but my goal is to have it looking like tree bark that was ripped haphazardly off of a tree. Time to get to paintin'!

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## MagicalLobster (Oct 28, 2014)

This is an unfinished rock hide I've been making for user JZC's Theraposa stirmi. This represents my first attempt at making a hide with a lid and I'm super happy with how it turned out. It's designed so that the animal can be manipulated or retrieved without removal of the entire hide. (It should be a piece of cake as long JZC's T. stirmi doesn't think fingers are food!) The hide also has a false bottom which, if placed directly on substrate, allows for the start of a burrow. If placed directly on the bottom of the enclosure it allows for the T to be observed ventrally (a terrarium table with an absent midsection would also be necessary for this sort of viewing to take place). The hide is about 12" from corner to corner. The next steps will be to add fake plants, peat (maybe sphagnum) moss, and to seal it up to keep it from becoming blemished in a high humidity enclosure. Thanks for viewing.

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## MagicalLobster (Oct 30, 2014)

Here are a few small, unfinished rock hides for 1-3" T's or scorpions. I've really enjoyed banging these out between my other big terrestrial hide projects.

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## BossRoss (Oct 30, 2014)

I like it! I like it a lot!! The last two post of the ones made to look like rocks are awesome!!


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## MagicalLobster (Oct 30, 2014)

Thanks, friend. I appreciate it! More to come shortly.


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## MagicalLobster (Oct 31, 2014)

These are the two big hides I've been working on and they're all done...well, almost. I need to seal them both with acrylic and I may add some more coco fiber to the rock hide and tidy both up a bit. This means JZC and tweakz may have to wait a little longer!

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## MagicalLobster (Oct 31, 2014)

aaaand hide two...

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## sublimejimbob (Nov 3, 2014)

Awesome, good job!

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## pyro fiend (Nov 4, 2014)

ever thought of using grout instead of paint? it would keep T from destroying the hides. also rather cheap.. i used to do enclosure things like these guys  i used to make for herps havent decided how i like it for T's yet...  you can make it thin or thick. depending on what your using.. ei for the removable top you can do thin. but for base for no tipping or chewing. a bit thicker [like pb even] plus keeps the natural esthetics  and ofcourse you can put sand into it.. and im sure you can burry a little moss on it [in thick spots lightly pressed in]

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## MagicalLobster (Nov 4, 2014)

pyro fiend said:


> ever thought of using grout instead of paint? it would keep T from destroying the hides. also rather cheap.. i used to do enclosure things like these guys  i used to make for herps havent decided how i like it for T's yet...  you can make it thin or thick. depending on what your using.. ei for the removable top you can do thin. but for base for no tipping or chewing. a bit thicker [like pb even] plus keeps the natural esthetics  and ofcourse you can put sand into it.. and im sure you can burry a little moss on it [in thick spots lightly pressed in]


I have thought about using grout and probably would when making a reptile hide. However, I have an acrylic sealer that will protect from damage short of a full grown bearded dragon or so. Thanks for the tip. 

Looks like tweakz needed a few more bark hides to go with his big one--four to be exact. I'm making two more as well for myself and user G. pulchra. Three will occupy P. metallicas and all will be arboreal hides around 6". They're looking like foam board for now but they'll look pretty like their big brother soon enough.

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## MagicalLobster (Nov 5, 2014)

These are some base coats I applied to the bark style hides followed by another finished rock hide.


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## MagicalLobster (Nov 7, 2014)

Here are the six arboreal hides I made for tweakz, G. Pulchra, and myself. They range from 5-7" or so and I had a blast making them. They'll likely look a bit shinier once I seal them but for all intents and purposes they are finished.


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## MagicalLobster (Nov 23, 2014)

You all thought I was gone forever! I'm not. I've been working on my senior thesis for college but I got a couple more orders for hides that I'm filling right now. I've finished a 7-9" rock hide and applied sphagnum moss liberally. I'm working on a bark hide and my first attempt at a water bowl as well.

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## Bill Myers (Nov 23, 2014)

Pure awesomeness, MagicalLobster!  Everything looks so professional, too!

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## tonypace2009 (Nov 23, 2014)

Nice work. I like the way you add bits and pieces of foliage to the hides and very realistic.

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## Zeus515 (Nov 26, 2014)

These hides are beautiful! Very well done


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## MagicalLobster (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks for the love, y'all. I'm glad you like the hides. Here's another bark hide along with more flattering pictures of the rock hide previously posted. The bark hide was ordered off Etsy for a Chaco Golden Knee and the rock hide as of yet has no inhabitant.


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## MatthewM1 (Dec 8, 2014)

They are looking great. I really like the idea of the removable top on the rock hides.

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## MagicalLobster (Dec 9, 2014)

Thanks, Matt! Here is an example of a reptile food bowl after decoration.


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## MagicalLobster (Jan 7, 2015)

Hey all. I promise I haven't fallen off the map. I'm back from holiday with all my supplies and more hides will surely follow. Stay tuned!


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## Chainsaw Reptiles (Jan 16, 2015)

Love It! Would You Be Willing To Send A Couple Over To The UK ?


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## eldondominicano (Jan 16, 2015)

Fantastic work!!!


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