# Preparing driftwood: Soaking, Boiling, Baking, Super-glue, Plexiglass & Epoxy



## aquaman3000 (Oct 21, 2006)

I hope the glue works out. If not, I would simply drill some small holes in the acrylic base you made, and screw the driftwood to it with stainless steel screws instead of relying on a bonding agent. I haven't had much luck or longevity using glue/silicone/epoxy with submerged driftwood.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

i have a driftwood that sink, but after the boiling process it float. i know the frustration. after about a week soaking, it sank again. i don't know how this happens, perhaps someone can explain here?


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## Nbot (Apr 15, 2007)

Not sure what the process is....boiling I was told forces the gases out of the wood?

Well, the driftwood is still attached to the acrylic 12 hours later, I don't need it to hold forever, just long enough to water log...

I meant to put in the idea of screwing thru the drift wood in my first post, left it out, the pieces I was using, some of them didn't lend to screwing so that's why I went a different route, however in retrospect it might've worked.

ps. I added "baking" to the list above

pps. I used .110 inch acrylic, so it hardly took up any space in the tank


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

One way to avoid all that drama :icon_mrgr If you have clean rivers around you, find already waterlogged pieces. Once I found a great big root while hiking, and somehow fit it in my backpack and lugged it home. It weighted about 25 pounds, I arrived tired, but had no problems keeping it on the bottom of the tank. It is still in my 100gal tank today.


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## Nbot (Apr 15, 2007)

hiking? You mean outside of the house?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Hehe... yeah, that crazy stuff, when people get up and for no apparent reason run around in the wilderness. My wife always shakes her head too. :icon_bigg


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## Nbot (Apr 15, 2007)

Wasser..lol, I just moved here to Madison so I don't know where to hike around yet, work keeps me pretty busy too, so those are my excuses! When I was 21 or so, I lived out of a tent for 7 months or so outside Durango, CO so I'm not anti-hiking:icon_bigg 

Here's some pics of the driftwood glued up, sorry for lousy camera, you can see & read more in my dwarf puffer tank journal here:http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/50015-nbots-29g-d-puffer-low-tech.html#post445204


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

native collecting... i envy you guys. living in a big city prevent me to do that


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## spdskr (Nov 14, 2005)

I haven't had long term success with glue and epoxy. The wood eventually decomposes at the sealant juncture. IMO the best solution is to affix it to a heavy base support with screws.


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## BakedStuffedHuman (Jul 9, 2007)

Suction cups work for a smaller piece. Just make sure to attach them properly the first time, or else you will be shoveling up your substrate to reattach them!

Just use some stainless steel screws and Walmart sell suction cups that won't rust in the arts and crafts section. I would advise using at least 3 on any piece.


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## Nbot (Apr 15, 2007)

I made some smaller sections of plexiglass for my other tank and new driftwood w/ Xmas moss on it...plexiglass in 3" squares or so, easy enough to wiggle under the gravel...as long as the super glue holds the wood until its water logged, is all I care about and relatively easy, I guess screws are fairly easy as well, several different options out there...


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