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Non-Oakley DIY help - need advice

kronin323

Font of Useless Knowledge
46,014
7,943
Austin, TX
The other week I was trimming some bushes and came across a bird's nest. I'd like to preserve it for The Kid.

It's got an inner basket of finely woven strands, which should hold together pretty well. But it's got an outer shell of interlaced twigs, and that can fall apart pretty easily over time.

What I'm envisioning is some sort of clear spray that will both bond everything together and protect it. But I'm unsure what exactly to use.

I looked at some spray adhesives, but I'm concerned that they're not really designed for this sort of use and also might not be clear.

I also looked at some clear coats, but I'm unsure they'll bond the twigs and stuff together.

Anybody have any recommendations?

@THE X-MAN
@dr.chop
@qtrain23
@Rustpot
@anybody else?
 
And meanwhile the bird comes back and wonders where its new house from just last year has gone...!

In the absence of carbonite, you could maybe preserve the whole thing in a cube of resin.

Thusly:

217_280_csupload_47418986.jpg


That way she can turn it around, look at it from different angles etc and it stays intact.
 
The other week I was trimming some bushes and came across a bird's nest. I'd like to preserve it for The Kid.

It's got an inner basket of finely woven strands, which should hold together pretty well. But it's got an outer shell of interlaced twigs, and that can fall apart pretty easily over time.

What I'm envisioning is some sort of clear spray that will both bond everything together and protect it. But I'm unsure what exactly to use.

I looked at some spray adhesives, but I'm concerned that they're not really designed for this sort of use and also might not be clear.

I also looked at some clear coats, but I'm unsure they'll bond the twigs and stuff together.

Anybody have any recommendations?

@THE X-MAN
@dr.chop
@qtrain23
@Rustpot
@anybody else?
I'm sure if you can find one of those poofy haired girls from back in the 80s....they may suggest Aquanet. ;)

Although Rustpot did say hair spray already. :D
 
Back when I used to breed geckos I made all kinds of custom stuff for them with real sticks/brush/whatever, probably similar to what makes up that nest. Unlike stuff for fish that you can more or less give a chlorine bath and de-chlorinate or bake to kill off whatever might be on it, stuff for geckos is much better sealed to prevent ingestion of things that might harm them. What I always used was Krylon Clear Glaze ( link: Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze - | Krylon ), It worked extremely well on wood surfaces and after sitting over night was hard as a rock and crystal clear, albeit very glossy/reflective. I never actually used it to try to hold things together though. That was usually done with hot/super glue and then covered over with the Krylon stuff.

If I were you I'd get a can and spray it on some random twigs and let it sit and see what you link of the results before putting it on the nest. It's cheap enough and readily available (I believe I got mine at Walmart or Lowes/Home Depot) that it shouldn't be hard to get and won't break the bank if you aren't happy with it.
 
Yes, the next was empty and it was in branches that got trimmed off. I don't have any pics of the nest handy but here's a before / after of the bush it came from (no this is not my house)...

20150531_155611.jpg


20150531_161628.jpg
 
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