Adding Water to a River Bed - What is the Preferred Method?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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I am planning a partial makeover of my layout, and one of my objectives is to create a more dramatic bridge scene than just a small patch of water under the bridge itself.

I model a highly urban area (downtown Chicago), so my bridges are bascule bridges and double truss bridges spanning channels and straightened river beds.

I have found a lot of information, and a lot of inspiration, from a somewhat recent forum thread. Here is the link.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/238387.aspx

What I find interesting, and a bit confusing, is the sheer number of techniques used by modelers to create water effects. Gloss medium, gel gloss medium, Envirotex Lite (a 2-part epoxy resin), modge podge (an acrylic medium), Magic Water, Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, full gloss solvent based artists varnish, and acrylic medium heavy gel (from Golden). Yikes, which one do you prefer?

Personally, I have used Woodland Scenics Realistic Water on several different applications over the past 13 years or so, but the more that I use Realistic Water, the less that I like it. Realistic Water requires several thin pours, and I mean thin. Pour Realistic Water too thick, or too deep, and it can take months to cure. Also, as pointed out in the linked thread, Realistic Water is self healing, which means it never really totally hardens.

Beyond the question of which method and product is preferred, I also ask myself, it is better to paint the river bed and then pour the product as a clear liquid, or is it better to add paint to the pour as a tint?

One method in particular that fascinates me is the one used by doctorwayne. If I understand his method correctly, he builds the river bed using Durabond 90 patching plaster. Once it dries, Wayne uses flat latex house paint to color the plaster base, then to make the “water” look wet, it gets three coats of clear, water-based high gloss urethane. So, if I understand his method correc

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The process described that wayne uses, is very simular to what I use… But I have grown up around rivers and creeks that have tannins in them from the natural bush, so I model dark water…

My method is to pour a plaster bed, un tinted…

Next I paint the bottom from white or grey going to black in deep water… If there are rocks or shallows, then i make them light… I use acrylic artists paints as they are all I can get in small amounts…

Next i’ll use varnish of sorts(some times I have used the same as what I use on the spars of a sailing dinghy), usually cheap or lefts overs… About 4 coats, 24 hours apart… If I want a ripple effect, I brush the 2nd last layer with the brush before prepping it with the next layer of varnish(the turps on the brush causes the surface layer to ripple)… If you want the ripple to one side(ie like in a deep area of lower flow), then just brush that area… Been working for 20 years, for me…

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I used a product call Famowood, available at Lowe’s, which is essentially the same thing as Envirotex but about half the cost. It’s good for creating smooth water. To add ripples to the water I used Miniwax Polycrilic. Spread it over the smooth water and then using a brush swirl it around. It is white when it is applied but becomes translucent when it cures.

I followed Dave Frary’s methods for my water features with outstanding results. Some of it won’t be applicable to your situation since you are modeling an urban waterway, but coloring the river bottom would likely be similar. You can purchase his DVD but some parts of it are up on YouTube. I highly recommend it.

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I use Envirotex Lite. I think the key is good base preparation. It has to be well-sealed. I scenic the riverbed as if it is going to be on the surface, and tint the resin so that it will be transluscent, not transparent. This scene is an urban canal that I edged with Hydrocal castings of a cut stone wall. (This mold came from Sterling Models.)

I tint each layer of Envirotex a bit differently. The first layer can be fairly dark, with some black and dark green or blue. Even so, go lightly on the paint (I use craft store acrylics.) A drop or two to a one or two ounce batch is enough. For the next layers, I use less paint and lighter colors. Typically, I do the final layer clear.

What this does is add depth to the water by making cloudier as you look down. The bottom of the canal is hard to see.

As the last pour sets, sometimes I add swirls of green paint to the top with a toothpick. This gives an illusion of some current flowing and pushing vegetation along with it. In less-than-pristine settings, I add trash like tires, shopping carts and the bicycle seen here. The ones from Gold Medal Models are made of metal and have much better detail than the plastic bikes and carts.

The water around the car float looks very deep because of the flat black base and heavily tinted Envirotex.

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I haven’t gone to the link for that other thread, but I have explained my own methods on so many of them that I won’t take up splace here.

My advice, if you are interested, is to ponder and mentally rehearse each of the methods and simply pick the one that seems most convenient and manageable, not to mention intuitive. Another set of important factors are the costs and the availability of the requisite materials. In my experience, this hobby enjoys bouts of momentum the way I do it. If I get stalled, I tend to flag, sometimes for weeks before I get up the gumption to continue or to initiate a delayed project. That’s just me, though.

Water can’t be done well inside of about 72 hours. You must generate the ‘vessel’, paint it up to provide a convincing depth profile and bed colour, and then do at least two 1/8" thick pours of whatever you are using. All these steps require curing or drying between them, or you’ll ruin everything up to that point. That’s why 72 hours is the minimum especially if waiting for media or epoxies to set.

One final thought; nothing we do is permanent. It can always be chipped, ripped, or wrecking-barred out and into a dust bin someplace. You can often just cover botched experiments (is there such a thing?) by simply adding one or two more layers of the product you are using. Part of the fun for most of us well-adjusted adults in the hobby is in the learning, including what fails. Or what fails for you.

Good luck.

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What most interests me is the notion of brushing on a high gloss finish over a painted roadbed as opposed to pouring a liquid “water”. I am not against pouring a liquid if the consensus is that it is more realistic looking than a brushed on application. But I have found that pouring liquid water is tedious and often gives a much too flat appearance.

Rich

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Rich, the procedure which I used (described in the linked thread) must’ve been pretty easy, as it was my first attempt.
I used Durabond due to its strength and stability (won’t crack, even in thick applications) and the fact that it sets within a specified timeframe. I used the 90 minute version because the river’s area was fairly large and I didn’t want it setting while I was still trying to work on the finish, most of which was done with various drywall knives. If you want choppy or at least not a glass-like surface, a damp sponge can be used to tease-up the surface a bit - this may have to be repeated several times if the mix is too soupy. Regardless whether the mix is soupy or stiff, it will begin to set roughly within the specified time. As it sets, you can use a putty knife or similar tool to remove excess material which sometimes accumulates along the edges where a pass has been made with the drywall knife, but once it hardens fully, don’t expect to remove major portions of it with anything less than a hammer and cold chisel.

My riverbeds are all sheathing-grade 3/8" plywood, and I misted the surface with water before applying the Durabond - this prevents the wood from drawing to much water out of the Durabond mix.

Since my river has a fairly strong current, the ripples and small ridges left by the passage of the drywall knives don’t look out of place, but they may on a canal. Any smoothing of the Durabond must be done before it’s fully cured, and preferably while it’s still easily workable.

Wayne

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Wayne, thanks for that explanation of the river bed process.

Do I understand you correctly that once the Durabond has thoroughly dried and hardened, you use flat latex house paint to color the plaster base? Then after the paint has dried, to make the “water” look wet, it gets three coats of clear, water-based high gloss urethane?

Assuming that I understand this method correctly, you don’t pour artificial water but, rather, you simply apply high gloss urethane to the painted plaster base. Do you I have this right?

Rich

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Yup, you got it right, Rich. The Durabond is for forming the “water”, while the paint gives it depth and the colour characteristics you want, and the brushed-on clear finish makes it look wet, and also protects it so that it’s easy to keep clean.

Wayne

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So I’m not the only one using these methods…

My reason for trying and using this method is because I have little access to shops that would sell much in the way of hobby stuff…

Now I find people use this method around the world…

I love that saying, “you will find a prototype of everything you do”…

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I paint my rivers in gloss acrylic varnish, much more control.