For decades I resisted putting water features on my layouts because I expected this problem:
dust.
Does anything look less realistic than dusty water?
With the new water products I became confident enough that I included a wetland on my current layout. I used Woodland Scenics Realistic Water. Well, a few years have passed and now my bog is covered with a layer of dust. Realistic water stays a little tacky, so the dust doesn’t just vacuum away. I’m open to suggestions about cleaning the dust off the “water.”
My preference would be that we not get into a debate about water products, but focus on cleaning Realistic Water.
I usually use a small paper towel or q-tip with a liberal amount of Windex for cleaner. It seems I usually clean every 3-4 weeks. Thankfully my layout is only 2’x4’ so it doesn’t take long.
I also use Realistic Water on my layout, which is in a relatively uninsulated garage, here in California, so I not only get dust, I get pollen. For my relatively large lake,area, I use Windex and a soft cloth to clean the water. Works well for me.
You’re in a sticky situation. (Hey…what did you want for nothing!?)
Seriously, I would wipe off what I could with a damp cloth, and then give serious thought to a recover with either a thin layer of the same water substitute, or do what I would do…use a thin cover of epoxy.
My epoxy accumulated dust as any surface does, but a wipe with a wet paper towel, followed by another pat dry with a clean dry one, yielded a pristine surface once more. I found I had to do this about every 6-8 weeks, so I don’t have a clean space for my layout.
And thanks to the rest of you. I’ll try the Windex idea. If that doesn’t work, I’ll put on another layer of “Realistic Water.” I wish that stuff wasn’t so pricey. I’ve thought about using “Water Effects” to add some texture to the surface so dust is less apparent; I just worry about overdoing it and getting a stormy-sea look.
Don’t know about WS stuff, I used Envirotex Lite. Try a “Swiffer” broom thingy cover( sorry for the technical terms), it’s easy and works for me. The CFO wonders what happens to them, but I convince her I cleaned the hardwood.[:-^]
You’re right, it doesn’t prevent the problem from recurring, but I may have a better solution by then.
My concern about covering one plastic with another is that they may have different coefficients of expansion and separate, making silvery air pockets between the layers.
One of the challenges associated with cleaning this is that it’s not just open water. Here’s a picture so you can see what issues I’m dealing with:
Phil, a suggestion for you. Go to Wal Mart and get a jar of Mod Podge Gloss Medium. It only costs a few dollars, many fewer than the WS product or finishing quality two-part epoxies. Try brushing some of it, or pour it, over the cleaned surface you have. I’ll bet it doesn’t look half bad. If you don’t like it, there’s a good chance you can actually peal it right off again, like a skin. In my case I used a wide-mouth plastic jar of Gel Gloss Medium (I think I found it in an artists’ or craft store) and stipple it on with the side of a brush. Let it dry, several days for the thicker wave peaks, and see if that doesn’t look very good.
My log pond takes up 75% of one module and 25% of the connecting module. I cut 3 sheets of newapaper to fit over the pond. I keep the newspaper down unless I am operating the layout or showing the layout. This has worked great for over 15 years. I have a third module that has a narrow river running through the scene and I cover it the same way. Peter Smith, Memphis
My “Magic Water” creek gets dusty now and then, mostly because the rest of the layout is still in full construction mode. I constructed a cover for the entire creek using a piece of styrofoam (edges touch the shore, not the water). This has helped tremendously.
