'Foil' Stone

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Have any of you tried the line of Foil Stone sheets offered by Scenic Express? I am particularly interested in the Basalt Rock #HK3140.

I need to install a rock face at an approximately 90 degree angle to a back drop. The back drop is 1/2" gator board and and is secured only at the bottom so it goes out of plumb easily. Thus I am reluctant to try to mold plaster against it.

I would appreciate info about ease of installation and of painting/weathering.

2

Can’t help you with the Foil Stone, looks nice though.

Since you are going to put a face on your backdrop, could you put a couple of small angle brackets at the base to help keep it more stable? I used them in pairs to stabalize my scenic divider in the middle of my layout. The divider is removeable and slides inbetween the hidden pairs that are backed up to each other.

Another thought is can you stand up a piece of foam in front of the gator board, attached (adhesive of your choice) to the base? If you attached it to the gator board also, it would help stabalize that too.

I did a curved rock cut, making a mold out of aluminum foil, filled with Sculptamold, when it started to set I stood it against the foam face.

Good luck,

Richard

3

Good ideas. Thanks!

I’m still hoping to hear from somebody who has used (or tried using) the foil stone.

4

Here’s a suggestion. I have part of the layout where I will be using plaster that will butt up against the, as yet to be installed, backdrop.

  1. Use a piece of scrap wood that is long enough to span the length you intend to place your rock face, and taller than the rock face will be. Attach it to the backside of your layout with a sheet of wax paper sandwiched between the back of the layout and the scrap piece of wood.
  2. Tape the wax paper to the scrap wood, then build/install your rock face; butted up against the scrap wood/wax paper.
  3. After the rock face has hardened, remove the scrap wood, and the wax paper should peel right off.
  4. Paint/stain your rock face.
  5. You can hide the seam with vegetation (ground foam, trees, whatever).
5

If weight is a consideration you can take a bread knife and cut very thin slices of extruded foam and glue it to the backdrop and paint it up. I have done this with geat success (not to backdrops, but to other things where space was an issue) and I think foam rock looks as good as anything else available and it is cheap, cheap, cheap!

6

I would, incorporate…Cowman and Batman’s, suggestions.

Take Care! [:D]

Frank