Hello Mailman56701: I agree with you about Structolite. It’s great for scenery. Actually, there is another product that is similiar and interchangeable. It’s called Gypsolite. I believe both of these products are used in the building trades as what plasterers call a scratch coat. This product is applied to walls that are to be plastered. When dry the surface is rough, (due to the perlite granules) and gives some “tooth” for the finish plaster to adhere to. I’ve used both products, (2-50 lb. bags) to do my scenery. My layout is approx. 15 x 36 ft. with a center peninsula. If you don’t need a 50 lb. bag, Scenic Express has Gypsolite in a 5 lb. cont. for $9.98 or 20 lb. for $29.98. Dave Frary in his book Modeling the Pennsy Middle Div. explains how he uses it for his scenery. I deviated from his method by using a mixture of approx. 4 parts Structolite or Gypsolite to 1 part Sculptamold, (available at AC Moore, Michael’s). I mix it in a 1 qt. Pyrex cup. This material is very flexible. You can make it thin and paint it on with a brush, or make it thick and apply with spatula. It can be rough or smooth. I also used it to attach all my rock castings. BTW, I got mine at Home Depot. It’s in mortar, sand , ready mix dept. Oh, and it cleans up with water.
Hooray! Another convert. Soon we will take over the world …
I’ve been pushing this stuff for years. BTW You can also adjust the coarsness or smothness of the final texture with a metal bladed putty knife while it’s still plastic. A nice way to create rocks.
Can you put already cast and dried plaster rocks on this stuff? or would that suck out the moisture from the structo/gypsolite and keep it from setting?
I may give this stuff a try when I get to that stage. Sounds great and economical at the same time! Can it be sanded smooth and used as pavement modeling as well as nature scenes.
May be a cheap way to model roadways, parking lots etc. if it is.
Yep, it can be sanded, etc. You can make as rough or as smooth a texture as you want. Haven’t tried it for a road, but it would make great ones it seems to me.
You sure? I just ask because in the series that ran in MR where Pelle built his Feather River Canyon, he said that when he needed to put a bunch of small castings together, he put plaster on the foam and then pushed them in, using crumpled foil to fix the gobs that ooze out between. But he also warned that you must wet the castings first, or else they will draw all the moisture from the wet plaster, keeping it from setting.
btw, can you put Sculptamold/Structolite/Gypsolite on foam?
Fwiw, while not having tried to put cast rocks on structo-lite, I don’t see why you couldn’t, and it wouldn’t be a problem.
You’re comparing apples/oranges using Pelle’s example. He used plaster. Plaster and Structo-lite have very little in common, and in my use of it so far, it out “performs” plaster hands-down in every way.
If nothing else, get a small batch and see for sure if it works or not.
For you fellas and gals that can’t find either of these two products. Structo-lite or Gypso-lite, try the drywall or sheetrock ( wholesalers ) in your areas. They are virtually the same products, I haven’t been able to find Structo-lite in Canada, but Gypso-lite is available and what I use. I get it from a company called “Kenrock”
All of the above things mentioned about it are correst. Pretty great stuff. I like it.
Hello everyone: Quoting Dave Frary in his book, The Pennsy Middle Division in HO Scale," Structolite/Gypsolite"s biggest advantage is the long working time. You can work Structolite/Gypsolite for more than an hour before it gets stiff, and it takes up to 4 hours to completely harden. Structolite/Gypsolite has several disadvantages. It must be applied over an absorbant surface to harden correctly." He recommends using it over plaster wrap because it is absorbent. As to cast rocks, he recommends wetting the backs with wet water, and then ‘“butter” the backs with a 1/4 " of Structolite and then push the casting in place and wiggle it to seat it. Any Structolite that oozes out can be removed or smoothed around and between the castings. Another adv. is it dries to a uniform hardness. The surface takes paint and washes the same way plaster rock castings do. One caution, don’t try to use it in a mold, it won’t set. I used this method on all my scenery, and I think it turned out great. BTW, it can be applied directly to foam. Here’ a couple pics.
We used to sell structolite at the lumber yard I worded at in the bronx, I now work at lowes and we dont sell it there, but we do have something called durobond, it comes in 20, 45 and 90 weigth im wondering how this would work, does anyone have any ideas?
For the past year, I have been using powdered joint compound which also has a longer working time than plaster-of-paris or hydrocal. It is available in several different setting times. I use the 90 minute variety. I’ve used it for both the finish coat for landforms and as a paving material. The brand name I use is simply called Sheetrock and I’ve gotten it at Lowe’s.
I still find uses for Sculptamold. I find it very workable when I need to build a small landform or to fill a small void.
Durabond is powder drywall compound - except it dries like a rock!! The 20, 45, and 90 #'s refer to the setting time (in minutes). Structolite is also used by plumbers to fill under plastic tubs & shower pans to keep them ridgid & quieter. Like any plaster/drywall compound, sanding is a last resort unless you LOVE DUST!! My [2c]
