How do you make structures look like they naturally belong on the layout. I’m using plaster cloth over foam and if there are any undulations in the plaster cloth the structures look like they are drifting a foot or two off the “ground”. Any suggestions on how to correct this? I’ve tried a search but haven’t had any success. Appreciate any and all help. Thanks.
Foundations?
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/212575.aspx?sort=ASC&pi314=1
Try that and see if that answers your question.
Works for me…appreciate the assistance as well as the promptness…
The link to the foundations thread is helpful, but that still leaves you with finding a level spot and blending it in. The idea there to use plastic wrap on the base of a specific structure and pressing it into the wet scenery is a handy one.
One way to do this is to use Sculptamold to fill and build a level spot on your undulating scenery.
Sometimes embedding a piece of 1/4" luaun or 1/8" masonite helps.
Reserve some of the ground cover used on the surrounding scenery or use a contrasting gravel or other substance to spread and “fill” the gaps around the foundation.
With plaster cloth over foam it is easy. First do all your scenery work. Then draw the outline of the building where you want it. Take a new break-off blade and extend it to the length you need and cut out the outline (the better you do here, the less touchup will be necessary later. Excavate any foam needed to make it level. inset building and touch up the scenery. Done this many times on mine.
Yes, you will get better results by placing the building first, and then adding the scenery around it. It’s also a lot easier to determine where you want the buildings if you can move them around on a flat surface. You’re also going to want to have the buildings in place as a guide to where your roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots will go.
I like foundations, too, but if you put a foundation on top of a plaster-cloth base, you end up with the same problem. Just like real construction, you should “back fill” the scenery around the base of the building.
In general, it’s always a good idea to create a nice flat base for a building, then build the scenery up around it. That way, the building doesn’t look like it was just dropped from a helicopter and “plopped” onto the ground, but was built in place with a strong foundation.
I agree and also, It would not hurt to have some of that foundation,showing,in some spots.
Cheers, [D]
Frank
In my Frugal Modeler column in the Spring 2011 issue of the NMRA Midwest Region “Waybill” (which you can find here:
http://www.mwr-nmra.org/region/waybill/waybill.html
I showed how a thin (perhaps 1/16" thick) “gasket” of foam rubber, dyed green, around the bottom base of the entire building can help fill the gaps of slightly irregular flat foundation areas. I have since learned that this technique works best with structures that have weight to them, as was the case with the perhaps somewhat overbuilt and braced scratchbuilt 4-unit apartment house shown in the article.
The green of the foam rubber blends well with the ground foam that I use around structures. The nice thing is you can still pick the building up; it is not glued down to the foundation.
I found the thin foam rubber that I use as part of the packaging in some compact disc multi-disc sets.
I received some favorable feedback on that article, presumably from modelers whose structures were also on the heavy side. You cannot just plunk a building down on any scenery – you still need a prepared foundation of some sort – but this flexible gasket idea allows the foundation to be something a normal modeler can create with normal tolerances.
Dave Nelson
I’ve always liked the idea and challenge of building to the terrain and imagine it to be rock base so you then have to build up a foundation to the terrain area. Once the building fits to the terrain tone down the colors like the building has been there for years and the terrain is attached to the foundation. Now for flat areas, well same idea only difference is the foundation is on semi flatness and needs to be blended in.
This is just the way my imagine works.[swg]
This is a somewhat dark night shot, but the foundation of this Walthers Cornerstone built-up is just carved styrofoam, the white pilled stuff that comes in toaster packaging. I carved it, including the steps you see, painted it to look like stone, and this is what it looks like.
It looks good with its toned down color.
All very good ideas…I want to thank you all for your input. I especially liked Mr. B’s idea of “backfill”…I now have a use for my WS bulldozer.
I just happened to be setting up my service area and needed to “dirt-in” the “foundation” for these buildings. I just finished the coaling tower. The water tower is a stand-in for a tower to be built to match Durango’s. And I’ll be scratchbuilding a sand house and a diesel fuel rack. The site has a slight downgrade to the left/away from the turntable, so i made up the foundation pad so it would keep everything level from some old blocks of fine-grain pine. I made sure that it would clear the pilots on my locos, then painted it black.
I taped adjacent tracks. Then I wrapped the foundation pad in plastic wrap, taping the loose ends on top so it fit tight on the pad. I mixed my Sculptamold so it wasn’t too wet, then packed and formed it around the pad as needed.
After letting the Sculptamold dry for an hour or so, I went back to lift the pad. Most plastic wrap will tear if you try to lift a pad this size. You may be able to lift a smaller pad. Be cautious so you don’t pull up the Sculptamold if it’s a thin section. If this happens, you can usually carefully set aside the pieces to dry, then use wood glue to put back in place as you set the pad.
Once the pad is up, then clean excess material away carefully. One reason I like working with Sculptamold is it’s so versatile. In fact, right at the edge of the mold is usually a fine lip. You’ll want to knock off the fragile fringe and use your fingers to smooth it to a durable lip once dry. That’s also why you don’t want to leave the pad in place until it’s dry. It needs to comes up so you can “finish” the molding.
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/ur9r.jpg/][IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img23/8489/ur9r.jpg[/IMG
Thanks Mike, I especially appreciate the step by step photos. Thanks also Tomkat…love your rendition of the grain warehouse.
I haven’t gotten to the scenery building yet, but what I plan on doing is to cut, then paste (using craft glue), a piece of cardboard or cardstock that is exactly the dimensions of the foot print of the structure, in that location. So, when I do the scenery, any plaster, Sculptamold or other scenery material that gets in that place can be peeled up by simply removing the cardboard. the craft glue us used so that the cardboard can be easily removed. I’ve done this on some dioramas I’ve built and it works quite well. Scenery can then be touched up after the structure is in place or just prior to placing.
set structure into fusion fiber that is still wet. Press structure lightly into fiber. Add ground covers or sidewalks, etc and allow to dry. After drying you can pop out structure with putty knife and a perfect form for structure will remain. You can do a 12 by 20 inch building in about 10 minutes or less with practice.
the photo below shows after popping out building on dry fusionfiber. The line is where building sits. If decide to move or alter location slightly simply wet area again and reset into wet fiber.
wsdimenna,
Guess I was out to lunch whenever this has been mentioned before. What is fusion fiber? Sounds like an interesting product and one that can be adjusted, if needed.
Thank you,
Richard
All good ideas on here.
One thing I always do to make a building or road - whatever it is - belong is to give it some of the same colour as its surrounds. If you have green grass right up to the walls, add some green. If it’s dirt, add dirt colour. If it’s dry grass, add some dry grass colour. I apply the appropriate colour pastel dust down low on walls to do the job. That makes it belong to the current colour scheme, so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
But I probably should have had foundations showing too [:)]
Mike