My layout is on foam, and I want to put in a small level creek. I’ve carved a small trough in the foam that look about right for a creek bed. Now what do I do?[?] What should I paint the foam with, or should I cover it with plaster and then paint it? Does the Wood land Scenics water work well?
Thanks in advance.
I like pouring a soupy mix of plaster to form my river / lake bottom. This is a good way to get a perfectly flat bottom (water seeks it’s own level) In addition, the plaster will seal your river bed to prevent leaks. Then paint you bed using earth tone paints. For water, I like using Envrotex colored with a drop of black acrylic paint. For very shallow water you might want to color your water with a greenish/blue paints.
What Envrotex, Walthers doesn’t seem to list it?
The foam is great to work with i love it , im using that cheap 44 cent paint in the walmart craft dept.
its called its acrylique works great and you have time to blend into other colors be for it drys shape the foam with hot wire cutter scape it to rought it up add real rocks and grass and start to pour your water ,Im using woodland scenes real water 24 hr drying time and only pour 1/8" at a time working out good so far,if you make it to thick it will bubble up , you can check out my web site i just posted new photos of the stream im doing
I carved the banks from foam bringing the steepest slope straight down to intersect the plane of the plywood supporting the foam, then laid plaster cloth, two layers atop it.
No worries about the near flat slope at the base of the embankment, because Envirotex creeps up the edges and has to be covered anyway, by adding sand and gravel beaches later on, you get the levels just right in one step.
After the plaster cloth dried I added lightweight spackling compound to form overhangs on outside corners and eroded gullies most everywhere else.
Next comes Walmart acrylic paint, then Envirotex with a little dye in 1/8th inch pours, Realistic Water or more spackling at waterfalls and white water which needs painted anyway, and finally acrylic gloss medium for waves.
Finish up the embankmnet curve near water level with some assorted size sand and rocks and that should about do it.
I have a “what I did” on making rushing water at:
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/rushing_water/
Click image to enlarge
Thank you if you visit
Harold
Envirotex and Envirote lite can be found at craft stores like Michael’s.
Bob,
Does the acrylic paint work as a dye and stay in suspension for the coloring?
Bob K.