Is there such a thing sold? The plaster cloth is a bit expensive and the paper towel option is ok but messy. I like the cloth idea but if I go back to the paper towel option is there a preferred brand of hydrocal and towel combo.
The brown heavy-duty shop towels work pretty good. One I use from time to time is the Viva Tough job kitchen towels. A tad expensive, but they work for what I need to plaster over. Usually small gaps between foam pads and for use to bulk up mountain sides.
You can get plaster cloth at art supply places like Michaels or A.C. Moore for less than what they charge for Woodland Scenics. Some people have suggested getting the stuff they make broken-bone casts from at a medical supply place. Yeah, medical equipment is cheaper than model railroad stuff. Imagine that.
1st Place Hobbies at http://www.1stplacehobbies.com has Scenic Express plaster cloth #653-60 (same size as Woodland Scenics) for $4.90 a roll. Best price I’ve seen. And I find it easier and not as messy as the plaster-and-towel method.
I have a couple of cases of WS cloth down, but am increasingly going with stacked and carved foam. For larger mountains and complex scenery it has some advantages. It holds trees better and is nice for setting plaster rock casts.
I first used hardshell shortly after Linn Westcott described it in MR. Once my layout reaches the scenery stage I’ll be using the paper towel and slurry technique. A big package of Bounty towels from Sam’s Club and plaster from Home Depot, total cost about $25, should pretty well cover about 175 square feet of layout.
The plaster-saturated cloth is more convenient, but also considerably more expensive. I’d rather spend that money on signals.
Chuck
Platercloth in bulk from a medical supply is the way to go. The WS stuff is way too expensive. The medical cloth is actually better quality at a fraction of the cost. There was disscussion about this with links to suppliers about a few months ago. Do a search to see what you come up with. My club is still using the cases that were donated a few years ago. Plaster cloth is so less messy than paper towel and much stronger. We use screen or cardboard lattice for plastercloth covering and also foam with plaster pending the terrain and final scenery.
Bob K.