I am having lots of fun with my layout. I really enjoy working on it! I am working on making it look realalistic. This weekend I am probably going to go to Hobby Lobby. Thay are kinda high on stuff there, so I’m looking to save some $$$. I really need some Scenic Cement. is there any way I can make my own? I tried last night, but it gooed up in mt spray head. Also, any other products that you really recomend getting to improve scenery? I have only 5 tree’s on my layout. Only 1 is on my hillside/mountian, should I get more?
Any thing else would be appreciated!
Sinceraly,
Justin
P.S. If you don’t want to buy deadfall go to youre wifes/mom’s flower bead and get some really weathered mulch!
I’ve been using a product called “modge podge” for the last 10 years or so. It’s water souluble, dries flat, and is available at any craft store. It’s every bit as good or better than the commercialy available model railroad specific bonding agents. A large jar cost just a few bucks and will last a long time.
Trees. Well, it depends on what area you are trying to copy. For the Badlands of Dakota or central Arizona, I would think 5 trees about right. For Idaho or upstate New York, 5,000 is a better number. In any case, you can mass produce your own trees easily and cheaply. There are many methods to do this so I suggest going to your local library and checking out some books on model railroad scenery. check online also and you will find lots of help posted about making trees and other scenery items.
I have a sprayer with a relitively fine spray. I fill it with water mixed with a couple drops of liquid dish detergent. NO GLUE.
I have a plastic ketchup dispenser, one of those cheap, red cliche’ ones with the pointy spout. I fill it with a 50-50 mix of Elmer’s white glue (or equivalent), a couple drops of detergent and a few drops of my base earth color latex paint (optional).
If I’m doing scenery:
Paint the area with my base latex earth color.
Then sprinkle ground foam (or other materials) onto the wet paint.
Let it dry.
Add another layer of scenic materials (foam or other).
Gently spray a fine mist of water over the area, enough to wet it without blowing the material around.
Once the material is wet, the spray can be more aggressive.
Once the material is thoroughly wet, dribble the glue mixture onto the material. Enough that you can see its there but not enough to flood and wash away the material.
Let it dry.
If another layer of scenic material if required.
If more material is added repeat steps 5 and 6.
If no more material is added, you can spray it less gently.
Repeat step 7.
Let it dry.
When dry it should be there securely. Spraying glue gets overspray into track, scenery, rocks, etc, etc. Dribbling doesn’t. This isnt’ a quick method, it might take several days for drying.<
I use the cheapest yellow glue I can find at the local hardware stores. I mix it about 6/1 in favour of the water and add two drops of liquid dish detergent. I spray the surface liberally and then sprinkle ground foam. I let it dry. Then I spray the area again and add another kind of ground foam. When that is dry, I’ll either add yet another type of ground foam in patches or just overspray again to ensure all of the stuff sticks.
Note that Mod Podge comes in two varieties: gloss and matte. You don’t want the gloss!
I’ll jump in here for a moment. Don’t try spraying the glue, you’ll only gum up your sprayer head and it will shoot all over everything except the area you’re trying to work. Use the sprayer for a mixture of ‘wet’ water (about 2 drops of liquid detergent added to the water) and then dribble the glue over the ground cover after it’s been saturated.
Elmer’s white or yellow glue thinned either 50/50 or 60/40 in favor of the water is a very good, much cheaper substitute for the WS Scenic Cement.
I’ve not used Modge Podge, but I’ve heard really great things about it (as long as you don’t use the Gloss). However I think that the Elmer’s might be a little cheaper in the long run, especially if you’re scenicking a large area.
As to trees–study the geography of the area that you’re duplicating. Some areas are very sparse in trees, others are extremely thick. And don’t be afraid to make your own–the Scenic Express Super Trees can be made to look extremely good with ground foam foliage from either Scenic Express and WS, simply by spraying the Super Trees with cheap hairspray, rolling them around in the foam and then spraying them again to fix. A cheap, odorless hair-spray will hold like Epoxy!
Yes, good point Selector, use the matte version of the Modge Podge. Incidently, I have been using Windex instead of soap as a flow agent and I am pleased at how much better it works.
This is a good point, Tom. (Funny how we forget important details!)
I have the habit of tightly sealing the twirled cover of the spray nozzle shut once I have finished spraying. That works for about 3-10 weeks in average humidity. After that, the next time you go to use the device you will find the hand-pump doesn’t work any more; the glue has set.
No problem! I have found that soaking both the removable hollow tube that runs into the volume and the spray head in warm soapy water for about 10 minutes will have you back pumping in a …well…20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes are up, you restore the tube to its nib, keep the tube bottom opening in the warm sudsy water, and begin to use the spray action. Hot water will continue to flush the mechanism and you’ll find your sixth or eigth compression jetting water out the nozzle normally.