While I fully expect to be in benchwork, track construction, electrical, soldering interurban overhead, and then “foaming” for much of 2007, there has been one positive word used in this forum every once in a while: SculptaMold.
There are other scenery materials such as joint compound, lightweight hydrocal, and plaster. I am planning to use water putty for street trackage, and a ground goop before ground cover.
Here’s a link describing “SculptaMold” at Scenic Express…
Sculptamold makes a good scenic base. It can be shaped easily, because it dries slowly. Unlike plaster, it pretty much stays in shape vertically, instead of slumping or needing to be molded into place. It sticks well to most things. It is particualrly useful in blending in transitions between plywood levels as they diverge when you use “cookie-cutter” roadbed methods.
You can also rewet it in order to reshape or retexture it. Let it sit on your basement floor, but otherwise keep it dry, and it’s still good after ten years. Try that with plaster!
I’ve never tried molding it, but this should work, although the detail will likely be nowhere near as fine as hydrocal typically yields.
One thing to be careful about is that it takes up stains differently than plaster does. I use it to embed rock castings in, but you need to get them close to each other or fill a bit with plaster if you’re going to stain hydrocal, etc. Or you can use foam, etc to fill in “vegetation” to disguise the joint lines between rock castings.
This was kicked around in another thread, but I will repeat my input here. Because of the slow drying time, you have to watch out for mold growth.
I have not had problems during the Maine winters when the himidity is low, but during the summer it had happened from time to time. Usually it is in areas where I have applied a thick layer that takes a couple of days to dry. Add some Lysol or similar product to the water. Once it is dry with no mold, I have not had problems with mold growing.
I use Sculptamold primarily for small slopes or filling in gaps. It’s a quick, no-hassle scenery material and has a long working time. I don’t think it would be economical for large scenic features.
I use hydrocal for the Dave Frary mold that I’ve got - cut stone wall. (I just poured one, by the way, and I’m waiting for it to harden up.) For castings, you probably want to use something like hydrocal to bring out the details.
For surfaces, I’ve been using Gypsolite. It has a nice “gritty” texture that takes away the flat look of sculpted slopes
I did see the earlier thread about mold issues. I’m not saying it can’t be a problem – it obviously is if you get any mold growth, given the possible health issues.
Here in Central Illinois, I’ve never had a mold problem with any application of Sculptamold, so I’ve never needed to try adding anything to prevent it. You can mix it relatively drier or wetter, depending on what you plan to do with it – and that could have some effect on reducing any possible mold issues – so keep that in mind. I do run A/C and have a dehumidfier in my basement train room in the summer – and the heat keeps things at a relatively low humidity in winter.
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As for cost, you can get Sculptamold, IIRC, in 50 pound bags, but you’ll probably need to special order it. It was substantially cheaper that way when I bought my last bag about 10 years ago – and I’m still on the last bit of it, thus my comment about it not going bad with age like plaster.
I couldn’t find Sculptamold at my local Michael’s. Anyone know if Hobby Lobby carries it? I did find some Celluclay, which seems to be of a finer consistency than Sculptamold. It may work better with molds, because it will likely take on a bit finer detail than Scultamold. I’ve never used it before, but it sounds similar to Sculptamold. Anyone have advice on how it compares?
I’ve never seen Sculptamold outside of hobby shops. Even down here in the south where it is always 100% humidity (well, it feels like it) I have never had any problems with mold, even with thick globs drying.
As for Celluclay, if I’m thinking about the right thing, it is a little finer but works about the same. I have only seen in used in “Ground Goop” on a display module a club member showed.
This confirms the is a place for SculptaMold in your bag of scenery tricks along with a multitude of materials.
For example: In the past, I have used two-inch wide strips of old ceiling broken & jagged tiles to simulate rock cliffs - not plaster or hydrocal, but with its place just the same.
Your replies prove the ways SculptaMold is more properly used based upon many modeler’s experiences. When it is referred to in this forum it generally has a positive result.
Another seinor moment, I was thinking of Celluclay, not Sculptamold. Celluclay is a paper mache product. I apply it in thin layers in humid waether so it dries quicker.