hey all, just wondering if L ight weight joint compound is good to use on a layout? mainly for roads and attaching rock castings to mountains, or useing to build up some terrain? never used it before, just wondering. any information is greatly appreciated![:)]
thanks…steve![:)]
Yes, that stuff works well! It will take a while to dry if you apply in too thick a layer.
Absolutely! Our N-scale club uses it exclusively for building up terrain. Of course, we start out with the rigid extruded foam to get the general shape, then fill it out with the joint compound. It comes in handy if you’ve got a slightly raised roadbed alongside of some lower roadbed by putting it on, then drawing your putty knife at an angle to simulate an embankment.
If you use it for filling, don’t overwork it. You can take wire screening material to “sand” it down a bit, but I usually just leave the whorls and swirls in it. They get covered by the ground cover, and on hillsides, add a bit of form to what could just be a dull rounded hill.
We buy the 5-gallon buckets of joint compound as cheap as we can find. It goes a long way toward getting your scenery built up. It doesn’t react with the foam, and it’s cheaper than buying plaster of paris or hydrocal.
Steve,
It’s nice for roads since to “sand” it you can use a wet sponge rather than sand paper. It doesn’t set like plaster, it just dries and the wet sponge makes the top surface workable. No messy dust to deal with.
George
Steve:
Joint compound is a great item. works great for many uses, Roads and attaching castings. It doesn’t shrink much but is does shrink some, so make more than one application if you think you may be applying it too thickly. 1/16 to 1/8 is about right in my experience. Added bonus: You can color it with pigment or artist tube colors rather than adding to color later if it suits your purpose.
Randy
thanks guys, for all your information and experiences. i am looking forward to useig joint compound, it seems like it will be very easy to work with. i didnt know i could use it to attach my rock castings, thats great, as i have quite a few to attach. thanks again for your input, and happy modelling![:)]
steve
I have used it for roads, gap filling, and now in place of plaster above foam and WS plaster cloth. I get it premixed at Home Depot. Just make sure the can says “elastoreric” or something like that, as the regular stuff cracks if you put it on too thick.
I like joint compound too. . . However: I found something better, and yes, a little more expensive.
Try Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Filler. It looks and feels like old fashioned plastic wood but with some big differences. It is much easier to work, and can be thinned with water. You can shape it with a wet paint brush. You can sand it. It takes all kinds of paint. The shrink-and-crack problem is still there if you put it on too thick, but its not as bad as joint compound. And its stronger than joint compound. Give it a try!
There’s another product out there you may want to check into: Lightweight Spackling mix. I get this stuff at Home Depot and use it for a lot of fill-in work around the house. I used to use joint compound (either the green or blue USG buckets), but found this new stuff doesn’t shrink nearly as much, doesn’t crack, dries much quicker, allows you to shape it while wet, and sands smooth extremely fast. Called “Interior/Exterior Patch-N-Paint”. Made by Custom Building Produts. Any Home Depot should have it.