Has anybody ever used quarter inch chicken wire then paper mached over it? It works really good.
Yes. That’s what I used on several layouts back in the 80’s.
The only thing about using paper mache is that it is a lot weaker than plaster and can crack easily. I prefer to use either newspaper strips dipped in plaster (the old way) or plaster cloth to cover the chicken wire or cardboard strip shell. After the shell dries, i’ll wet it down with water, mix up some plaster and plaster the shell to a depth of 1/2" to 1". When the plaster starts to dry i’ll take a plaster knife and start gouging out rock formations. after the plaster dries, I’ll stain it first with a dark gray paint to create shadows in the rock crevises then go over the outside portion of the rocks with dilute earth tone paints and finally highlight the high spots on the rock by dry brushing on a small amount of white paint…chuck
I haven’t used paper mache since the early 70’s (or was it the late 60’s–that period of time is a little fuzzy now)[sigh].
Had problem with mold.
Exactly why I stopped using it.
I did. And then I would go outside and ride my bicycle around deivering on my paper route while it dried.
Fortunately I have since discovered plaster cloth.
SRB:
My sources tell me there is a distinction between papier-mache (lit. “chewed paper”, paper pulp with glue binder added) and paper-shell (strips laid up with glue) but we are probably considering both here.
Don’t use homemade flour-and-water paste. Big problems. Commercial wallpaper paste works better and is more mold-resistant. Howard Zane’s glue-and-paper scenery is actually a form of the shell method, using PVA white or yellow glue. I plan to do some experimenting with conventional paper-strip methods, using paper dipped in white glue, one of these days.
The RPI club makes ground goop in a blender from newspapers, white glue (I think),and earth-colored latex paint. This is papier-mache, too. It works well for them and is cheap.