Permascene

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hey guys, Just like the forumn about celluclay, what is permascene and were to find this? Lou Sassi mixes permascene, celluclay, paint, (ground colored) and a little Lysol together to make ground goop. Haves anyone used this tech? Looks Good, that.s for sure…Jamie

2

Hi Jamie, Permascene is sorta like celluclay but it kinda looks like it has woodchips or sawdust in it and it comes in a box rather than a “brick”. Its sold in craft stores. Its a light brown color. Tried it but didn’t like it. I suppose by mixing it with celluclay you get a better texture? But what on earth is the Lysol for??? That stuff is a bacterial disinfectant and it smells bad too! LOL!!! Take Care…Vic

3

Could the Lysol be to keep critters of the insectoid type from eating your scenery? I think I’ll stick with Durham’s ROck Hard Water Putty!

4

I recall reading some time back that the Lysol in the “ground goop” formula is to prevent mold from growing on the scenery. I never could imagine that particular problem occuring, but I guess depending on what part of the country you live in and what conditions exist in your layout room, it could.

I prefer Sculptamold mixed with latex paint and water, ala Dave Frary. It’s easy to work with and eliminates the need to paint a basic ground color later.

One of the guys asked earlier where to get Celluclay and Perma-scene. I’ve seen both products in the crafts dept. at WalMart, and I think both are available through Walthers.

5

Well the Lysol thing bothered me so bad…(like I don’t have anything else to do HA HA) that I called a friend of mine who teaches micro-biology at the University here (also a model railroader) and put the question to him. He said…since both products might be cellulose based (paper or wood)the Lysol would kill the bacteria that would attack the cellulose and cause decay and a “foul” odor over a period of time. Hmmm does this mean we can have a realistic smelling railroad too? HA HA. Me…I’m sticking to Hydrocal Plaster…Congratulations Bill…you win the prize for the correct answer!! HA HA!! Take Care and Have Fun…Vic

6

Thanks Guys. The Lysol is supposed to stop mold while the GOOP is drying according to the article. It may have a little critter thing too, but did not say. Hey Mike, what’s this sculptamold formula of Dave Frary’s? Does it work pretty good?..Jamie

7

Jamie, I’m not at home this weekend and so I can’t check my notes. It’s also been several months since I erected enough benchwork and track to do any scenery, so you’ll have to bear with me on this. If I remember correctly, though, this is the basic formula:

  1. Mix your basic ground-color latex paint with water in a 1:1 proportion. i.e., 1/2 cup paint to 1/2 cup water.

  2. In a suitable container (I use a tupperware-type bowl) mix Sculptamold and the paint/water mix in a 3:1 proportion. i usually use 1/3 cup of coloring to 1 full cup of sculptamold. Mix thoroughly.

  3. I use everything from a small Rubbermaid
    spatula to a set of small spatulas (available from MicroMark) to work the Sculptamold mix. I just put it right over my basic hardshell or plaster-gauze forms. I also use it to “glue” rock castings and broken castings in place (after which I work the mix all around the castings so they look like real rock outcastings). Don’t worry about trying to work it perfectly smooth; it looks much more realistic when it’s still a little rough and bumpy - especially after applying ground foam, small twigs, etc.

I even carved a fairly credible stone retaining wall in it after it dried.

It’s got a long dryiing time (about 24 hours) so it’s easy to work and shape. It’s easy to clean up, too. One of the things I like about it best, though, is that I don’t have to worry about inadvertant paint drips when I’m working close to trackage like I used to when I was using just straight paint and ground foam for scenery.

Anyway, I think the proportions above are pretty close to correct. I don’t remember where I first saw Frary’s “formula” for this stuff - it might have been in his scenery book - but I’ve been using this method for a number of years now and really like it.
Mike C.

8

Thanks Mike. I printed this out to a hard copy and hopefully will try it out this week…Jamie

9

Jamie, I was wondering if you tried the paint/Sculptamold mix yet, and if so, how it worked for you. I had intended to check my “recipie” for the stuff when I got back home, but it slipped my mind. And now I’m gone again … or maybe it’s just my mind that’s gone :slight_smile:

10

Haven’t had the chance to do anything RR lately. Wife’s got me paintin’ the inside of the house while work is slow. Thanks for checking…Jamie