As mentioned before, my wife and I are building our first N scale layout. We know it is temporary, but we want to use it to learn how to do things right. Likewise, we are going to want to reuse as much as possible on the future layout. What suggestions do you have for mounting things like trees, people, a garden, etc. so that we can pull it out and reuse it in the future? The base for our layout is 2" beaded styrofoam; we are still trying to find a source for extruded foam in Arizona.
I would use a very light nab of Elmers white glue…For the trees drill a hole the size of the trunks and stick the tree in.
Not to get OT or sound like a broken record but, N Scale requires smooth track work.
I found that out years ago---------------the hard way.[:(]
Being new to the hobby, we are using Kato Unitrack and Kato engines. So far we have not had a single problem with the track.
Have you thought on purchasing the Scenic Ridge Layout from Woodland Scenics? You can find it for $300 with shipping. I used kato track on mine. It is still a work in progress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXMsCGslsEE
Just a thought.
Ahh…Great track…Great locomotives.Excellent choices.
I used Unitrack when I was in N…I really like their #6 switch very smooth…
I had all Atlas engines since their scale speed motor is great for switching…
[:-^]
Good morning Ride,
Woodland Scenics have a product called HobbyTac. It is made for the temporary placement of vehicles, people, trash cans pop machines etc, to have them stay in place with all the commotion around a layout.
All you need is a tiny drop or spot on the bottom and the item will stay where you put it until you want to move it and then it will move with no problem.
Hope this helps.
You might want to go to their web site and become familiar with all of their product line. This will let you know how to handle quite a few situations, from landforms, risers,highways and roads, water, etc.Then you can make up your mind as to what you want to use, if it is a home made idea and it fails you, and you need to correct something, the answers are usually here…
The only product of theirs, that most of us avoid, is their realistic water. There are better products on the market than that one. But their "Water Effects" is great and most of us use it to put the ripples, and foam onto whatever you do use for your water.
“NO”, I am not an Agent of theirs, only a satisfied customer.
I won’t go into that right now, but, if you are interested in water or any other topic, just go and search it at the top of the box to the right of this post. It is called “Search this Site” That’s the quickest way to get a lot of answers, it takes you into the threads that have been posted previously on a given subject.
Happy Modeling,
Johnboy out…
Lots of things can be mounted to long thin stickers that you push into the foam. Two inch finishing nails, with corrugations and colored brown are sold to put up wood paneling. Structures don’t have to be glued down, mine stay put just sitting on the layout. The bead board is crumbly and not very strong. The extruded foam board can be ordered thru a lumberyard or even Home Despot.
If you anticipate wanting to modify this layout to an extent, or just using the benchwork and starting over, I would leave things loosely in place until I had found how I like things to look and how to get them that way.
In other words, I would not use adhesives except to put structure kits together. I normally just drill into my ground goop surface terrain with a bit of a size that allows my trees and utility poles to fit inside snugly. That way I can move things around for staging when taking photos, as an example, or when I go to dismantle a failed idea, it can be done as easily as reaching and plucking. I would do this for the tracks, for sure, so the plantable things would work that way.
Later, when you have a strong sense of permanence about certain scenes, you may decide to start using Aleene’s Tacky Glue or what-not.
Beadbord is fine (my layout is 30’x15’), after the track is caulked down, plaster-cloth the rest. At this point most trees will stand up straight by poking though the thin skin of plaster cloth, or for large trees, a pin on the bottom will hold. Figures and such, white glue is a good idea because if you soak it, it will dissolve, I personal use Hobby Tac but there are other brands out there.
Since you are useing Kato track, you probably will not need to secure it to the foam. If you think you want to you could use a very little latex caulk in a few spots, but not under all the track.
I don’t know your track plan, but the small layout I have been working on to be a pratice/display layout is a loop. I put in a scenic divider to seperate the two sides. I have praticed my scenery work on one side. Started with my base coat of earth tone paint and sprinkled the first layer of ground foam onto the wet paint. You will loose your ground foam products, because if you don’t secure them they will be blowing all over your layout. Add another layer or two of various textures and colors. This can be done in a small area as pratice. You can guage how much you want to spend and how much area to cover as you go.
As mentioned trees can be held in with white glue. I used some WS armatures, but not their bases. Drilled a hole up the trunk and put a piece of wire in that stuck out about an inch to hold them in place. Natural armatures I just pushed into a glue filled hole. I made some puff ball trees, not sure, but they could probably be pulled off if I wanted. If you plan to pull them just spread a very thin layer of white glue to hold them.
Structures and vehicles will sit still, figures will need a blob of tacky glue, but can be pulled up easily.
I have left the back side completely unscenicked at this time. Partly to keep cost down and partly thinking that if I use it as a display layout, folks can see what is underneath the scenery. May partially do it, may leave it or finish it, who knows?
Your pratice layout will cost you something, but it doesn’t have to be wasted. It can always be given to someone just getting into the hobby, qa children’s or retirement home where folks would like to watch it.
You can also make your track