Another question for all the readers/modelers out there. Just getting ready to do scenery on my layout, and haven’t done any since I was in my early teens. Question is, is it OK to apply plaster cloth directly to plywood on some flat areas I have, also I have a mainline running along a yard lead with very little room in between the tracks (on 2" centers). Of course the track is on cork roadbed, but is it also OK to apply ballast (Arizona Rock and Mineral Yard Mix) directly to the plywood in between the tracks? Thanks for any and all help…
While I don’t use plaster cloth, I do use patching plaster, and it can be applied directly on plywood. I lightly spray the plywood with “wet” water first, just to ensure that it doesn’t draw water out of the plaster. This river is plaster, applied directly atop 3/8" plywood:
You can add ballast, ground cover, etc. directly on plywood, too. Apply it dry, as you would any scenic material or ballast, then spray it with “wet” water until it’s soaked through to the plywood. Apply your white glue/water mixture (don’t be stingy) and let it dry. With your track as described, you’ll save time if you ballast and add the scenic material between and on both sides of the track all at the same time.
In the scene below, all track is directly atop the plywood (no roadbed) and the ballast and scenic material was all applied in one session.
Wayne
Plaster cloth by itself doesn’t necessarily adhere to a substrate. I don’t use plaster cloth, but do employ mesh drywall tape and other materials to hold plaster, and typically attach them to the substrate with hot glue. You could also try a staple gun. The cloth may or may not come loose over time depending on expansion/contraction and other issues, if you’re depending solely on the plaster to make it stick. I’ve seen it come loose on a few layouts, but again only where it was not actually fastened down…
Absolutely. Typical ballast adhesive will stick just fine on plywood. In wider areas where I can do so, I use a paintbrush to spread the glue for at least the base ballast/dirt application, and add ballast on top of the glue.
Here’s a scene I was working on recently, and note the scenery dirt and rock around the track are glued directly to plywood. I still need to add ballast, but it’s adhered with the same glue, so will work the same.
I HAVE used plaster cloth that’s attached directly to plywood. I build the shape of the adjacent scenery using the insulating foam or cardboard strip method. When I cover that scenery with the plaster cloth, I used plain white glue and staples to attach it to the plywood. I don’t worry about the staples, because they’ll be covered with a thin layer of plaster.
Nice transition between the modelled scenery and the backdrop, Rob. [tup]
Wayne
Thanks Wayne.
Before applying any kind of scenery materials, particularly something wet such as plaster, I paint any raw wood so the water doesn’t soak in.