should i use Plaster Cloth to help make my mountins? what do you think about useing Plaster Cloth?
Robert, plaster cloth is a good and easy product to use. I used fabric softener sheets on my hills and mountains. I made a slurry of plaster of paris and water then dipped the sheets in the mixture and draped them where I needed them. They worked just as well as plaster cloth. I got the idea from this same forum, by asking almost the same question as you are asking now. Just do a search on this site and you will get all the info you need. If you use fabric softener sheets, make sure you use used ones as they work much better that fresh unused sheets.So start saving your sheets.
Plaster cloth makes things easy. The only “down side” that I know of is the cost. Woodman’s method would save a lot compared to the commercial product.
I used some plaster cloth and Sculptamold. Also plaster and paper towels. Also plaster (Hydrocal) brushed over paper forms.
http://www.trainweb.org/silversanjuan/page10.html
If you use plaster cloth you will still probably want to brush more plaster over much of it.
I highly recommend Dave Frary’s book on MRR scenery. At your local train store or on-line (Like here:
http://www.kalmbachstore.com/12216.html
Worth every penny for a rookie.
Have fun,
Many good layouts have been built using plaster cloth, so you will find many references as to ways to do it. Myself, I haven’t had a spot to use it yet, as I prefer to use extruded foam on hills where I plan to plant trees. Just poke a small hole, a drop of glue on the hole and push the tree in. Sometimes if your shell is thin it’s a little harder to drill a hole and get your trees to stand straight. I plan to use plaster soaked paper towels (I have an abundant supply) when/if I get to my larger layout. It obviously works well for many.
Good luck,
Richard
i am going with the fabric softener sheets idea. its cheper then plaster cloth.
Or paper towels…or newsprint. [2c]
I used plaster cloth on a diorama I am building. See photos here: I’m Learning Some Scenery Techniques. Works very well, but I would go for something less expensive if i had large areas to cover.
Plaster cloth is the easiest method, but usually expensive. Here is a VERY low cost plaster cloth:
Source: American Science & Surplus (sciplus.com or 888-724-7587)
Item: Plaster gauze # 40337
$12.50 per roll+$6ship, 12 inches wide by 100 YARDS (300sq.ft), white, 0.029" thick = $0.04 per sq.ft.
(WS from Walthers is 8"Wx15’L=10sf for $11, or $1.10 per sq.ft).
Robert – as with many items in our hobby, things can cost a lot more if you run down to the LHS and buy the “hobby” item.
Art and craft supply stores (including big box stores like Michaels and AC Moore) sell generic products much more cheaply (plus they offer great discount coupons). Also, as pointed out above, for common items like plaster cloth (you know, that doctors and schools have been using for years) there are bigger supply companies that sell at deep discounts.
It pays to shop around before making a decision based wholly on price.
Instead of waiting for used dryer sheets to acumulate or trying to use new ones, if you have an old bed sheet around you can tear it into strips or squares and use them dipped in the plaster of paris as well. cheap quick and effective.
As mentioned you can also use papertowels and or newpapers, but they can tear too.
Even a tread-bare sheet would work tf you have one.
Also you can go to the fabric store and look in their clearance bolt section. They often have bolts of fabric for $1 a yard or $2 a yard. WHo cares what the pattern is as you will be dipping and painting and covering it anyway.
Just some more food for thought
I would use the alternative mentioned from craft stores or medical supplies. You will need an awful lot of drier sheets. Coarse shop towels do work quite well also.
You can use the cardboard “lattice” or “wire” screening as a base if the scenery needs to span open benchwork. If you are building up scenery from a ply/ foam base, then place plater/ cloth over cut/ shaped foam. Platercloth is not really needed if you shape the foam to the scenery contours. The use of Sculptamold or a version of ground “goop” can be placed directly on the foam. I have used a combination of all the above.
Remainder of lattice not placed yet. contours past portal not decided
Lattice used due to underside tunnel access
Rob: I’ve been using plaster soaked industrial paper towels for years with great results.
The kind that are folded into a bundle and go into the towel dispenser in a restroom, and you pull out one at a time. They are avaialble at any industrial supply house or janitorial supply house
To use them, I pull off a stack about a half inch thick, - about 10 or 15 sheets - cut it in half (width wise) with heavy scissors and then pull each 1/2 sheet out and stack them flat ready for dipping. Each sheet is about 4 by 8 inches, so it covers alot. I will normally use two layers and smear the plaster around to eliminate any edges.
Now mix the plaster (i use plaster of paris, tinted with dry tint - black) and dip one sheet in at a time, let the excess plaster run back into the container, and cover whatever your scenic frame is. Plaster should be soupy, but thick soup. Like day old split pea (only not pea green)! Experiment with this.
I use a frame made from hot melt glued cardboard strips.
One other tip: My mixing bowl for the plaster is 1/2 of a cheap basketball. I bought one for $6 or so, cut it in half and use one half for a batch at a time. This allows me to keep going for two batches and clean up is a snap, even if the plaster dries (this was not my idea BTW, saw it somewhere, passing it on).
I have used two-ply kitchen paper towels, cut into 4 inch squares, and dipped in soupy Hydrocal B-11, then draped over screen wire bent into the ridges and valleys forming the mountain scenery, or low hills. This is far less expensive than plaster cloth, and just as effective. Rock castings can be applied where desired. Additional Hydrocal can be brushed on to add strength. Use acrylic washes to color the surface, so that subsequent addition of sifted dirt can be glued to the surface without white showing through.
I have also used paper towel torn into strips for our club layouts as well as that of friends. We made a “quickie” transportable layout as well where we made temporary hills that could be positioned anywhere.
The actual link is http://www.xdford.digitalzones.com/quicklayoutconstruction06.html but digitalzones does not like hot links so copy and paste it into your browser. Hop[efuly it will help you. Of course you can substitute old cloth or mesh for the paper towel as well.
Good luck with whatever method you go with
Regards from Oz
Trevor .
President Melton Model Railway Club www.meltonmrc.org.au
Editor British www,mremag.com hints and tips http://www.xdford.digitalzones.com/hintsandtips.htm
Terry,
I just logged on to the American Science & Surplus and it is very interesting. I’ve bookmarked it and will take a closer look later but I wanted to thank you for the information.
Wayne
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/193316.aspx please take a look at this other post
Terry, I just looked at American Science & Surplus. It looks like they had an error on the length in their previous catalog. Should"ve read 10 yards, not 100 yards. Still cheap to me tho. Thanks.
Just to correct one point. The price on the American Science and Surplus web site is for rolls of 10 yards - not 100. They point out that it’s an error in their catalog - bur evenso, that figures out to be 62 cents a square foot including shipping which is far better than Woodland Scenics. I use plaster cloth and it’s great stuff. Be sure to cover your floor with an old sheet and use blue painters tape to cover your track because it will drip a little. Someone has already mentioned Dave Frary’s book - it’s great. Also, he has other resources on his web site www.mrscenery.com Good luck and have fun!!!
Thanks for the cost correction. I had to delay ordering, and will now need more than planned (at half the price $.62 vs $1.10/sf).
I you want the workability of plaster cloth, but at a lower cost, try the local fabric store for heavy cheesecloth [grade 90] and add your own plaster mix to it…works great!
Most of the time though, I use plaster cloth from my local hobby store. They give me a price break because I’m a good customer, and it gives me a chance to BS with the owners and other guys at the shop.