Ok I thought about using the plastercloth stuff but that is expensive so I thought about using newspapers dipped in plaster and drape that over landforms. Do any of you think this will work?
Yes, it’ll work - it’ll be messier. I’ve also used cut-up brown-paper bags.
I was going to use teh plastercloth stuff myself, and use a very small amount of it dependent on what I am trying to accomplish. I have gone with straight Sculpt-A-Mold to create believable terrain. It isn’t very expensive and you can form it pretty much however you want.
One step to keep in mind is that once you apply it, let it sit for a while - maybe thiry minutes. In that amount of time, it has “firmed up” a bit, but is at it’s pliable. You can smooth it and manipulate it easily without it slopping all over the place.
Check out my layout thread to see where I have used it.
The thread is four years old, so there are many broken links on teh first few pages, just scroll past them.
http://modeltrainjournal.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1954&start=0
Wow!! Your layout has really come along!! I couldn’t see any pictures of where you used it. Was it the white stuff I saw in the picture of the corner of your layout? I couldn’t see some of the pictures that were up there.
Sculpt-A-Mold over plastic bottles covering a switch:
Sculpt-A-Mold over the foam stepped edge with plaster cast rocks laid into teh wet Sculpt-A-Mold.
I’ve also experimented with various putties and spackling compounds, as well as that Fibredecor from pg 70 in the latest CTT.
Thanks everyone for giving me lots of ideas. I will come up with something. Thanks again!
Frank, I looked at about the first 5 pages of you thread. Most of the pictures seem to be unaccessable. is that what you mean be ‘broken links’ or am I having some other problem?
I’m trying to get an understanding of how people approach layout design and construction.
I’ve been conceptualizing the next phase of my layout, which has remained unchanged except for the addition of a short siding, for the last 9 years - and which has no scenary. I’ve drawn out the track and switch additions on graph paper, to scale, with consideration for additonal future phases. I have found it extremely time consuming to come up with the ‘right’ design. Probably much more time than it will take to construct (sans scenery).
So my question is - how do you go about designing and building a large layout? Do you plan out all the major elements, on multiple levels before you make the first cut? Or do you have an approximate but incomplete layoutr concept and let it evolve as you build? And do you visualize scenic elements (beyond tunnels and bridges) before you build?
Thanks,
runtime
Yes. The thread is about four years old and some of the photos were hosted on a host that is not longer working. I need to go back and re upload those photos to a new host. After about the first six or so pages the photos will be mostly there. It’s sixty five pages and about 1,000 posts, so there is plenty of stuff available.
This layout was poorly designed from a track plan perspective. I started with and fully completed the upper level before moving to the lower level. The lower level was design by building teh table top surface and pouring a bunch of track on to it, working around the components of the upper level.
More on this later . . .
I just read the whole thread of Franks layout, about 4 or 5 years worth, and it is GRRRRREAT!Some pics don’t display but probably 2/3 do, ad nthere are a lot that are sequential as a scene is roughed in and then finished, and you can really see how effects are created. Cjeck it out for a great education. By the way, I believe a great book on Scenery is Dave Frary’s book Realistic Model Railroad Scenery from about 20 years ago, in which he detailed a “water soluble” approach to scenery construction. It was very helpful to me. also enjoyeed his periodic youtube videos which he posts the url’s for at places in the thread
one bag of fibredecor will cover about 40 plus sq ft.
here is thread to go along with article in CTT from modeler rail road forum
The basic procedure:
For my layout here I usually work with 4 or 8 qt pot. add about 1/3 full with warm water and tint with acrylic/latex paint. I have used craft paints, rejects from Home depot and liquidtex soft body.
Stir in fibredecor to spreading consistency (approximately equal volume water and fibredecor). You can apply directly onto porous materials. On non porous surfaces(foam) I use adhesive drywall tape over the foam. this keeps it from moving around on the foam when applying. After spreading add flock dark to light. After each sprinkling of ground flock mist with water. Allow to dry. If adding stem like material use tooth pick to make hole and add stuff.
When adding clump foliage(artificial or natural) wet the foliage and press into fibredecor. If adding rail ties, logs etc always wet first.
photo and recipe for summer demo
If after completely dry remember you can mist it throughly again and add additional ground cover.
A couple of notes. If adding multiple layers(black, earth blend) to create depth, don’t saturate with flock on each layer, its not necessary to achieve the effect.
If you don’t use all material in pot don’t worry about it drying. It can be reconstituted with water any time in future.
there will be fall demo at York. In meantime if you have any questions let me know.
cngw1995, any thoughts, comments, etc from your use
this is a whole new way of doing scenery. It requires no glue (its in the fibredecor) and by coloring the fibredecor it doesn’t require any base painting. You will be able to do scenery in an area that took days in a
Predetermining the color and the whole drywall mesh tape thing kind of made me think the method I am using may be consdiered to be primative, but it’s worked pretty well thus far. Seems ok if you want to fill a big expanse with the same look, but not everyone has that kind of space.
just different.
The look changes depending on ground cover and texture used. So for example the area you did above would take a small amount tinted brown followed by the ground cover you used. Have done fall scenes and winter also. Using the fine texture I have done unmaintained dirt and gravel roads, etc. Cost is also an issue. The last section of plaster cloth I did cost about $25 bucks. With fibredecor it cost about 5. Also there never is any waste.
Remember this is a wall covering. Anything porous will not need mesh. I like using it because when I move I will be able to pull section off and reuse most it on new layout.
Guess we are going to have it done in smaller bags…
[quote user=“wsdimenna”]
one bag of fibredecor will cover about 40 plus sq ft.
here is thread to go along with article in CTT from modeler rail road forum
The basic procedure:
For my layout here I usually work with 4 or 8 qt pot. add about 1/3 full with warm water and tint with acrylic/latex paint. I have used craft paints, rejects from Home depot and liquidtex soft body.
Stir in fibredecor to spreading consistency (approximately equal volume water and fibredecor). You can apply directly onto porous materials. On non porous surfaces(foam) I use adhesive drywall tape over the foam. this keeps it from moving around on the foam when applying. After spreading add flock dark to light. After each sprinkling of ground flock mist with water. Allow to dry. If adding stem like material use tooth pick to make hole and add stuff.
When adding clump foliage(artificial or natural) wet the foliage and press into fibredecor. If adding rail ties, logs etc always wet first.
photo and recipe for summer demo
If after completely dry remember you can mist it throughly again and add additional ground cover.
A couple of notes. If adding multiple layers(black, earth blend) to create depth, don’t saturate with flock on each layer, its not necessary to achieve the effect.
If you don’t use all material in pot don’t worry about it drying. It can be reconstituted with water any time in future.
there will be fall demo at York. In meantime if you have any questions let me know.
cngw1995, any thoughts, comments, etc from your use
this is a whole new way of doing scenery. It requires no glue (its in the fibredecor) and by colorin