I’ve read a lot about plaster rock molding and painting, but I’ve never seen anything about using REAL rocks in scenery. I must be missing something, but it seems to me that nothing can be more realistic than an actual rock. Can anyone provide some pros and cons on using real rocks?
One con is weight. Real rocks tend to be heavy. If you’re using a few that’s OK but if you’re using a lot, well that could be a weighty issue.
Pun intended??? Thanks for the reply
Yes, pun intended. Something I did on a layout some time back was to make molds from real rocks and cast them in plaster then paint them to more or less match the rock. An advantage is that they’re much lighter. Also the plaster rocks are all different in their color variation.
I used real rocks for fill in.
I used Bragdon geodesic foam for the hardshell and some of the rock faces. He has some great molds for rock, and it is very light.
Sue
LION used real rocks. Him will do so again.
ROAR
I finally got the photos to come through. I guess I haven’t been using my photobucket account enough.[(-D][(-D][(-D]
Sue
Real rock is of limited use for cliffs and such. In addition to weight, there’s the problem of integrating the rock so it looks appropriate with adjacent scenic shapes and textures. More often than not, when I’ve seen real rocks used for this purpose they don’t look good at all.
Rock as ground texture and talus is another matter, and I make extensive use of it. The exact color doesn’t matter, as it can easily be dry-brushed to match the color of the surrounding scenery.
Above you can see real rock used for talus and to build up the fill below the track. The rock color didn’t match the plaster cliffs exactly, but some dry-brushing eliminated any difference.
The process was similar above. The fill is built up from layers of dirt and rock, as is the talus material. There is a layer of natural sand below all of the ground cover to prevent seeing plaster texture through the grass. Again, the cliff face is plaster, and colors are adjusted by dry-brushing.
When I go mtn biking I look for rocks to bring back for either molds or to place on the layout. To me, it makes it more personal/less commercial.
Richard
This is a real rock.
I would place rocks with anything else that would look good in scale for a model railroad. Some small ones with nice patterns and colours and well-defined details would look terrific. It just takes an eye to notice them.
Crandell
Hi!
I have not read any of the replies so here are my uninfluenced thoughts…
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Real rock is heavy, and to get just a surface of a rock to show on the layout would mean the entire rock would have to be supported.
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Real rocks would need to be rid of microbes or little critters, additional work for sure.
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The real rock looks realistic for our 1 to 1 scale world. But that usually does not translate to the HO or N or S or O scale world.
I’ve attempted using them years ago, and tempted to use some since, but the above reasons keep bringing me back to reality.
I have used small rocks (1" or less) to simulate mid size bolders but wouldn’t use anything larger because of the weight issue.
Eaglescout I did the same thing . When my landlord was putting in a pool out back they brought in some rocks so I grabbed a bagful (with permission) for the layout.
I disagree. Rocks tend to be self-similar, which means they look similar at every scale. That’s why model railroaders use them for molds.
Steve S
Real rocks on a layout is a no no for me. On the other hand, I use a lot of real sand & gravel for talus and very small stones.
I get it all at my LPS (local pet Shop) in the aquarium department.
Sam
Real rocks are fine I use them all the time. As long as they’re not coarsely crystalline there’s no problem at all. There are some xcellent examples shown here already. I haven’t used any big ones yet, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
I like to choose those that have flattish bases to them - at any size, if they’re partly buried so they seem to emerge from the ground they look great. It gives the impression of a whole lot more under the surface, even if there isn’t.
And as someone else said, a quick drybrushing will bring them into line if the colour’s off.
Mike
Real rock looks like rock at any size. Kind of like fractals. (Someone above said “self similar”.)
Plaster castings at the far rear. Real rocks at the left. If you are not creating portable modules then the weight is not much of an issue. Benefits are infinite variety of styles and colors, free. Matches the area in the real world. I use a mixture of materials and techniqies.
I kind of like the idea of using real rocks on a layout as long as they’re small, otherwise, like some have mentioned, weight becomes an issue. Nothing has more realism like the real thing.
If weight is a factor, i have an idea that you might like. I read about making rocks out of low density foam, like that found in (old) furniture. (Don’t start tearing your couch apart for this). Cut the foam is various sizes, then just start pinching off peices of it. You can leave one or two sides flat for easier placement. Once you’re happy with the size, shape, etc, use latex caulking and smear it all over the rough face of the rock. This seals the foam allowing it to be painted, but still keeping it flexible. You can make some very realistic rocks of all sizes and shapes, and they weigh only ounces. Great for modules.
This thread caused me to google pictures of boulders to compare with the rocks i use on my layout and they do look similar or at least close enough to pass the test.
I agree, rock is heavy.
I have used real rock for some things. I take small rocks of the color I like and pound them up with a hammer. then sift the crushed rock through several different size screen. This gives me material ranging from powder to 1/2" stones to be used where appropriate. Some day I will have to disassemble the layout. [:(]
Just a thought.
Lee