As I build my sand house this month, I have just put together the sand box walls. Planning ahead. I thought it would be handy to get a dense gree foam block (Michaels Crafts- $ 2-3.00) and trim it to fit within the box and cutting it at an angle sloping towards the gate of the box (as placed next to the house structure), then use double stick tape to adhere a 60 grit piece of sandpaper on top. After this is in place, I would pour modeler’s sand (Michael’s again) and shape it on the downward slope of the block. Perhaps hair spray or 3M spray Fixative to secure the sand, after contouring the sand.
I frequently use commercial grade double stick tape for unusual materials adhesion circumstances like this (styrene base to foam block to sandpaper top sheet - especially knowing that the foam I described is used for flowers vases where you add water to the foam as a medium for watering the base of flowers/plants.
By the way- hello from a former Minneapolitan. 26 winters without snow come this Christmas!!! ( I only visit MN in the summers)
I’ve used the green foam as a base for some hopper loads and it worked out well. I white glued the foam block to a thin plywood base and after the glue dried I shaped the block. I then painted the block with full strength white glue and sprinkled on the first layer of the limestone load. After this dried overnight I added a second layer and glued it in place with 50% glue/water mix. I have been pleased with the results.
I use pink/blue foam for my coal loads. Just paint it with latex paint the color of the sand you are using and sprinkle the sand on.
When I set my foam load in the car to cover it with paint and sprinkle the coal right in the wet paint. I put a piece of clear plastic wrap in the car and over the sides to keep the paint off the car. These are removeable loads, but give a very full (right out to the sides) load. You might be able to use a textured paint also. Be sure it is foam compatable or else paint with the latex paint first.
60 grit is really course. If this is G gauge and larger it would be ok. HO scale sand would be smaller than dust particles but the finest grit product you can find would look better. Its supposed to be sand and not rocks. Sanded tile grout would be a good representation and it already contains a latex adhesive. My HO scale sand is actually silt from a retention pond from work. Working for a sand and gravel company has some benefits. The draw back is picking up on others details that don’t look right. Think of the poor HO scale laborer who has to shovel those boulders instead of sand.
I used pink foam carved to resemble 2 mounds of sand with a slope into the sand house. I painted it with latex, covered it with diluted white glue and then sprinkled it with fine sand. I used 3 coats of dilute glue and sand to give it some depth. (The sand came from North Padre Island in Texas thanks to a very kind fellow modeller - thanks again Roy). The sand is too coarse to be to scale but I think it looks better with a little bit of texture on the surface rather than the almost smooth finish that would result with tile grout. The only problem I had was that the glue crept up the sides of the bin which is not realistic. I think I will try to redo it using a spray adhesive with the foam thoroughly painted with latex before hand. If I spray the foam before putting it in the bin I should be able to avoid having the sand out of place.
Dave
P.S. Cedarwoodron - thanks for giving me an opportunity to use my newfound picture posting skills! Hope you give it a try. It is pretty easy once you have done it once or twice.
This is where you would be advised to consider what sand would really look like 120’ away where your eyeball really is. Not only that, but if we accept, for the sake of argument, that a typical grain of sand selected at random would be about 1/16" or smaller, in HO scale that translates to a few thousandths of an inch!!! How in heck are you going to see “sand grains” a few thousandths of an inch from 130’ away and expect to see any discernible detail of the kind you’d see holding even 600 grit paper at 18" from your eye? Impossible. You would be better off just shaping hydrocal, spackle, or something smoothable and painting it up. Otherwise, 600 grit comes to grains of sand larger than 1/4". At that size, you are into pea gravel.
Crandell - I totally understand your point about sand, whatever size, being far too big for accurate HO modelling. However, I just don’t like the look of the almost smooth surface that scale modelling would produce. I am taking a little artistic license I guess. Besides there are lots of other details that are hard to model to scale such as grab irons, railings, telephone wires, window muntins (the wood pieces between the glass for those not familiar with the term),etc. which most seem to accept. I know the bean counters will groan at my sand pile, but it looks good to me so I’m happy, and besides, Roy in Texas went to a whole lot of trouble to mail me some North Padre Island sand. I didn’t ask him to do it. He simply offered me some in response to my question about what sand to use for my sandhouse, at his expense no less. How could I possibly refuse to use it?![swg]
Not at all, Dave, I get it. We have to do what feels and looks right in order for us to enjoy all the illusions, and I fully support your approach. [:)] When the lights go out as you leave the train room, you should be smiling.
Don’t forget a lot of sand spillage around the sand box. I have seen a black & white aireal photo of the Portland, ME MEC Rigby Yard servicing area in an old out of print book. This was probably early 1950s vintage. While the areas away from the sand house are dark color like cinders (maybe), the area arounf the sand house and box are light with spiled sand. New sand could have been unloaded with a yard crane and clamshell bucket or just a crew of men with shovels.
This is the Walthers sand house I made for the Boothaby Railway Village HO scale model layout. The area still needs scenery added.
