Scenic Cement

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have used the WS scenic cement in the past (but as a very young modeler). I want to make sure I am not doing the wrong thing here.

-I use the stuff in the spray bottle and spray the area where grass and bushes, etc will be laid.

-Once I cover the area, am I supposed to respray the top? I did this and it looked very soggy and white in many areas… will it dry up?

And advice on how to better prepare grass areas would be great.

Joe

2

To save on scenic cement, instead of spraying it BEFORE you put your grass and bushes:

  • Sprinkle your grass (I assume you’re using ground foam, i.e. Woodland Scenics), and add your bushes.
  • Spray with “wet water”. Water with a few drops of detergent added. I use the cheapest window cleaner I can find, instead. Just enough to wet the area.
  • Apply the scenic cement, making sure that you have soaked the area. If it’s not soaked through, what usually happens is that the top layer of scenery is bonded, but can flake and chip off, leaving holes in your scenery.

If the area is soggy, you’ve done it right. To get the scenery materials to bond properly, you want the area soaked. Yes, it will dry, and it will dry clear. Personally, I use diluted white glue (Elmer’s Glue-All) at a 50:50 mixture. To apply mine, I use the small translucent bottles that small diners use for their condiments (mustard, ketchup, etc.), rather than spray it on; it’s easier to control where it goes. I have, on occasion, used a spray bottle to work on large areas where there isn’t any trackwork or structures.

3

Joe –

“Wrong” is a term that has limited application in our hobby. Even “better” and “worse” need to be used with care.

Grass and turf is a classic example. If you get 100 responses to your question, you will likely get almost 100 different methods, and not one of them will be right, wrong, better, or worse. Generally, you will need to pick something that sounds like it will work for you, then experiment until you get results you are happy with.

Unlike the previous poster, I use matte medium dilutes 1 part medium to 4 parts water with 2 drops of dishwashing liquid per 8 oz of solution.

I mist the area I want to cover with the matte medium solution first, becuase my terrain tends to be hilly, and having the surface wet with the matte medium helps the materials stick where I want them. Then I apply grass / ground cover. When that is dry, I spray it again (with a spray bottle) and apply another layer of ground cover. After that dries, I wet it again, using a pipette to really saturate it.

I have better results when I get that final layer REALLY, REALLY wet.