For my new layout I decided that fine turf and coarse turf isn’t going to “cut the mustard” for the foreground ground cover. I have seen several diaromas which realistic “grassy” texture, that I want to replicate on my layout. Since my layout will be large I have a lot of area to cover, so cost and application time is a major factor in my descision. Scenics Express has a fabulos selection for both options. I would be interested in hearing anyone’s experience with static grass or premium quality grass mats (i.e http://www.sceneryexpress.com/Premium-Static-Mats/products/1282/)
Your layout will look as good as its weakest link. To me a grass mat was good for the kids Thomas layout.
I know the cost of doing a larger area with static grass will get pricey. One way I got around that a bit was to make my fields look like mucky spring thaw in cattle grazing country. This afforded me the oppoutunity to use real (sifted) dirt interspersed with the static grass. Getting creative to save a few bucks can be an exciting challenge at times.
All the field stones you see in this photo actually came with the static grass. I think it added good effect.
Woodland Scenics has some grass mats which are a decided step above those horrid old things you used to see on Christmas layouts, but they are pricey and you have the problem that they have an edge that is never going to look realistic. The ones mounted on, I think, vinyl are particularly nice.
The advantage of static grass is that you can mix your own blend so that it avoids that numbingly perfect sameness that in real life you only see on country club golf courses and funeral parlor lawns.
Dave Nelson
As far grass mats I am talking about products like the HEKI premium grass mats, http://www.sceneryexpress.com/Premium-Static-Mats/products/1282/
I purchased a large roll of grass mat with the late summer grass look for my latest layout. I haven’t had/wanted to use it yet, but I may use a couple of large-ish shaped chunks on one module. I would enhance it with added brush clumplets and some medium flocking sprinkled here and there.
Also, you can glue shallow mounds of stuff here and there and lay such a mat over those to resemble more natural terrain. Otherwise it would look goofy…like a section of discarded rug placed on a ping-pong table.
-Crandell
Interesting, though quite pricey for the size. I would like to see some pics of those on a layout. Anyone taken the plunge yet?
I am using a grass mat as my terrain. It looks ok, but good enough for a first layout. If you would like to see some photos, go to the link below.
I think the static mats look fine myself, if a little pricey. Also keep a look out for an item sold at Hobby Lobby etc… can’t remember the trade name of it but it fits in a 4 or 6 inch pot to cover the ‘dirt’. It’s used with artificial flowers though, not real ones. The trick with any of these products is to use several plus the regular WS and Scenic Express ground covers together in one area. The picture below shows the pot cover item plus other products on my layout. Just remembered the name, it’s Pot Toppers.
Jarrell
Jarrell,
That looks really great! Good combo of colors, also. [Y]
Frank
I’ve been using static grass for a while now. This picture was taken a while back, before I cleaned up some gaps and put water in the small pond, but it gives you an idea.
I use a lot of scenery techniques to get a varied and non-uniform surface. I’ve got one of those low-cost Grass-Tech applicators for my static grass, and it seems to work just fine. I use a variety of grass materials, too. I have 2 packages each of 2, 4 and 6 mm grass. The 2 mm is from Woodland Scenics, and the others are from Silflor via Scenic Express. I’ve got a green and light brown color for each.
I model in HO scale. I find that the 2 mm grass gives a soft surface that’s more “fuzzy” than “amber waves of grain.” I like the 4 mm best, but I mix in some 6 mm, too.
Other credits - Boulders are hydrocal from a Woodland Scenics mold. Tree stumps are Musket Minatures. Guard Rail is Pikestuff.
Pot toppers look great on layouts. I bought some a while ago but don’t like the shiney plastic look of them. I am wondering if hitting them with dullcoat would be a good solution?
I wholeheartedly agree that the more colours one uses the better it looks. Whether it is rocky cliffs or ground cover, there is a lot of colour in nature.
I dullcote the static grass as it is too shiny as is.