I think that I may have come across an entirely new way of creating scenery, in fact an entirely new approach to making model train layouts. I say that I “think” because it is possibly not a new approach at all and that the techniques that I will now describe are already in wide use in which case I will pack my bags and quietly return to my own little world.
Here is what I am developing. The use of aluminium as scenery. I buy aluminium flashing which comes in 10 metre rolls x 30cm (or 15cm) wide x 0.03. This I cut to size and then I shape it to create rock. Typically a length would be a 1 or 2 metres long. The method of shaping was originally to place it up against a rough textured tree or a large rock and bash away at it with a hammer or a hand held rock but now I simply place it on the lawn and crush it with my feet as well as hitting it with rocks and crumpling it with my hands. It will not split ot tear.
Then I paint it with matt black and then it is finally sprayed or brushed with a texture paint. My favorite for mountains is a darkish granite and for horizontal surfaces any number of light stone applications. And that is it.
The advantages of using thin aluminium are:
-
Inexpensive: A 10metre roll costs $27.00 Australian in 30cm widths and $14.00 Australian for the 15cm width.
-
Strong: No need for any underlying structure. Once formed it stays that way. This may also mean that no glue is required to hold it all together.
-
Pliable: It can be adjusted or bent easily by hand.
-
Light: A small layout built on extruded foam board (EFB) with aluminium scenery can be lifted with one hand.
-
Realistic: A granite cliff face for example is as close to the real thing as could be imagined.
<
As you can see my post has been multiplied over and over so I will provide a new post altogether to ease the process of replying and to allow the photos to be more easily seen.
[^o)]
[#welcome] to the forums.
Here’s a link how to post photos on this forum…
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/229168.aspx
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
Sounds interesting. Edit in some links per Bear’s suggestion and we can see what’s up.
Oddly, I used some AL flashing just this week to make a “mountain” of a sort to disguise the top of my my water heater, but nothing near as detailed as this sounds. I’ll try to dig up a pic and post it.
Thanks Bear,
I have copied several photos img with photobucket. I have now arrived at the MR Forum - where do I go now? Are photos separate to the post? Could you pls direct me to having these photos shown.
And again - thanks.
Sandy1000
Here’s the pic of my aluminum “mountain.” It disguises the water heater from being so visually distrating as the last part of the Cascade Branch snakes around it on the way to Snowden.
It’s mainly visual. Hidden behind it is a heat shield. I maintained the specified clearances, but considered an extra bit of shielding good insurance… It’s important not to interfere with the air flow at the top of the water heater through the draft skirt of the chimney, so it’s not very close to that and raised well above it to clear that area to maintain air flow. There’s a slot at the bottom of the “mountain” that also helps maintain a free air flow.
Besides observing clearances specifiedI should also note I verified all temps of materials around the area were well within way safe with the water heater running with an infrared thermometer gun. Be sure and consult the docs for your specific water heater if you want to use this option. I make no representations about what I did working for your water heater. That’s up to you. Play safe.
Oh, and I don’t leave trains or cars stopped on the track directly under the exhaust duct. Readings indicate no reall issue, but I don’t own much brass and plastic…well, I’m not taking any chances with my Blackstones.[swg]
or go to Google - flikr - sandy1618photostream - albums - aluminium scenery
Thanks, Steve![:)]
Beautiful work there, Sandy.[tup] Please show us more. That’s a far classier mountain than my snip-and-bend, 2-minute wonder. I’ve still got lots of flashing left to experiment with.[8D]
I also have a big rubber mallet, if that’s somehow involved in the process.[:o)]
Very complimentary, Steve, but I am not a particularly skilled model maker and I am sure that once those people who really know what they are doing, get going with this material then we will really see something. I really only got going with all of this a couple of weeks ago when I started to make my third model railway. The first was around 1956, the next was my garden railway in 1999 and now this one in ON30 plus the European Oe scale which is 1:50 cf On30 of 1:48. The Euerica ro stock is all Fleischmann Magic Train, now no longer made but there is plenty available on ebay. This suits because I have Parkinsons which means that I drop things and the Magic Train is very robust and does not break easily. Also the stock is all 4 wheels so it is also easy to rerail. Additionally we (my youngest son and I) also have Bachmann locos such as the CLIMAX, Shay, 4-4-0 and others. as well as the Australian Coffee Pots(both versions) and the Baldwin 2-6-2T by Haskel
The plan was to make an island railway set somewhere in the Pacific, close–ish to Australia (although sometimes it drifts over to South America – hence the Inca / Aztec ruined jungle idol tourist branch line).
However I quickly got bogged down by the whole plaster of Paris business. After a few hours of this I gave up rather like those model ship makers who get no further than a couple of hours into the rigging and call it quits – there must be thousands of semi – derelict model ships in cupboards throughout the world – and model railroads too.
Then I stumbled over 0.03 aluminium and away went again. There is a plenty of scope for improvement – make it seamless for a start and the textured spray paint is often only for interior use only. The three key
Interesting results.
The one thing that bugs me - are you referring to alumin(i)um foil when you called it flashing?
The metal roofing flashing I can find in local big box home centers (in New York) seems to be rather stiff stuff, pretty much metal sheet (well, which it is). Foil (for use as wrap in the kitchen), OTOH, can be found everywhere, with heavy duty thickness of .025mm or so (thicker can be found too).
I guess my question is…are we talking roof flashing, or kitchen wrap here?
I’m married to a Brit so I know all about how the US and the UK are two countries separated by a common language! She taught me about aluminium and many others, but I’m Americanizing her too! =P
Sandy,
Love that idol antiquities theme[:D]
And – I’m guessing here – rocks and trees as the forms? Good thing it might be trees, too, as big rocks are hard to find around here.
I’ve got a small extension of the layout right now that needs some thin scenery right against the wall. I’m roughing in foam for distant mountains as I’ve done before, but this could look a lot better…plus I already have a spray can or two of texture paint. Tell us more about your process.
I’m thinking it must be flashing. The stuff I have is stiff as long as it’s flat, but soft enough that it could easily be molded over a form. I’m thinking big rubber mallet, just because when you have a big rubber mallet, everything looks like it needs smacking[:o)] but we’ll know more once Sandy dicusses his process a little more.
The roof flashing method is probably cheaper, but this is the principle behind Woodland Scenics’ Shaper Sheet.
That aluminium mountain is a work of art, Mike. Did you paint it green or did it come like that? And if it came like that for what purpose was it meant? Pre-painted aluminium sheet would make it even more attract
ive.
I made up a yard long length of scenery today and learnt a lesson. It is not that hard to underestimate the appearance of real rock and end up with what just looks like a pile of twisted metal.
It needs care in ensuring that the folds, dips, outcrops and so on to look real. I attach a couple of photos to show what I mean plus a couple of others to show the process overall.
The 0.05 sheet is too hard to be kneaded or used as interior scenery. The thought did occur that if you wanted to make a narrow gauge layout that was really different then how about a model of the construction of the Hoover Dam. 0.05 sheet would really suit in this case.
I also tried to use bitumen but got nowhere with this product.
Finally, I used al-foil as a mould for plaster and came up with a piece of scenery that is really useful for really fine detail so my negative attitude to plaster needs amendment.
That aluminium mountain is a work of art, Mike. Did you paint it green or did it come like that? And if it came like that for what purpose was it meant? Pre-painted aluminium sheet would make it even more attractive.
I made up a yard long length of scenery today and learnt a lesson. It is not that hard to underestimate the appearance of real rock and end up with what just looks like a pile of twisted metal.
It needs care in ensuring that the folds, dips, outcrops and so on to look real. I attach a couple of photos to show what I mean plus a couple of others to show the process overall.
The 0.05 sheet is too hard to be kneaded or used as interior scenery. The thought did occur that if you wanted to make a narrow gauge layout that was really different then how about a model of the construction of the Hoover Dam. 0.05 sheet would really suit in this case.
I also tried to use bitumen but got nowhere with this product.
Finally, I used al-foil as a mould for plaster and came up with a piece of scenery that is really useful for really fine detail so my negative attitude to plaster needs amendment.
&
Sandy,
Thanks. It’s just paint. The “mountain” is intended to soften the jarring visuals of seeing your train pass through the upper stories of the water heater. The paint simply continues the fascia’s visual sweep. I thought of painting the lower part pebble or tan, but for now it’s just shiny[8D]
It’s not really a heat shield for the hot parts on top the water heater, which is closer than where it sits, but does keep visitors from inadvertently sticking their hands in to grab. It attaches just at the ends to allow unimpeded air flow around the top of the water heater, leaving the gap in the middle, using a couple of screws.
I am thinking about something more interesting after seeing what you’ve done. That would really be classy I think. I already have all the materials, tools, and a tree, etc I can experiment on. Just need to get in the proper inspiration when I do more artistic stuff, but will definitely post some pics here when I do.
