Join the discussion on the following article:
Thin Branch Series: Foam scenery part 3 - filling gaps
I am so glad you guys do so many projects using foam. As a professional builder I am constantly having to educate the older modelers that there are newer and more efficient methods than homasote and screen wire. You make my job a lot easier.
Good job David, I totally understand the use of the sculptamold for filling in the gaps and crevices along the rock faces, but wouldn’t it be easier to use plaster cloth over the larger areas after you had done your preliminary sanding? Since it appears that a good portion of the exposed area will be covered with trees and/or shrubery, I wouldn’t think the use of material(s) mattered. Also, you made an excellent point concerning the problem with many cellars being damp, and since the sculptamold is a cellulose based product, wouldn’t you recommend adding something to the mixture to prevent the possibility of mold growth?
I have had good results cutting foam with a Woodland Scenics long foam blade. It makes a clean cut with little mess if you use a fresh blade. Since my modeling efforts are set in the southwestern U.S., my base coat of paint is a Sedona Red Rocks color that lightens to a light red/yellow ochre hue when mixed with titanium white.