Sand for the layout

[RRaddict]

Does anyone know what to use for sand on a layout and if it's real sand what kind?

Kevin

[Penny Trains]

I use sand all the time.  What I prefer is to go to a craft store (or a big box store that has a craft department, like Wal Mart) and buy small 2 or 3 pound bags of processed sand.  Sand has made a resurgence as a floral item in recent years and can usually be found in several colors and textures at craft stores.  For the Disneyland Project last year, I used bright white quartz sand for beaches and coarse brown sand for desert terrain on Big Thunder Mountain RR.

For installation I use Elemer's Glue-All or Aileen's Tacky Glue spread with a brush and I sprinkle on the sand with a spoon.  If you can, shake or blow off the excess right after spreading the sand.  Then spray it with water and repeat the process to build it up till you're satisfied.  2 layers usually does it if the base is a complimentary color.  But if you want the white sand to cover a darker base like green for example, you may need to do 3 or more apllications to get adequate coverage.  You can speed the whole process along with a hairdryer.  Just a week or 2 ago I built a small "beach unit" for my bedroom layout and it only took about 15 minutes to spread the sand on a 3 by 18 inch section of foamcore board.

Becky

[11th Street]

Well, what region/color of sand are you interested in modeling? Back East most of the play sand sold here is 'beach sand' (w/ high levels of salt). Then of course there is ocher 'construction sand,'  rose colored sand out in Utah, white sands in New Mexico. Finding some radioactive stuff out West would add a novel touch for your AEC/Area51 diorama  If you decide to use the historical 'pail & shovel' method of acquisition I would certainly mix & soak the stuff in some cheap garden insecticide such as malathion before bringing it inside: otherwise ..: .

[hscsltb]

 If you decide to use the historical 'pail & shovel' method of acquisition I would certainly mix & soak the stuff in some cheap garden insecticide such as malathion before bringing it inside: otherwise ..: .

[/quote]If you spread it out on a cookie sheet and put into the oven at a low temp you would not have to use any chemicals.

[hscsltb]

 If you decide to use the historical 'pail & shovel' method of acquisition I would certainly mix & soak the stuff in some cheap garden insecticide such as malathion before bringing it inside: otherwise ..: .

[/quote]If you spread it out on a cookie sheet and put into the oven at a low temp you would not have to use any chemicals.

[RRaddict]

The sand I started using was red in color and just a little too dark and the sand from the crafts store is what I am looking for. I will take a trip down to Michaels and pick some white quartz sand up wich is the look I was going for.

Kevin