HELP !! Ceiling tile scenery !! w/video !

[csxt30]

Just wondering if I'm doing this right !!  I think the next step is to paint & add ground cover but just wonder if there are other techniques !!  All comments & suggestions are welcome !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSFj8DeYwcU

Thanks, John

 

[Fred Bear]

Is this the deal where you rough up the edges with a horse hoof file or other rough file and then add hydrocal? Jake

[csxt30]

Is this the deal where you rough up the edges with a horse hoof file or other rough file and then add hydrocal? Jake

Thanks Jake !  But I don't know !!  I know CTT had an article on this type of scenery & I'm looking through my magazines now for it !

Thanks, John  

[Brutus]

Looks great, John!  Be sure to keep us posted, because I'm very interested in this technique!

[alexweiihman]

John it looks very nice!

[Frank53]

I'm really happy with the way the ceiling tile worked out on my layout:

Part of the trick to making it look real, at least in my opinion is lots of jagged edges on the ceiling tile. This is all glued together with Elmer's glue:

You can see in the corner where I used Sculpt-A-Mold on the top of the section trailing off to the right. Depends what type of look you want, but I did use Sculpt-A-Mold all along the top surface:

Once you get it generally the way you want it -- and that is really subjective -- get a good stiff wire brush and rough it up. I went mostly horizontal but anyway is fine. You can see I also filled in some areas with more sculpt-a-mold.

Now for the leap of faith. I went with a dark brown paint on mine. Do this about 10 or so inches at a time. Really slop the paint on, don't worry about the running. Once you get an area painted, take some ground cover material. I used Dennis Brennan's fine and course earth ground covers and they worked great. They are worth ordering and waiting for on this project - particularly the coarse, as it gives you a really nice texture.

Anyway, while the paint is wet, get a handful of material and put your open hand in front of the painted surface and lightly "blow" it onto the wet paint. You will see how this starts to take shape once you start doing it. I used the coarse and fine and was very pleased with it. You will have a fair amount of it fall to the bottom, just re-gather it and blow it back on.

Notice I also included some rocks on the relief. These are made from Woodland Scenics molds. You can also use rocks you find in your yard, just stuffing them in the different openings the tiles form. I painted these with a grey base coat and then after they dry, I give them a "wash" of a watered down slate grey.

Just keep going ten or twelve inches at a time:

By placing these in front of a mountain backdrop, it gave me a nice opportunity to put trees in the top, which kinda blend in with the trees on the printed backdrop:

As for the overgrowth:

I used Woodland Scenics "Coarse Turf" in a number of colors, starting with greens and migrating to "burnt grass" and eventually "earth". The stuff goes a long way, I didn't use a full package of any one color on this.

Once the paint has dried and your base ground textures are one, spray an area with diluted white glue - again, I used Woodland Scenics -- and apply the coarse turf just pinching it between your thumb and index finger and placing it where you want it. I used the greener colors on top and then went shade by shade down to the base where I stuck with earth.

Having an overhead light shining down helped me, as the brighter areas, I made green, simulating the sun hits those parts, under the overhangs, I went with sun deprived colors. If I started to get too green, I would blow on some Woodland Scenics earth color fine turf to darken it up. If I got too dark in some areas, I would sprinkle on some yellow. You will see it take shape for yourself.

As Dennis told me, look at nature and try to mimic it - no big areas of a color, intersperse your colors in layers. Also, after you get a section done, spray more glue it - not a lot, just top creat more adhesion. This is another leap of faith, because you will look at it and say "what did I just do!" It dries nice and clear and will hold everything in place.

I have lots of photos in the MTJ thread linked below - "Race to my layout progress."

Have faith and dive in . . . just make sure you have all good materials. The result can be excellent.

[Frank53]

oops

[Frank53]

Forgot to mention, here are some more shots with the trees placed on top, kinda blending into the backdrop:

[Blueberryhill RR]

John, you have your work cut out for you. Post pictures.

Frank53.....That is truly beautiful !!!!!                                           

Also, love that tubular track !

[Frank53]

John, you have your work cut out for you. Post pictures.

Truth be told - this is not hard, nor does it take long to do. Once you get to teh point where you are ready to start painting, it goes fast. Trust me on this - this is my first crack at this - if I can do this, anybody can, well, maybe not Chief, but just about anybody.  

Frank53.....That is truly beautiful !!!!!                                           

Also, love that tubular track !

Thanks Chuck - the tubular track really makes the scene.

[csxt30]

Wow !! That's what I call help !! Can't thank Frank enough for the reply & all the help !! Thanks also to the others for the replies too !! This makes me believe I can make something of this !! I especially like the sculptamold application !! Boy, can't wait to get back to work on it now !!

Thanks again !!

John

PS. this might be a good idea to put in the above suggestions for new people !!

 

[dwiemer]

John, not that you would need much more help than what Frank elaborated on so well, but I believe the "Model Railroader" main page that has the "Tips" section has a article on this.  I know I saw their article in the magazine prior to the one in CTT.  Anyway, I think they used joint compound for the gaps instead of Sculpt A mold, but otherwise, just like Frank did it.  You can vary on what colors you use as in some cases, if you want a more South Western look, use more reds.  If you want more North Eastern, use Yankee Blue, just kidding, but use more darks and mix in the green foliage as Frank did.  This is a great way to scenic and offers a good bit of geographical options.

Good Luck,

Dennis

[mackb4]

 Looking good to me.

 Who won the race ?

 I like the digs too. 

[yallaen]

Frank..very nice posting you made..turns out I have a box of extra ceiling tiles I might try in my corner area..depends on what wifey wants..

But, a quick question: Where did you get the border behind there? I'm needing border put up before I start the scenery.

[Frank53]

I got the backdrop off the Backdrop Warehouse website - it was in their free sample area - made for N-Scale I think, I enlarged it and had it printed on a large sheet.

[csxt30]

Here's a picture of a rock I made with hydrocal in one of those molds a long time ago & built it into my ceiling tiles !  I can still remove this rock for painting later. I still have to add some more pieces of ceiling tile on top yet & start filling in with sculptamold or joint compound .

Thanks, John

[Frank53]

You're on your way John - great start!

[Anonymous]

JOHN - for some other ideas check this link.  This is a great website!

 http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/rockfaces/

 

Lisa

[laz 57]

JOHN and FRANK it looks great.

I am thinking about putting in a lake and want to use that for the side of my mountain leading up to the lake.  I want to have a road going up this mountain to the lake any ideas on how I can use the tiles as a rough road too?

Thanks,

laz57

[csxt30]

Lisa : thanks for that site, that's pretty neat too !!  

Laz : not sure about roads but I make mine out of hydrocal now & Woodland Scenics Asphalt #st 1453 Top Coat ! Like on this site, sort of !!  http://www.trevinocircle.com/details.asp

Thanks, John

[csxt30]

You're on your way John - great start!

Just saw that & thanks Frank !!

[laz 57]

Thanks JOHN,  I was thinking of doing the ceiling tile wide then take a saw and form the tiles into a moutain road.  Rough up everything with a wireed brusk then paint it.

laz57

[csxt30]

You're probably on to something, Laz !!   Sounds like it's worth a try !!

Thanks, John

[dwiemer]

John, I went to Model Railroader site and did a search, I think you can do it from the CTT main page search and just make sure that MR is checked as one of the sites.  They have several articles.  I am trying to attach a link, but you may have to do the search route.  Good luck, it does produce fine results.

http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=419

Dennis

[csxt30]

Thanks Dennis !! I was able to get it !  Boy, they're using Franks Ideas for all kinds of scenes now !!  

Thanks again, John

[ChiefEagles]

Great job guys.  Lisa has done a great job with tiles too.

[csxt30]

Great job guys.  Lisa has done a great job with tiles too.

Thanks Chief !! I hope Lisa posts pictures of her work !!  

Thanks, John

[dwiemer]

John,

     I just happened to have the March '05 CTT in the train room's "reading room".  This is the one on using ceiling tiles.   Also, I found a web site that used them and has some great tips.  I like the way this guy does it on an angle, different, but something I am sure I have seen in nature.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/more_rocks/

Anyway, if you have not already done the scenery, you may pick up some usefull information here.

Regards,

dennis