Building Realistic Mountains

[Steam1800's]

I've read various info in these forum pages on different materials used in building mountains, but it seems everybody has different ideas.  No that that isn't good, but I live in a fairly cold area during winter and a sometimes very hot summer.  So which materials should I consider for use in building mountains?  My limited mobility may give me some headaches, but for the most part I will be building on ground level.  I am building in 1:20.3 scale and would like to build a mountain where one double main line tunnel travels through at ground level and another single line travels through at an angle across the lower tunnel only higher up with a trestle approach and I guess the same coming out the other side.

My final question on this latest inquiry is what colors to mix in whatever medium used to create the mountains and how the devil you fellows make them look so darn realistic?  Artist I am not, but the detail and mastery that some of you portray makes me want to hang myself!!

Allen

[Anonymous]

I don't know what your limited mobility adds up to but i am 70 years old and have ostia arthritus in both knees and i have had a go a "glopatta" and it was hard for me; we did make a long ramp out of bricks and coated it with this stuff to make it look like Queensland sandstone.

It wasn't hard work but is was hard to be bothered doing; we did get a consistent and believable coating with good colour. the colouring we used was biege and here are the ratios we used, 84 millilitres might sound a funny base but it is 1/3 of a cup. 1 hydrated lime, 1 fireclay, 1 portland cement, 1 colouring, 30 mortar mix and about 11 water. if you make double that; it is about all you can use before getting to tired, if you are my standard physically. i will do 3 of these in one afternoon, here in the tropics and late in the day.

Many people use chicken wire and stucco as a base and shape their mountain like that.

Its important to be consistant about everything. Colours are another matter and this is an art and trial and error.

Rene has an article by Jack Verducci and if you can get it off her; you will know a lot more, i have the article but don't know enough to send it to anyone.

Rgds Ian

[newto gscale]

I live in ohio and we are going to try to recreate some mountians such as you have in utah and arizonia.We have been out west a few times and will try to recreate some red rock structurers.If you can get to a lowes or home depot or any place that deals cement,bricks or that type of building supplies they should be able to help you with color good luck.One good thing is you have great mountains to use as models 

[Steam1800's]

Thanks Fellas!

We do have some real towers of rock out here!  I see them every day from my back porch so maybe I should take some photos and figure out how to replicate them in miniature!

Allen

[Rene Schweitzer]

You might try and download this article (free). It refers to the "gulapata" that Ian is referring to.

http://www.trains.com/grw/default.aspx?c=a&id=135 

[TJ Lee]

There's a PDF file here on building mountainss and cliffs that might be useful to you:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/tj-lee/

See the PDF on Cliffs. Lots of pictures and tips on painting from Chris Walas.

Best,

TJ

[Steam1800's]

Thank you Rene and TJ!

This will give me a start!

Allen

[Steam1800's]

Thanks Rene and TJ

This should get me started!

Allen

[dhilyer]

TJ,

 

Thanks for the link to your mountain buiding PDF.  I read through it last night and it has given me a lot of ideas.  BTW: Your "mountain" looks great!

[TJ Lee]

Dan,

Thanks! The PDF has over 52 pictures and Gary and I really tried to cover every aspect we could think of in order to allow even newbies, like myself, to create something using this very easy technique.

Hope to see pics of your mountains soon!

Best,

TJ