I have a river I am making (HO scale) that is about 2' long, 2-3" wide and about 1/2' deep. I started to fill it with old varnishes and liquid plastic we had sitting around the house but those are done. What is a good material to use to fill up my river? (It needs to be budget-friendly )
Try Woodland Scenics realistic water. Around 10 to 12 $ and is ready to pour right from the bottle. I use it all the time and have always had great results.
I'd agree on the Envirotex Lite. I get mine at craft stores like Michaels and A.C. Moore. Moore usually has a coupon for 40% off of any one single item at www.acmoore.com. (Go to the "store locater" section. That's where they put the coupons. In our neck of the woods, Michaels will honor competitors' coupons, so you can get the same 40% off at either store.
Depending on how much you've already poured into your river, you might get away with the 8-ounce package. If you don't think that's enough, go for the 16-ounce. The stuff has a long shelf life.
I usually mix up only 2-4 ounces at a time. You don't want to pour more than about a 1/8 inch thick layer at once. Wait 24 hours between pours. I like to add a couple of drops of cheap acrylic paint to each batch - black or dark blue near the bottom, light green near the top. This gives the water "optical depth" and looks better than a glassy-clear river.
Envirotex will creep up just a bit at the edges of the pour. I used tall grasses, applied after the final pour had set, to mask that creeping up the stone arch bridge.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
" I like to add a couple of drops of cheap acrylic paint to each batch - black or dark blue near the bottom, light green near the top. This gives the water "optical depth" and looks better than a glassy-clear river."
Please explain do you put the few drops of paint in as your pouring in the Envirotex? I have seen it done where you pour a few drops of either green or brown even black and mix it in throughly to tint the mix but never the way you've discribed. Very nice scene by the way
To go real cheap and actually look good, consider just making sure the river bed is flat and brush on several layers of gloss media. This looks really good and save the layers of E-tex along with its cost.
Robby Modeling the L&N CV Subdivision in 1978 http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd247/robby-ky/CV%20Subdivision%20Layout/
Allegheny2-6-6-6Please explain do you put the few drops of paint in as your pouring in the Envirotex? I have seen it done where you pour a few drops of either green or brown even black and mix it in throughly to tint the mix but never the way you've discribed. Very nice scene by the way
I mix the paint at the same time I'm mixing the Envirotex. However, I only mix a small amount of Envirotex at a time, just enough for a 1/8 inch layer. So, when I mix the first batch, I add the darker paint, and by the time I get to the last batch I'm using just a touch of light green.
At one point, I did mix in a bit of rust-colored paint where a drain pipe enters the stream. I did this as I poured the mix, since it was a very localized color addition. In this case, the mixing was incomplete, and I could still see "stream lines" of rusty water after it cured, which was pretty much what I was hoping for.
As Envirotex cures, gas bubbles form and escape out the top. If you pour it too thick, the bubbles will not be able to escape, and you'll end up with a lot of bubbles all through the pour. That's the main reason for doing several thin pours instead of one thick one. But, thin pours also give you the ability to tint the water differently for different depths. In case you're wondering, there is no visible layering in the final cured result.
Bah... I use a flat surface, paint it a good dark green/blue/brown river color, then just paint on layers of acrylic gloss medium. No pouring, no leaking, no fumes, no waiting. Here's how...
Evolution of a Scene
The material cost about $4, and I still have half a bottle left.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Lee, that's a very instructive presentation. I especially like the way your waterfall looks. I think I will give gloss medium a try.
Mike B.
Lee I reckon that's the best model waterfall I've seen The rest aint too shabby either
Mike
Modelling the UK in 00, and New England - MEC, B&M, D&H and Guilford - in H0
I just love it when someone asks how to do something then he gets a few responses that are good .Then Lee comes along and blows them away with his methods.
Lee that is an awesome river and waterfall, the rest of your layout speaks for itself
N Scale Diesels......I like 'em
Lee, your description and methods of making your river was awesome. Thanks for sharing! I'm have not used "acrilyic gloss medium" before. Where do I get it, and what sizes does it come in? What did you use to mix it in before applying to the layout? Did you just pour, or brush?
Hal
On the DIY channel program "Working on the Railroad", they used Future Floor Wax for their rivers. You can get it at Wal-mart for about $5 for a 27-oz bottle. I created my river over a year ago with no problems to date. It's white when first poured and drys clear. I only poured a thin coat - once every 24 hours -, if you pour too much the drying time is a horror but does finally dry. I had on spot that took almost a week to dry.
Minwax brand Polycrylic Wood Sealer. This cannot be beat by any other product, try it to find out. Purchase a small can and experiment with the Polycrylic Sealant. This stuff is so easy yo work with and is one step, no odor and water clean up!
Pour in layers of about 1/8th inch deep, let dry for about one hour and pour a second layer, and the last layers, as deep as you like.
One Qt. of this product will last quite a while.
johncpo
johncpoMinwax brand Polycrylic Wood Sealer. This cannot be beat by any other product, try it to find out. Purchase a small can and experiment with the Polycrylic Sealant. This stuff is so easy yo work with and is one step, no odor and water clean up! Pour in layers of about 1/8th inch deep, let dry for about one hour and pour a second layer, and the last layers, as deep as you like. One Qt. of this product will last quite a while. johncpo
Where do I find it and how much does it cost?
Hardware stores and Walmart, that type of store. The cost varies but should not be more than 10.00 for the large cans. I have used it mixed with acrylic paints for many types of water scenery.
Look up my related posts on the subject of acrylic home improvement products that I have listed over time. One would be supprised at the number of less expensive products for the hobby world.
Acrylic gloss medium can be found with the painting supplies at any craft store. It runs about $4-6 for a quart. Another product that works is called "Mod Podge" which is available in gloss or matte finish, and you can get that at WalMart, again for around $4.
Thanks for all the compliments. You're making me blush!
I use WS products on top of clear plastic from cheap poster frames