Hi Brian: I seem to get the best results using straight white glue.
For grass and dirt, I sprinkle the cover onto wet earthtone latex paint. For ballast, I plan to arrange the dry grey Woodland Scenics ballast to my liking, then get it good and wet with either water & a drop of detergent, or alcohol and water. Then dribble on a heavy coat of white glue and water, thinned about 1 part glue to 3 parts water. Ballasting hasn't started yet, but its coming.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Hi Brian: Yes, that's what I did. IIRC, I used a mix of cinder ballast, a little fine green foam, a little earth, light and dark, and a little dead grass foam. And a final coating of black tempera paint.
I like matte medium (Mod Podge Matte) rather than white glue. It dries flat and virtually disappears. White glue tends to be more glossy if exposed. Also, If you paint your scenery base an earthtone, small patchs of disappearing ground cover just look like patches of dirt.
I will be using regular plaster this is sifted onto the surface and then mist with water from a squirt bottle. I have seen the finished product either on this website or on model railroad forums website. It looks quite good. After the plaster sits up it will be painted with acrylic paints and then add ballast and greenery.
Larry
Thanks for the replys guys, I have also used the same method as you Larry sparying etc. but for the life of me it's not easy finding a spray bottle that doesn't drip. It took me for ever and someone on this board suggested a beauty supply house for a good quality spray bottle.
This particular module is on 1/2" plywood and was previously painted a very dark gray. So far I have given it two coats of Arizona R&M real earth mixed with my own New Jersey back yard dirt. It's looking ok so far I have a long way to go adding in the black cider ballast and then the weeds turf etc. Give me a whole new sense of appreciation for guys like Howard Zane and Dick Elwell who make scenery look fast & easy. If I think it will pass muster I'll post a picture of the finished product.
For large areas, I've used your method (brushed straight white glue then sprinkled the ground foam). I add a step. I sprinkle fine sand (the kind from sandtubes from Walmart works well). This gives the scenery some tooth so that later layers of ground foam don't wash away. Another method I've used with good results, is to wet the area with water, then sift dry plaster on it. When that layer is dry, I sprinkle the ground foam, wet it with alcohol or wet water, then spray diluted white glue with a spray bottle (when done, I flush the bottle and sprayer with hot water). For smaller areas, I wet the ground foam with alcohol applied with a medicine dropper, then affix with diluted white glue. I've found that those small plastic bottles that diners use for mustard, ketchup, etc. work very well. They allow fine control for applying glue.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
mikebo I like matte medium (Mod Podge Matte) rather than white glue. It dries flat and virtually disappears. White glue tends to be more glossy if exposed. Also, If you paint your scenery base an earthtone, small patchs of disappearing ground cover just look like patches of dirt.
SAME!
For my yard I used a mix of Plaster of Paris and screened garden soil. I sifted it down onto the surface as evenly as I could without it taking all day, and then rolled it with a small glass jar on its side. I then sprayed it with a light glue mixture using carpenter's yellow glue and water with two drops of dish detergent added to help it settle into the compound.
For green spaces, I always spray first. In that respect the dripping doesn't matter. A sprayer is fast and effective at covering wide areas. Once I have the same mixture of yellow glue and water covering the area well, I commence sifting/shaking ground foam onto the wet spots. I let that dry, spary again, and add another colour, or texture, and let that second spray fix the first layer better and hold the newly poured stuff.
If I go back later to add larger tufts or bushes, I dip them in straight yellow glue, just the base area, and place them on the ground foam that has been set and dried.
Very nice can't argue with the results that for sure, my suggested potting soild but I thought the it would be too lumpy maybe sifting it might work, BTW Very Nice Mallet
I think potting soil doesn't have any appreciable quantity of sand...it is all organic matter. You may get some small fragments of sawdust and wood fibers that will look pretty good, but I would not hold out much hope for a good yield from potting soils. Instead, a flower bed outside or a garden, even soil at the foot of trees here and there is likely to yield more and better stuff that you can use. Adding the Plaster of Paris will help to stabilize it once it is sprayed and dried.
You might wish to satisfy yourself that this will result in something that pleases you. A small square of plywood or bristle board covered as you feel best, and then see how it looks to you.
Thanks for your compliments.
-Crandell