Ground foam or Static Grass

[XG01X]

Ground foam or Static Grass that is the question. Opinions, which looks better? which is easier to apply?

[orsonroy]

What scale?

In general, if you can see it, you can model it. Individual blades of grass can be seen in HO scale, but generally not in N. In G scale, you should be able to tell different SPECIES of grass apart!

I prefer static grass and fake fur to represent grassy areas in HO, especially "wild" areas. I use ground foams to represent weeds and manicured lawns, but everything else is done with various shades of static grass and fake fur. Fake fur is easy to apply, but it's hard to find a shade that works for "grass color" (generally, spray painting doesn't work, since the paint wicks to the tops of the grass. Real grass browns from the top down, not the other way around. Polyester dyes are a pain to find, and generally have to be special ordered. RIT dyes don't work on polyester fake fur). It's also time consuming to blend the edges of the fake fur into the rest of the scenery, and the fur will generally have to be trimmed to variable heights using an electric clipper. The results are well worth the work though, in my opinion.

Static grass is a pain to apply. I've seen great results with the stuff, but I frankly don't know how it's done (something about a Noch applicator or electric "zap texture" applicator). I use it in one of three ways, depending on the look I'm going for:

1) I add a base coat of paint and mixed colors ground foam, and let it dry. I then add multiple layers of mixed static grasses until I really can't see the first coat. I use this for overgrown lawns.
2) I add a base of paint and mixed ground foam, and then add a mix of static grass and ground foams in several layers. I use this for overgrown abandoned lots and pastures.
3) I add a line of full-strength white glue where I want to add grass, and then start pushing pinches of static grass into the glue. I use this for small patches of untrimmed grass.

Getting scenery to look realistic is all about studying the real thing. Take a camera outside on a sunny day and start snapping reference photos. There are plenty of readily-available scenery products out there, from various vendors (from Woodland Scenics to Scenic Express to the dried flower section of craft stores). The trick is getting everything to blend well. Most modelers are happy with one coat of one color of ground foam, but I defy anyone to say that the results really look good. Use lots of different scenic items, add multiple layers of "stuff", and fill in holes in the scenery with miscellanious bushes, weeds and small trees. Good scenery takes time, but is almost always worth it.

[wp8thsub]

I got some very convincing results in HO using a base layer or two of real dirt, followed by fine ground foam, and last, while the glue holding the ground foam was still wet, I applied some Woodland Scenics flock. To make the flock stand up, I held the container upside down and squeezed it to "squirt" the flock onto the scenery. Most of the flock stood up and looked just like grass blades, especially when viewed from near eye level.

Most of the flock I've seen is somewhat translucent and doesn't look enough like grass when viewed by itself. With the base layer of foam in place the flock adds more texture than color, but fools the eye into seeing entire hillsides of grass. I use less flock as the scene recedes toward the backdrop.

[dand200]

wp8thsub, when you refer to "squirting" the flock onto your scenery, does this mean that just shaking the canister and letting the flock fall from the holes will cause it all to lay down unrealistically? I have yet to use flock and was wondering if getting it to look realistic was a challange. Thanks dan

[wp8thsub]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dand200

wp8thsub, when you refer to "squirting" the flock onto your scenery, does this mean that just shaking the canister and letting the flock fall from the holes will cause it all to lay down unrealistically?

Yup. Several of the people I model with are using the flock, and we found that just shaking it into place causes most of it to lie flat, which doesn't look right. Woodland Scenics sells the flock in plastic containers which are flexible enough to let me squeeze them, which through speed (and maybe static electricity) causes most of the flock to stand up. Practice applying the flock both ways and see if you notice the difference.

[cwclark]

i'd use both....a mixture of the two brings out the layout like never before...i use ground foam in places that look like they get mowed once in awhile and i use poly fiber in ditches and overgrown areas...i also use foliage to build my own trees and bushes...

[ClinchValleySD40]

Rob - Do you have any pictures of your former layout posted anywhere other than the Yahoo group?

I've operated Rob's last layout and the guy is a real artist. Some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever see.

[wp8thsub]

QUOTE: Originally posted by clinchvalley

Rob - Do you have any pictures of your former layout posted anywhere other than the Yahoo group?

I've operated Rob's last layout and the guy is a real artist. Some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever see.

Thanks for the compliment! Blair Kooistra posted some photos of each of the layouts on which he operated in Utah back in 2002 on his site, including my 8th Sub:

http://www.wwvrailway.com/gbg4.htm

[Anonymous]

I tend to use static grass on top of ground foam frequently, I find this allows for more or less of the foam to show through, depending on the angle it's viewed at. I have a page up on my site that shows the NOCH static grass applicator, as well as their more inexpensive manual applicator:

http://www.ztrains.com/pages/workshop/static/static.html

John
http://www.ztrains.com

[Anonymous]

Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is "static grass." The material, that is. Bob T

[Anonymous]

If anyone is still reading this thread.. a really simple but effective way to get static grass to stand up like the real thing is the following:

- apply white glue to a small area at a time (paint the base first in case so it won't show through as much)
- sprinkle liberal amounts of static grass onto the glue
- now quickly take a woolen sweater or anything woolen and rub it vigorously against a good quality plastic bag (the kind you get from a clothing store, not the cheapo department store kind). Preferably a white one to make recovery of grass easier later. The plastic bag will pick up static electricity like a charm.
- hold the plastic bag close to the applied grass and move it back and forth. Hold it as close as you can without it touching. The static in the plastic bag will raise the grass quite realistically, and loose grass will be drawn to the bag. Not all grass will rise, but that only looks realistic - tall grass is rarely perfectly perpendicular to hthe ground.
- recover static grass on the bag by sweeping it off; grounding yourself by touching a faucet first may help (this helps getting rid of any static charge you might have gained)
- repeat as necessary.

A woolen sweater and a plastic bag are a lot cheaper than an applicator.. and my hunch is it's every bit as effective.

[cwaldman]

I have had success using both foam and static grass. Mixing. I think mixing and variety add to the overall scene. I also tend to "squirt" the grass from the plastic SE variety bottles. If not, i pinch a bit between the fingers and rub while letting it fall about 1-2 inches onto the spot i want to cover. Some stands and some doesn't.

[HackSaw]

I tend to use static grass on top of ground foam frequently, I find this allows for more or less of the foam to show through, depending on the angle it's viewed at. I have a page up on my site that shows the NOCH static grass applicator, as well as their more inexpensive manual applicator:

http://www.ztrains.com/pages/workshop/static/static.html

John
http://www.ztrains.com

I built the "Grassinator" to apply my static grass and it works GREAT!!

[Alantrains]

I built a grassinator too, it may not be pretty but it works well and cost 1/10 of the Noch one.

 

 

cheers 

[topcopdoc]

I have a couple of small desk top air purifiers which I believe use the negative ion principle to remove dust from the room air. Will these work as a generator for the static grass applicator?

Doc

[HHP-8]

Hmmm, its strainge how two more-or-less the same products from two manufactures can have such a different cost (such as W.S. plaster cloth vs. S.E. plasterwrap. Both made by J&J, don't ask how I know that!, but the plasterwrap is just 72% of the cost of the plaster cloth.)

[Anonymous]

Static grass is more realistic, but ground foam is easier to apply.