I use Woodland Scenics Ground Cover for a lot of my landscaping.
What I usually do is to apply some glue mix to the plywood surface, then sprinkle WS Fine Turf. When it dries, I sprinkle WS Coarse Turf on top of the Fine Turf, use an eye dropper to apply isopropyl alcohol as a wetting agent, then apply the glue mix with an eye dropper. I like the effect when it all dries.
But, now, I want to create the effect of a nicely mown lawn, using only WS Fine Turf. Here is my concern. When I add Coarse Turf over Fine Turf, it hides all of the imperfections. But, with just an application of Fine Turf, I am concerned that the eye dropper will leave impressions in the turf, causing it to look like a moonscape.
I could spray the alcohol and the glue mix, instead of using an eye dropper, but surrounding areas have painted streets and structures and track where I don't want the alcohol or glue mix to reach.
Any suggestions?
Rich
Alton Junction
Rich, have you tried it on a test area to see if the dropper will leave craters?, holding the dropper as close to the surface as you can, and let it flow instead of dropping?
Maybe fence the area with cardboard barriers, to contain the spray,
Maybe an adhesive you can paint on to the surface, and sprinkle the foam onto,
Making the yard on a seperate piece of light carboard, cut to the shape you need, and then glued in place,
I dunno, just sorta thinking out loud, throwing out some ideas.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi Rich, have you tried it on a test area to see if the dropper will leave craters?, holding the dropper as close to the surface as you can, and let it flow instead of dropping? Maybe fence the area with cardboard barriers, to contain the spray, Maybe an adhesive you can paint on to the surface, and sprinkle the foam onto, Making the yard on a seperate piece of light carboard, cut to the shape you need, and then glued in place, I dunno, just sorta thinking out loud, throwing out some ideas.
I will use a test sample to try holding the eye dropper closer to the surface instead of letting it drop down.
Containing the area of a spray with carboard barriers is an option, although I have previously tried that with only limited success.
"Painting" the surface first with an adhesive is a good idea and one that i have tried with limited success. My problem with that option is trying to control the amount of Fine Turf that I sprinkle. To get full coverage, I tend to oversprinkle.
Making the grass areas separately is an option that I have tried with great success on parking lots with N scale ballast to simulate crushed stone. Maybe that is the solution to the mowed lawn areas.I will try it.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Instead of putting down the material and then putting adhesive over it, paint the area of the lawn with white glue - full strength. Sprinkle the fine turf over it, coat heavily, you can suck up the excess after it dries. The whole area will be completely filled in with a fairly even layer of the fine turf - the full strength glue won;t soak through like a diluted adhesive and cause areas of thick coating while leaving other areas thin.
This is the way they usually do it in all the MR videos. Alcohol/wet water/adhesive is generally only used for additional layers on top of the base layer.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker Instead of putting down the material and then putting adhesive over it, paint the area of the lawn with white glue - full strength. Sprinkle the fine turf over it, coat heavily, you can suck up the excess after it dries. The whole area will be completely filled in with a fairly even layer of the fine turf - the full strength glue won;t soak through like a diluted adhesive and cause areas of thick coating while leaving other areas thin. This is the way they usually do it in all the MR videos. Alcohol/wet water/adhesive is generally only used for additional layers on top of the base layer. --Randy
The one time I modeled a nicely mowed lawn I used grass mat made by Busch.
I used the shortest grass length they had in medium green, and it looke amazing when done, as long as you did not view it from straight above.
As far as gluing Woodland Scenics fine turf with no imperfections: I get best results by misting from above with a mixture of distilled water and Kodak Photo-Flow. Then I mist on glue diluted to 10% glue, 90% water, and a few drops of Photo-Flow. As it is drying I sprinkle a little more ground foam on for an even finish.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks, Kevin.
I have thought about grass mats. The affected areas are small and irregular shape which adds to my problem.
Hi richhotrain
I have tried many times to create lawns using conventional scatter products, I gave up I just could not get the even manicured look I was after.
At this point I decided no lawns which did not feel good as flower beds had been laid out and I thought they looked good.
On my next trip to the big smoke I discovered this to me new thing, it probably was way back then, a grass mat and I had heard the first dispareging remarks about them being unrealistic train set products.
But I noticed a reputable brand on one and had a look yes totaly un-realistic neat monotone just like a wait a minute a manicured lawn.
I still have a large chunk of that grass mat and when ever I need a lawn, I cut it out of the grass mat and glue it down.
It makes pefect garden lawns about the only thing grass mats are any good for I believe grass mats have moved on a little bit since then but you can still get the ones perfect for lawns and in smaller sizes as well now.
Have a look at them for lawns they can be cut to suit the shape needed but do need a flat surface or even neat flat slope to stick to so it works as a manicured lawn and get one that is a reputable brand.
regards John
IF I had a location where I could model a manicured lawn, I'd try to get two different "heights" of grass mat in the same color, then trim it so it would look like a 20" swath was being "mowed" and have a figure pushing a lawn mower over the offset cut.
https://www.preiserusa.com/Preiser-28085-Mowing-the-lawn
Good Luck, Ed
You could consider using Spring green. It's made by either SE or WS. Both look quite like a new lawn.
Is it possible to cover up the structures to prevent them from getting damaged or sprayed with the alcohol or glue?
kasskaboose Is it possible to cover up the structures to prevent them from getting damaged or sprayed with the alcohol or glue?
John Busby Hi richhotrain I have tried many times to create lawns using conventional scatter products, I gave up I just could not get the even manicured look I was after. At this point I decided no lawns which did not feel good as flower beds had been laid out and I thought they looked good. On my next trip to the big smoke I discovered this to me new thing, it probably was way back then, a grass mat and I had heard the first dispareging remarks about them being unrealistic train set products. But I noticed a reputable brand on one and had a look yes totaly un-realistic neat monotone just like a wait a minute a manicured lawn. I still have a large chunk of that grass mat and when ever I need a lawn, I cut it out of the grass mat and glue it down. It makes pefect garden lawns about the only thing grass mats are any good for I believe grass mats have moved on a little bit since then but you can still get the ones perfect for lawns and in smaller sizes as well now. Have a look at them for lawns they can be cut to suit the shape needed but do need a flat surface or even neat flat slope to stick to so it works as a manicured lawn and get one that is a reputable brand. regards John
gmpullman IF I had a location where I could model a manicured lawn, I'd try to get two different "heights" of grass mat in the same color, then trim it so it would look like a 20" swath was being "mowed" and have a figure pushing a lawn mower over the offset cut. https://www.preiserusa.com/Preiser-28085-Mowing-the-lawn Good Luck, Ed
Thanks, Ed.
I decided that using turf or static grass was not giving me the "look" of a really nice manicured lawn, so I tried one of the Woodland Scenics vinyl grass mats and that really does have the look.
So I tried to capture that look of alternating rows of a freshly mowed lawn but rather than two different heights, I used two similar but slightly different shades of green mats cut into 1/4" strips that came close to my Preiser lawn mower's width. The effect did not come across as well as I hoped but perhaps it needs perfecting. There was a noticable grass-less line between the strips no matter how I tried to mate them.
Dave Nelson
I use white glue painted on the wood/foam but before I spread the glue I mix green paint in with it. It is like painting your roadbed gray to hide the bald spots. I tend not to spray or sprinkle glue on turf afterwards
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I like that idea.
The question I have is how would the join line be dealt with any inperfecfion in the join would just scream here I am.
This might be the right time to experiment with static grass. A very short length like 2 mm and a uniform color might give a good approximation of a manicured lawn. I know, in all my other static grass recommendations I say not to do this, but a manicured lawn is different.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I almost always apply glue first. Typically it's a brush coat of 50:50 white glue and water, then a layer of dirt/sand. When that dries, I go over the grass areas with another coat of diluted glue, and apply the ground cover.
60 Ford 2 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
60 Ford 2
As with this location, I mark the strtucture footprints with a pencil on top of the dried dirt layer, which showed me where to add glue for the grass. The lawn also has a final layer of 2mm static grass, while most of the surrounding area has 6mm over the ground foam layer.
For a fine foam applicator, I use a kitchen shaker (like a large salt shaker).
Rob Spangler
I have always been a fan of zip texturing, rather than ground foam products, which often look to course to my eye for HO scale.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I have always been a fan of zip texturing, rather than ground foam products, which often look to course to my eye for HO scale.
If I understand the technique correctly, you mix paint pigment powders with plaster powder. Is that correct?
wp8thsub I almost always apply glue first. Typically it's a brush coat of 50:50 white glue and water, then a layer of dirt/sand. When that dries, I go over the grass areas with another coat of diluted glue, and apply the ground cover.
richhotrain ATLANTIC CENTRAL I have always been a fan of zip texturing, rather than ground foam products, which often look to course to my eye for HO scale. I must confess that I have never heard of zip texturing, so I had to look it up. Wow, now that is Old School. Interesting technique, and it is similar to the test that I am conducting with Woodland Scenics Fine Turf, per Randy's suggestion. If I understand the technique correctly, you mix paint pigment powders with plaster powder. Is that correct? Rich
I must confess that I have never heard of zip texturing, so I had to look it up. Wow, now that is Old School. Interesting technique, and it is similar to the test that I am conducting with Woodland Scenics Fine Turf, per Randy's suggestion.
Yes, and you just wet the surface with a spray bottle and apply the powder with a small sifter.
Again, I don't think enough people really consider scale and viewing distance in choosing some of these materials.
Visually how close are you to any "lawn" you are modeling in HO? It should look fine and uniform. Even many "wild" areas look pretty uniform from a distance.
If you can, search up pictures of the Severna Park Model Railroad Club on the archives or elsewhere.
I'm sure its been redone, but I did some of that zip texturing.......
rrinker Instead of putting down the material and then putting adhesive over it, paint the area of the lawn with white glue - full strength. Sprinkle the fine turf over it, coat heavily, you can suck up the excess after it dries. The whole area will be completely filled in with a fairly even layer of the fine turf - the full strength glue won;t soak through like a diluted adhesive and cause areas of thick coating while leaving other areas thin.
I did a test sample and let it dry overnight. For test purposes, I drew a rectangle on a scrap of plywood, applied a cover of full strength glue, sprinkled Woodland Scenics Fine Turf over the glue, and let it dry overnight.
The photos that follow show the initial application, then the final result with the excess blown away, and a closeup. I like the final results.
That looks good. We use the same technique to restore Geo-Hex tiles for wargaming.