I mix weldwood powdered resin cement into the flocking 1 spoonful to a dixie cup, stir well and stir occasionally while applying. Dust on. If you don't like what you see brush off and start over. when you got what you like mist lightly to set cement. For vertical surfaces spray with mister then blow flock on. DON'T INHALE
Hi Jarrell: For me, foam has served me well.
Jarrel:
I use pretty much your techique. After staining the raw plaster, I use the diluted white glue/brush method, then mix my shades of ground cover and kinda 'throw' it on, then mist it with wet water. While that's drying, I'll then use the various colors of flock and then mist them with wet water and dribble glue on them. I don't try for an even cover, since the area I'm modeling in the Sierra has a lot of exposed hard-pan clay under a thin layer of dirt. Works for me. And after it's dry, I can always go back over it and add more if I like. It's a form of "Zip-Texturing" that I picked up from reading some of Frank Ellison's articles back in the '70's in MR.
And one thing I've found, is that the ground cover and flock base is really good for adding brush after it's dry. There's a lot of manzanita in certain elevations of the Sierra, and the 'flock' holds the brush clumps really well after just using the wet water and diluted glue.
Here's Wagon Wheel Gap which has a lot of clay outcroppings and 'manzanita'.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Thanks Grampy for the answer. Do you use real dirt or do you prefer various textures of ground cover type foam directly on your paint?
Jarrell
Grampys Trains Hi Jarrell: Yep, everyone has their own favorite. Here's mine. My base is Sculptamold/Structolite mix, so it has some texture. Then it's painted with thinned, earth color latex paint. I like to use full strength Elmer's white glue to hold basic ground cover. I apply the glue, sprinkle various colors and fine, med. and coarse textures. Then, vacuum, when dry.
Hi Jarrell: Yep, everyone has their own favorite. Here's mine. My base is Sculptamold/Structolite mix, so it has some texture. Then it's painted with thinned, earth color latex paint. I like to use full strength Elmer's white glue to hold basic ground cover. I apply the glue, sprinkle various colors and fine, med. and coarse textures. Then, vacuum, when dry.
Thank you for the answers. It seems, after all.. that most of use very similar techniques with just a little variation.
There has to be some variation dependent on the material on which the ground foam is being poured and then glued. If you are using wood or extruded foam, you can paint and sprinkle, followed by a securing overspray of whatever medium you'd like to use. But, if you are scenicing ground goop, you must pre-spray the ground surface first with water to load up the surface a bit. Otherwise, anything water-based that you spray or pour is likely to lose something like 60-80% of its water volume within seconds to the plaster or other materials...which are hydroscopic. This goes for plaster cloth, too.
Generally, though, my method is as you have described. Spray glue or paint first, followed by a light pour of ground foam, let it dry, and then add an overspray of light glue mixture to add hold.
-Crandell
I do it very similar to Mr.B.
I brush on undiluted Elmer's, spread the various materials with my fingers, then sprinkle the diluted Elmer's on top of it. I also mix the shades of color.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Well, OK, I'll answer it!
I use matte medium, diluted 1/2 cup medium to 2 cups water (that's 1:4, for the mathematically challenged), with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent in this mix. I make my solution in an old pickle jar, and store it there as well (it keeps, but you have to mix it thoroughly prior to each use).
For mostly flat surfaces, I spray the solution on with a WS scenic sprayer. For steeper slopes, I paint on full strength white glue with a $0.50 Crayola watercolor brush.
Like Mr. Beasley, I pour the ground foam or whatever into my hand and dribble it on with my fingers. After letting this dry, I mist it again with the sprayer and dribble on another coat. This gives me nice coverage. If I want a little coarse scenery material, I stick it on while the second coat is still wet.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Thanks for the input, Mr. B. You do it very closely to the method I use.
Wow... can't believe Mr. B. is the only one to answer this since it's very basic to model railroad construction. I know!! ... everybody else is either working, laying on some Carribean sea shore or out in Las Vegas gambling.
MisterBeasleyI use white glue, thinned 1 part glue to 3 parts water. I mix it in a small Elmers container. Then I dribble it over the area and spread it evenly with a paint brush. Next I add turf, pinch by pinch, by hand. I get much better control this way, and I get the kind of uneven distribution I want, rather than the uniform spreading of a shaker. I do a few square inches at a time, then spread glue over another small area. I've got 3 different shades of turf, and I use them all. Next I add flocking. I put this down dry, and then wet it with alcohol from a pipette, and finally I dribble glue over it. Again, I've got both a light and a dark green jar of flocking, so I mix and match.
I use white glue, thinned 1 part glue to 3 parts water. I mix it in a small Elmers container. Then I dribble it over the area and spread it evenly with a paint brush. Next I add turf, pinch by pinch, by hand. I get much better control this way, and I get the kind of uneven distribution I want, rather than the uniform spreading of a shaker. I do a few square inches at a time, then spread glue over another small area. I've got 3 different shades of turf, and I use them all.
Next I add flocking. I put this down dry, and then wet it with alcohol from a pipette, and finally I dribble glue over it. Again, I've got both a light and a dark green jar of flocking, so I mix and match.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
What's your favorite method of securing sceneries ground cover to your layouts base? The following questions are concerning dirt, ground foam etc. not rocks and the larger items.
Do you prefer to apply glue first and then add the ground cover?
Apply it to wet paint then mist with glue?
Do you prefer matte medium or regular ol' white glue?
If you use a mist of glue or matte medium how much do you dilute it?
I've tried several ways with varying results and I've noticed there are about as many ways as there are modelers. So if you don't mind, take a few minutes and tell me/us, in a little detail, how you like to do this.