I'm modeling a forest for my logging line, and I need a light-brown turf for ground cover.
I've seen a few modelers-turfs which specialize in modeled wood ground cover, though I fear I'll be spending too much money in the long run ($3.99 for a 2oz bag is bad news).
Question: Would it be such a bad idea to purchase some wood shavings from a pet store, the type you use as bed nesting for hamsters, gerbils etc- throw a handful in a blender, dice it up really fine, and use that as ground cover?
I know many modeler's products are constructed with chemicals that won't absorb moisture.
As far as I know, the wood shavings I'm talking about are meant to absorb moisture, though are there any types of chemicals or sprays I can add to the ground cover to solidify the texture and prevent mold on my layout?
Do you guys think my idea is worth a shot, has anyone ever tried this before?
One Past Law Concerning Trains To Travel Through Texas: "When two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each train shall come to a full stop and neither train shall proceed until the other has gone."
Hi!
I had a number of 2 lb coffee cans filled with died wood shavings from large power saws. I say "had", for I found them to be much less desireable as compaired to what Woodland Scenics or other mfgs. have to offer.
I really spent a lot of time dying and drying the "oversized sawdust", and while they add a little variety to groundcover, they just don't look right for larger areas.
I "lichen" my efforts on the above to my attempts to restore Lichen a number of years ago. What a mess it turned out to be, with very poor results.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
You can try the stuff in the pic below. It falls from the trees around April and May (does anyone know what kind of tree?) You can leave it on the strands so it looks like underbrush, or rub it around in your hands to remove the "leaves" from the strands. Best of all, it's FREE! You just have to wait until spring.
http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i347/Steven_A_S/groundcover.jpg
Steve S
Making your own turff is a good idea over all. With what you are talking about and the bedding material is not. Have you tried Scenic Express? They have several forest blends in 64 oz containers for $15 you should look at http://www.sceneryexpress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=EX897C
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
This is my no cost, no prep forest litter. It's weathered, about 1 year, mulch that washed out onto the drive way. I just picked out the big pieces. DJ.
You can definitely make your own ground covers, although since ground foam (the current material of choice) is pretty cheap in bulk, I personally think it's a lot more trouble than it's worth.
As far as your specific question, I wouldn't use the pet store shavings. For one thing, many of the pieces are much too large. Ordinary sawdust (pine or hardwood)is OK if you're trying to model big, chunky stuff like coal, gravel, iron ore, etc., but pet store wood shavings are usually made of western red cedar, which is great for keeping moths and other insects away, but not so good for your layout.
You can make your own ground foam by chopping up foam rubber (available at craft stores for stuffing pillows) in an old food processor (which will never again be usable for food) and adding paint or dye.
You can also use leaves and / or dirt from outside -- but you should bake this stuff at 250 degrees for 30 minutes to kill anything organic which might be living in it. After baking, go over dirt with a magnet to get rid of any ferrous particles, then sprinkle or sift onto your layout. Leaves can be ground and dyed as above.
Another often overlooked way to simulate low vegetation is to use felt in an appropriate color and scrape it with a pet fur brush to make the surface fibers stand up. The only problem with this method is that you have to do something to make the color less uniform.
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
Grampys Trains This is my no cost, no prep forest litter. It's weathered, about 1 year, mulch that washed out onto the drive way. I just picked out the big pieces. DJ.
Grampy, this stuff is incredible.
Gorgeous, ultra realistic landscaping.
You put me to shame.
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks, Rich. DJ.
How about this stuff?
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=EX896B
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
I've not seen homemade ground foam get as fine as the finer commercial stuff - perhaps an appliance that grinds finer than a blender is needed?
I did the sawdust thing many years ago, my Mom wasn't too happy although I really left no mess when I was all done dying and drying it. It turned out ok when placed on my layout at the time, byt by that time the use of ground foam was coming about and the pictures in the magazines all looked better than my layout, so my next attempt, this time in N scale, I switched to the ground foam and had what I thought was a pretty decent layout. It still exists, I should maybe try to restore it and update it, as I have no pictures of these early attempts, they've all disappeared somewhere, and it was long before digital so they were all Polaroids.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
This isn't turf but it is fairly realistic for deadfall and shoreline logs. I gathered it up from a beach on Lake Superior:
The driveway pickings might provide more detail in terms of bark, but the stuff above is a good excuse for a trip to the local beach.
And Grampy, that scenery is amazing!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
Try using the newest landscaping and scenery products from JTT, I have 3 of their products in my scenery bin along with several other brands and find them the most economical and life-like. Check out my photos on this site as well as FB.
Thanks,
John
For forrest floor, I think ground leaves is a good idea. Go to a yard sale or a ReStore and get an old blender (keeps the other half happier).
I have also seen it recommended to add a little Lysol when chopping. Helps to keep little "things" from appearing in the understory of the forrest.
Good luck,
Richard
This is how I want my turf to look.
The picture below is from Ken Larson's On3 West Side Lumber layout featured in M.R. Magazine about two months ago.
Anyone ever try using sand?
You know, from the beach?
Remember forests are seldom perfectly flat. I'd start with a ground goop base, then add a few flat pebbles where rocks may be.Since most heavy forest floors are mainly covered with dead leaves, unless, of course you're modeling pine forests, using a blender to grind up dead leaves,then dry and bake or cook on a gas grill in a foil pan would be your best bet. After you dry leaves, sift through a flour sifter, keep both the fine leaves and course. You will want to intermix the two, plus add a few bigger dead twigs to simulate dead fall. The you could use some sparse green foam for occasional grass and use real dirt, also baked and sifted. One of Lou Sassi's scenery books covered this in detail, I'd recomend getting it, it's full of scenic tips.
Yep. DJ.
cowman I have also seen it recommended to add a little Lysol when chopping. Helps to keep little "things" from appearing in the understory of the forrest. Good luck, Richard
That's why you bake the stuff at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. It won't burn at that temp, but nothing alive will survive the process (interestingly, a variant of this method is being used to eliminate bedbugs in commercial hotel rooms).
rrinker I've not seen homemade ground foam get as fine as the finer commercial stuff - perhaps an appliance that grinds finer than a blender is needed?
Yes -- a food processor (Cuisinart, Kitchenaid, or similar) will give you as fine a grind as the commercial stuff... if you're willing to stick with it for a while.
As I said (and see a couple people agreeing with me above), too much effort for a minor cost savings to suit me.
ShortEngine87 Anyone ever try using sand? You know, from the beach?
I use the bagged Play Sand from the Big Box stores.
Comes in 50 lb bags and it is critter free.
I use it to give minor contours to the flatter areas of the layout and glue it down using the 50/50 glue mix
You can color it once it is dry with really thin latex paint and then add the ground foam.
BOB H - Clarion, PA
yup all the time. It looks the most like sand. Just go outside get a bucket, fill it, then put it through a scrap piece of screen till you get what you want. This can also be done with dirt and the like. Also you get a bonus. All the stuff that didn't go through the screen can be used as deadwood, rocks in the river, and other details for your scnery
Gabe
"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp
MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"
And yes I am 17.
Also try taking dead leaves from the forest and through them in the blender. this makes great, well, dead leaves for your forest floort. and twigs make good piles of wood and again, dead fall.
Just the other day, I gathered up some leaves and with a blender chopped em' up.
So far I love the color and texture, I just need it in smaller pieces than what I'm getting so far.
I use Saw Dust put it through Sieves of different grades then dye it with Rit dye. I also collect leaves, Summer for Green, Fall for fall colors. Spread them out on cookie sheets or shallow cake pans. Put them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (Pre heat oven first). Then put them on plastic screen and form a pouch. Crumple the leaves so they sift through the screen material. Makes excellent ground cover or leaves for trees. The oven wil make them very brittle without losing much of the color of the leaves pluskill any mold that might be there.
Check out my sight on You Tube under "diamonjim6"
What exactly is the meterial Woodland Scenics is making ground cover out of? The Ballast is various nut shells.
ChevelleSSguy What exactly is the meterial Woodland Scenics is making ground cover out of? The Ballast is various nut shells.
Woodland Scenics ground cover is made from ground up and colored foam rubber.
Dan