I learned an important lesson about building scenery using the cardboard strips lattice and plaster cloth. Once the cardboard strips get wet, it tends to sag without something to support it. It sagged to the point that it created a valley. I'm 6'1" and I needed a milk crate to stand on to see down into it. Kind of defeated the purpose. It looked fine, except that it was created as a removable mountain top. I am in the process of replacing it. This time, I used pink foam insulation to create the base. Plaster cloth was then used to fill cracks and add a plaster base for the cliffside scenery. Rock castings were added to the sides. I cut out the center of the stacked foam from underneath, which resulted in a dramatic loss of weight. Still a work in process and once it's complete I'll post pictures.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I am very wealthy because I do not buy the ready to go rolls of plaster cloth. I mix plaster in a bucket and dip wife's bed sheets and tea towels in it and lay it over cardboard weave, blocks of foam or wood or whatever.
I am then very poor because wife goes out and buy's new bed sheets and tea towels.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I find that a single layer is enough, although I do use plenty of overlay. I tend to apply plaster cloth over a webbing of cardboard strips. When I first apply the wet plaster cloth the cardboard also gets wet and thus gets weak. Once the plaster has set the area still feels spongy when pressed with a finger because the cardboard base stays wet for rather a long time. But in a week or so the cardboard also dries out and then I find it adequately strong.
Dave Nelson
I form the basic contours with pink foam scraps and then use a single layer of plaster cloth to smooth out the landforms. I usually put a skim coat of Gypsolite, a gritty plaster, on top of the plaster cloth. I tint the Gypsolite brown with craft paint so the paint job is easier.
With foam under the plaster cloth, there is a much more solid base for planting trees, RR Crossing signs or whatever.
I buy my plaster cloth at a craft store rather than at an LHS. I live in a place where the government would like me to be less wealthy than I am.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
BrianinBuffalo I use two layers of plaster cloth (I am very wealthy ). I prefer Woodland Scenics over Scenic Express as well as it seems to work better for me. For base contours I bundle up newspaper balls tightly and use masking tape to keep the balls tight. It takes a lot of time to make the balls but the end result is worth it. Again, as I said, I have a lot of money so I can afford many, many, newspapers and masking tape. After the cloth has been laid I coat the surface with a plaster spackle. I can afford this as I have more money than Scrooge McDuck!
I use two layers of plaster cloth (I am very wealthy ). I prefer Woodland Scenics over Scenic Express as well as it seems to work better for me. For base contours I bundle up newspaper balls tightly and use masking tape to keep the balls tight. It takes a lot of time to make the balls but the end result is worth it. Again, as I said, I have a lot of money so I can afford many, many, newspapers and masking tape. After the cloth has been laid I coat the surface with a plaster spackle. I can afford this as I have more money than Scrooge McDuck!
I belong to the two layer camp regardless if it's going over foam or cardboard webbing - and I buy it in bulk from school supply companies. I think the last box I bought it was 350' long. Once I get both layers down, I let it dry and then use ground goop or colored Sculptamold to add some additional ridgidity and then start putting scenery materials over it right away.
There are many sources for bulk purchases - here is one.
http://pacon.com/product/arts-crafts/modeling-material-6-wide-20lb/
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
Two Layers.
Overlap it so the second layer covers the seams of the first layer. Makes a stronger base to work with.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
I tend to 'overlay' the stuff like in Cody's video. I am not rich, but you can buy 'seconds' of medical plaster wrap off of eBay or the Internet a lot cheaper than the Woodland Scenics stuff! After the basic 'shell' is done, I 'paint' the plaster wrap with 90 minute patching plaster. You can buy it in small 18 lb bags and mix ip up as needed. You can buy it with anywhere from 20 minute to 120 minute setup time. This really works out great when I am painting the soupy mixture over the land forms I have just created. Regular Plaster of Paris starts to setup in about 20-30 minutes, and the last of the plaster is a little 'stiff' on the paint brush!
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
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
I use it over foam and one layer is usually enough. I don't put extra plaster on top as I smooth the finish on cloth. When you look at plaster cloth, most brands have one side with much more plaster visible than the other and you want that side facing you so you can smooth it. I must say that by the time you get the overlaps and corrections made, a great deal will have two or more layers, but then plaster cloth is cheap costing as little as $1.36 a roll if bought in quantity. To apply just dip it and put in place, then smooth. Now I am no0t saying adding plaster to the finished cloth base is bad but my underlying scenery is zip texturing so I find it unnecessary. Another tip on using the stuff, after you cut it to size, remove any loose threads and check for more after you finish laying it, they pop up sometimes
woodman My question is, is one layer strong enough to support scenery when it is added? I saw on Cody's video's he recommends two layers of plaster cloth.
One layer is plenty. The key is to understand that the plaster cloth layer is only a substrate for scenic finishing, much like basic drywall in room finishing. Use a brush to apply additional coats of thin plaster to build up strength, and/or apply thicker coats with your hands or some drywall tools. It's the finish coats that create a solid, strong scenery base.
Too many modelers are willing to accept the results of the first layer of plaster cloth as the finished scenery form. It's not especially strong by itself, and doesn't usually provide a realistic shape without further refinement. If you add more layers of plaster cloth, you still have something that should be given additional finish treatment, so the extra layers are a waste.
My own scenery uses a single layer of substrate; fiberglass drywall tape, wedding veil fabric, or cheesecloth. Once the plaster is complete it's very strong, despite it being weaker than plaster cloth initially.
This photo shows a single layer of plaster substrate on the left, and finished plaster shell on the right. The stuff at left is bridal veil fabric, but at this stage looks and feels much like plaster cloth. Finished plaster layers on the scene at right eliminate surface irregularities and create a solid structure.
Rob Spangler
I use plaster cloth over cardboard webbing and have found that 2 layers are needed to make a reasonably sturdy base. I then apply a layer of Sculptamold and this gives me a very stable base for my scenery. It is strong enough that I can lean on it while I work.
Joe
What is going to be UNDER the plaster cloth, and what type of scenery are you going to be putting over it? That will determine whether you need one or two layers, and how many coats of plaster you need on top of the cloth.
If it's going to be an area that will be subjected to people leaning on it, whether intentional or accidental, it needs to be sturdier than an area way back out of reach.
I build most of my scenery and mountains out of styrofoam and use plaster cloth only to finalize the shape of the scenery. I then apply at least two thick coats of casting plaster.
I use plaster cloth almost exclusively for my scenic base, and because I always add a thin layer of plaster, I only use one layer of plaster cloth. Cody doesn't have the limited budget that most of us work under.
I am using plaster cloth for the first time, in the past I used towels and even used fabric softener sheets dipped in plaster,it always worked great and was very strong. This time around I am using plaster cloth since it is less messy. My question is, is one layer strong enough to support scenery when it is added? I saw on Cody's video's he recommends two layers of plaster cloth. I also intend to brush a thin layer of plaster over the cloth once it dries to fill in any of the voids. So the basic question is do I go with one or two layers?