Matte medium water thickness

[SFlorida]

I am building a N scale end table layout and have ran into a small problem. In some of the literature that I have read, they say that modeling water with gloss matte medium can only have a maximum thickness of 1/4". Why can't it be built up layer by layer like the two part resins or spar varnish?

[Anonymous]

Probably a matter of proper curing. Even Woodland Scenics Realistic Water and Water Effects recommend pouring only a 1/8" thickness and allow it to dry at least 24 hours before pouring subsequent layers.

[Javern]

I suppose you could layer it as much as you want however you need to pour each layer thin and let it cure. I have noticed the more layers the less opaque it becomes

[Anonymous]

I use Matte medium on all my water scenes & have added enough to make it look deep.
I also paint the base before I start pouring the first coat. I always let each pour dry for at least 24 hrs. You can add a color to the Matte each time as long as it is a color that goes w/the Matte. I use Walmart Acrylics(44 cents a bottle).
I've tried about everything to make water in my 44 years of modeling & Matte medium works the best for me.

larry

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't you want to use Gloss Medium for water?

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't you want to use Gloss Medium for water?

I suppose you could use Gloss Medium. I have found that if you are modeling a flat water surface, then Gloss would be better. But, I try to model choppy or fast flowing water & found that Matte medium looks better. It's a choice of each modeler I guess. LOL

Larry

[Anonymous]

Larry,

Thanks makes sense. I read somewhere to use gloss for water, but then fast moving water always looked less "glossy" to me. Hmmmmmm. Good thing about this forum is that it gives me great ideas. The bad thing is that it gives me so many great ideas I'm gonna have to try them all!!

This sharing of info is great!

Dave

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dkelly

Wouldn't you want to use Gloss Medium for water?

That's what I did on the old layout. I poured a small creek about 1/8 inch thick, and it was too much at once. The stuff looked like white glue for almost a week, but finally dried, thankfully. I thought I had ruined the job. But after the week was up, it looked pretty darn good to me. The reason I say it was too much, is because the final, dried product had a small split in the surface. I took a tiny bit of a twig from some bush outside, and glued it over the crack to look like a piece of branch that was floating down the creek. Luckily, it looked okay as if it was "supposed" to be there.

I had colored the bottom of the creek prior to pouring the gloss medium, but I had forgotten to put in a lighter, earth color near the shore. I was able to correct this by very carefully dry brushing on some Floquil earth paint. In the end it all turned out very well.