Using real dirt

[eng22]

I would like to use real dirt for ground cover in some areas on my layout. For those of you that have done this, what are the do's and dont's.

[CNJ831]

Probably a good idea to run it through the oven (or microwave?) when the wife isn't looking. You don't want any nasty little critters popping up on the layout. Sift the dirt through a piece of women's hose to get it really fine. In applying it to the layout I apply it in a rather thin layer and try not to get it too wet, you don't normally want to model a mud flat! Scatter a few tiny stones around the area where grass meets bare ground for added realism.

CNJ831

[Anonymous]

I use different colors of dirt on my layout all the time. Here in Fla., we have sand, marrow(med to dark) & dirt dirt. I pour a thin coat of Elmers glue in the area that I am going to cover w/dirt & sprinkle it till I get it all covered.
Before I use it on the layout I sift it. Never had bugs. I do have an occasional Lizard ride in my box cars though. [8)][censored]

[DSchmitt]

Baking it to kill critters is a good idea.

Some dirt may have metal particles in it, which can play havoc with with your locos if the get picked up. Spread it out and pass magnet over it unless your absoutly sure its OK.

[eng22]

Thanks for the input. I suppose I will wait for her to leave before I begin baking dirt in her new oven! [C=:-)]

[Seamonster]

I use real dirt on my N scale layout, sifting it through an old fine mesh kitchen strainer first. I've never had a problem with critters, but baking it to sterilize it would be a good idea, or you could use commercial potting soil, which is already sterilized--I use both. Sometimes I put down a layer of dirt, fix it with diluted white glue, then sprinkle Woodlands Scenics turf in different shades over that and fix it in place. I also have a big jar of sifted soil from different locations in my yard mixed with potting soil and a couple of different shades of W.S. turf. It makes a good ground cover for open areas in the wild.

[willy6]

LOL.........I could picture my wife coming home from work, me holding a pot of dirt, her panty hose, and the oven door open. I'm not laughing at your ideas which I think are good, but i'm laughing at what my wife would do in that situation. "I'm killing layout critters honey".

[Anonymous]

My buddies and I use real dirt all the time. To me the real trick is to get the grain fine enough. I will shake the ground up dirt in a box lid (like gold panning) and pull the fine powder off to use on the layout. In HO scale dirt is going to be superfine. Coarse sand scales out to be large stones...

Each of us in the train group has a secret spot to get our dirt. I always watch my rear view mirror and double back a few times on the way to my spot just to make sure I'm not followed....

I'm sure that someday one of us will have to explain to the officer what we are doing out in the middle of nowhere sifting dirt....

Guy

[Jetrock]

First--go get some dirt! Store it in a coffee can or other suitable dirt-holding receptacle.

Second--go to a thrift store and get a cheap Pyrex baking pan and a flour sifter or mesh strainer. This will reduce marital stress, as well as the risk of grit in the casserole.

Third--sift that dirt! This will get out large rocks, vegetable matter and other unsuitable debris. For fine dirt, use a tea strainer or an old pair of nylon stockings (you might pick one up at the thrift store too, rather than risk marital stress hijacking the wife's stockings.) Me, I'm lazy and just use a sifter.

Fourth--Run a magnet over it! If the dirt is glued down well it won't be as much of an issue, but a few minutes with a magnet will produce a surprising amount of ferric material (at least the dirt I collect does--perhaps because I collect dirt from land that used to be a railroad yard!)

Fifth--Bake it! Use a flat baking pan or cookie sheet--you want to have as much of the dirt exposed to air as possible. A big pot won't work--the dirt in the middle won't get the right treatment. Bake at 250 degrees for about an hour, then shut the oven off and leave the door ajar. This will kill critters and seeds (I used dirt on a layout when I was a kid and didn't take this step--to my surprise, real grass started growing on my layout!) and dry the dirt thoroughly. Let the dirt cool until it is room temperature (overnight, if possible) and store in an airtight container.

Sixth: Deploy dirt! Personally I like to undercoat the terrain with paint close to the dirt color in order to avoid white spots where the dirt might not have stuck (I use Sculptamold and drywall mud for terrain sculpting.) Ideally while this paint is still wet, sprinkle it with a small spoon over your area to be dirted up. Once the dirt is on the layout you might want to use your fingers or a cheap paintbru***o scoot the dirt around where it should be.

Seventh: Time for alcohol! No, not a beer break, it's time to soak the terrain in rubbing alcohol. This will allow the glue you're going to apply next to soak in better. I use a small spray bottle.

Eighth: Time for glue! With all this talk of alcohol and glue it may seem that this process is mind-altering, but no, this is nice innocent diluted white glue, matte medium, or Woodland Scenics scenic cement. Using a spray bottle or an eyedropper, spray the glue onto the dirt. The alcohol will help it soak into the dirt thoroughly--if it balls up on the surface, hit it with some more alcohol until it dissolves readily into the dirt. All this fluid may cause some of the dirt to roll off the high spots of the terrain--hit these spots with a little more glue, drizzle on a little more dirt and give it a shot of alcohol to soak in. Repeat as needed until your dirt is in place--or three sheets to the wind.

Ninth: Time for foam! Since your terrain is all covered in glue anyhow, this is a good time to add ground foam or other sprinkled scenic treatment that you'd attach in the same fashion.

Tenth: Cleanup! Let everything dry, then suck up or blow off any loose dirt. A vacuum cleaner (to suck up) or a can of compressed air (to blow off) is good for this. Avoiding excess loose dirt will prevent any ferrous bits you missed during the magnet step from flying into your engines' electric motors.

Here's a yard covered in dirt processed by this process:

[eng22]

Jetrock,

Great post!!!! That is the step by step process that I was looking for from an experienced modeler. Thanks for the info. I will add step 11 however, Alcohol, Canadien Club and water, on the rocks.

[cacole]

I've used real dirt on a club layout quite extensively. First, I screen the larger pieces out by sifting it through a kitchen sieve. I mix the dirt in a styrofoam coffee cup or similar sized container with a small amount of casting plaster, some white glue, a couple of drops of liquid dish washing detergent, water, and Apple brand acrylic paint. I make this mix very soupy so it is easy to spread, pour it onto the layout, and spread it around with the back of a plastic spoon or small paint bru***o form whatever shape is desired. Ground foam and other scenery items can be applied immediately, and the glue and plaster will hold it in place as it dries. There's no "recipe" on how much of each ingredient to use. I just add dirt and paint until I get close to the desired color in the cup. The purpose of the paint is to tone down the white of the plaster more than anything else. Since most Arizona dirt has a reddi***int, I use Cinnamon or a similar color that can be purchased at the crafts area of Wal-mart.

[cwclark]

one hint:...run a magnet over the dirt before you put it on the layout...some dirts have iron in it and you don't want the train engine motor magnet to pick up any pieces of iron in the dirt...it would be like adding a piece of emory cloth to the motor armature...Chuck

[cpcolin]

Be careful where you get your dirt from. It could be contaminated with funky stuff. [xx(] Heating contaminated soil can smell up your whole house. Trust me I worked in an engineering soils lab an have unintentionally heated contaminated soil and "stunk up the joint"

[Anonymous]

I've been using real dirt on my N Scale layout. Bought nothing at all special for the project. Sifted through an old screen several times, popped in the oven on a sheet of foil @ 200 degrees for about a half hour with the windows and door open. Applied a similar color paint on the flatter areas, grey rock-color paint on the steeper slopes and sprinkled the dirt on a bit heavily while the paint is wet. Steep slopes tend to shed a lot of dirt and the gray showing through resembles the rocky slopes common in these mountains.

Try using ligher colored soil than you think you need. The top soil in these mountains is very thin . Even so, my first attempt gave me soil that looked much darker on the layout than on the ground. I ended up using mostly sand from the old D&H roadbed-turned-bike trail. On the path it looked very light but applied to the layout it looks right.

If your concerned about the odor, I read a "recipe" for potting soil which recommended putting damp (not wet) soil in plastic cooking bags sealed as tightly as possible, with a meat thermometer in the soil and bake for 30 minutes after the temp reaches 140 to 160 in the soil. Open the bag outside.

Finally, here's my "dirty little secret." Have a cleaned out dust-buster on hand to vaccuum up the excess. You'll want to reuse it and don't want to suck it up into a vaccuum filled with dust and junk.

Wayne

[eng22]

Thanks for all the input guys. Just so you know the dirt project has had very succesful results. I was able to get a good amount done yesterday. I was lucky and did not have any issue with contaminated soil or smelling up the house. The dirt I used was wet with snow so I cranked up the heat to 450 and let if go for an hour. After it cooled down I put it in a five gallon pale and went at it with top end of a mallet. This crushed the chunks and creates a very fine result. After the crusher it went into the flour sifter and then onto the layout. Looks great!

[kansaspacific1]

To eng 22: Two great looking layout photos! (Posted in your response to 3 questions this evening) Looks like your dirt process worked well, too.

To anyone else interested in dirt (Since nobody else mentioned it in that thread.):
(I looked at your profile and read this dirt question eng22 submitted back in 12-04)

Baseball diamond dirt (The really soft powdery clay, not the SANDlot kind) makes the
best dirt. (Of course you still have to run it thru all the mentioned processes). But
most of it is usable as the particles are so fine to start with.

[Anonymous]

I've seen good results from using sifted peat moss and plan to use some on my layout when I get that far. Already have some stored in plastic bins which I 'stole' from the wife's gardening supplies.

[electrolove]

Jetrock:

Excellent [bow]

Do you have any close up pictures of the yard? It's a little hard to see the final result.

[Jetrock]

Here is a directory with all my layout pictures:

http://www.emrl.com/~jetrock/fubar/

Some are close-ups that show dirt that should be helpful.

[electrolove]

Jetrock:

Thanks for the pictures, I will look at them.