I recently made my first attempt at using ground goop. The recipe I used was;
1 part celluclay
1 part vewrmiculite
1/2 part brown latex paint
1/2 part white glue
1/2 part water
Two days after putting this on my layout some areas are still not completly cured. The thin areas are hard. But the thicker areas (1/4 to 3/8 inch thick) are dry to the touch but are still mushy under the skin. Hopefully this will eventually dry completely and harden. If I want this to dry quicker what changes should I make to the formula? Thanks for all answers.
wdcrvr
The relative humidity will affect drying time. If I were to modify the ingredients, I would cut back on the water which may or may not speed up the drying if humidity is high. You could also apply it in thinner portions or build it up using thin layers.
Scott
It does take time to dry. You can continue work once the thick skin is on it.
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
I am not undestanding "ground goop" as a term.
.
Is this a subsitute for plaster or Sculptamold?
What are the advantages you are looking for?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Some materials take longer than others to dry, and it's always dependent on ambient humidity and air movement. I have a feeling that your goop recipe, or the way you compiled/mixed it, is a bit short on plaster-like material. I'll explain:
I use a recipe proposed by Joe Fugate on this forum when he was active here 12 years ago. I may not recall it precisely as he posted it, but I use the following:
a. Four parts 'fine' vermiculite;
b. Two parts Plaster of Paris;
c. One part Portland Cement; and
d. A pinch of two colours of masonry dye powder ("mesa" and "brown").
You should see that my/Joe's concoction contains about three parts gypsum-like material to four parts of the "rebar" analog in vermiculite. I can use a wood drill and drill holes for armatures in the goop and for telephone poles, etc.
This may all be by-the-by and irrelevant to you, but in case you are finding your concoction a little friable or soft after you deem it to be 'cured'......
I have applied gelled gloss medium over a water course and found some wave tips taking over a week to turn from whitish to clear. When I use my goop recipe, and run a dehumidifier in the room, my goop batches dry in about 20 hours......ish.
SeeYou190I am not undestanding "ground goop" as a term. . Is this a subsitute for plaster or Sculptamold? . What are the advantages you are looking for? . -Kevin
Kevin,
It's an alternative ground covering created by Lou Sassi if I remember right. It's mentioned often in MR as he's a frequent author. He does very good work and his scenery is very nice.
Not being very fluent in "ground goop" use my belief is you use it as base material similar to Sculptamold or plaster and then use your scenic materials over it. I don't think it is or can be used to make things like rock molds.
Personally I'm happy with the results I've always gotten with Sculptamold and plaster. I don't mind experimenting with new materials when I see a benefit but GG doesn't appeal to me.
Just my 2¢!
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works
I think part of the original appeal of ground goop was that it would be cheaper than other ways and lighter than some of the plasters that were being used. I would guess that sculptamold would be more expensive than ground goop. Since starting this thread I decided to speed the drying process in the thicker areas by using a small nail to punch holes in the skin of the still soft areas. Then I went a step further and turned on one of those utility lamps with the big metal shades and set it down on top of the offending area. Everything is dry and solid now.
So I have decided that the ground goop experiment was successful and will continue to use it with some modifications: maybe less vermiculite for areas that I want a smoother finish, definitely less paint in all future batches since the first batch dried very dark. I will also experiment with the ratio of water and/or glue that I use. Thanks for the replies.
oldline1Personally I'm happy with the results I've always gotten with Sculptamold and plaster.
Me too. I will stick with Sculptamold and Plaster as well. It has worked fine for 30+ years.
wdcrvrSo I have decided that the ground goop experiment was successful and will continue to use it with some modifications: maybe less vermiculite for areas that I want a smoother finish, definitely less paint in all future batches since the first batch dried very dark. I will also experiment with the ratio of water and/or glue that I use. Thanks for the replies.
Maybe try some of Selector's formula, and use more cementious ingredients, replacing the glue.
Just my thoughts. Also, a fan helps move air, and dry things quicker.
Mike.
My You Tube