I have a 8'6" x 23' N scale layout built on 3" foam that is totally flat with no elevation changes. All Kato Unitrack. Currently just flat foam and track but has one river in place. After bulding my track, testing it and getting all my locos and cars ready to roll, I am now ready to construct buildings and do landscaping.
Although I have built structures before, I am new to landscaping the area. My layout is basically flat to represent areas in southern Oklahoma which would have a small river and rolling terrain with limited trees. I have been thinking about ways to construct flat to rolling terrain on flat foam and I am considering the following approach.
With a base of flat foam, I think I will put my structures and building in place first. Some would be flat on the foam (especially next to the track) while others might be raised a small amount to add some depth to the view. Up to this point, I am confortable with construction.
Now comes the construction element I need help with. I want the landscape between the structures to include roads/scrubs/trees/rocks. I am thinking I should apply "something" to the flat foam that would represent flat ground as well as rolling low hills with some rocky outcroppings. Would include roads as part of the process.
I have some (limited) experience with ground goop. I used it to create the river I have and was really impressed with how easy it was to colorize and to mold into the shapes I wanted. I think it would be a good product to use to apply to the flat foam and create the flat ground (very thin layer) and rolling hills(variable thickness layer) I want. Once goop is in place, I can then apply grass (static grass?) and insert trees as needed and incorporate rocky outcropings.
If I use the ground goop, I am not sure how well it might work for the roads themselves. However, this would allow me to let the road follow the terrain as I build it up and do hillside cuts or rocky outcroppings along the way. I think I might be able to use it to make the road sub base then overlay it with something that would look more like a paved road surface.
So.....here is where I am looking for feedback
- Does the general approach I propose sound about right for the sequence of action?
- Is ground goop a reasonable material to use to apply to the flat foam to create flat ground and on to rolling hills? Will it work as a thin layer? How thick can I apply it before it becomes a problem? Apply in layers to control shrinkage? Can I apply it to a large area without developing cracks?
- Should I do roads as part of the ground goop or do roads before I do the ground goop then blend in the surrounding terrain?
Whatever technique I settle on, I will probably do a test by applying some to a large area and see how it works.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
I have never used "Ground Goop", so I will not comment onthose questions.
.
You order sounds reasonable. It also sounds like you have a good idea of what you want, and that is always an big help.
I also build flat layouts and then build the scenery. My next layout will only have one track on a grade (a 5% grade!), things just run better like this.
For rolling hills I just makes forms out of corrigated cardboard stacked on top of the scenery base in more or less "kidney" shapes. Two or three thicknesses of carboard is plenty. This will break up the horizontal flat surface and still look like flat lands. I blend it all together with Sculptamold.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have not used ground goop either. But my layout is mostly flat and located in the central Arizona desert, so lots of sand. However, all of my major structures and some minor ones are NOT connected to the layout, so a simple pencil outline of the footprint and scenicking between structures is simple. I am not sure how you are going to proceed, but in my case I usually scenicked, more or less completely, a portion of my layout before moving on to another part. As for roads, I outlined the edges, and thne proceeded while leaving the road itself for last.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
I like building the roads first and then applying scenery to blend them in. I use a lot of Sculptamold and spackle to do it. In fact, 90% of my scenery base is Sculptamold.
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
Instead of the ground goop, you should give Fusion Fiber a try. My easier to work with and manipulate- is very forgivable and includes an adhesive so you can spread ground cover, static grass on it as you work. You can mix whatever color paints you want in it to match the area you are modeling.
http://www.scenerymadeeasy.com/fusion-fiber.html
It is great for building asphalt roads too- a dark paint mixed with fine black (and a little grey) ballast spread and flattened looks very realistic.
Good luck!
Never heard of Fusion Fiber before but I followed your link. Sounds like it is very similar to Ground Goop in terms of applying it. However, it also can be rehydrated after it has dried. That tells me that if you get it wet in subsequent landscaping work, it will revert to the same state in which it was applied. I am not sure I would like that. However, that characteristic would allow you to rework an area long after it had been applied.
bearman I have not used ground goop either. But my layout is mostly flat and located in the central Arizona desert, so lots of sand. However, all of my major structures and some minor ones are NOT connected to the layout, so a simple pencil outline of the footprint and scenicking between structures is simple. I am not sure how you are going to proceed, but in my case I usually scenicked, more or less completely, a portion of my layout before moving on to another part. As for roads, I outlined the edges, and thne proceeded while leaving the road itself for last.
I expect to follow a similar approach. I like to install a building on a "pad" that is the same footprint as the building so I can remove the building and work on it as needed (paint, add details, clean off dust, etc) without disturbing the surrounding landscape.
trwroute I like building the roads first and then applying scenery to blend them in. I use a lot of Sculptamold and spackle to do it. In fact, 90% of my scenery base is Sculptamold.
Chuck....I see a lot of advantage to doing roads first. I am considering roads that are made be installing a "boundary" then filling in-between the boundary with a product that would represent a pavedroad. Several products on market that use that approach. Once in place, then the Ground Goop can be used to fill in the terrain.
One advantage I just thought about is that this would create natural breaks in the overall landscaping where the road and terrain meet. Like cuts in a sidewalk, this would provide a natural place for cracks to form in the overall landscape rather than let cracks create their own path across the landscaping.
Remember that roads are higher than the surrounding land--drainage, and all that.
Ed
7j43k Remember that roads are higher than the surrounding land--drainage, and all that. Ed
More accurately "they have to have ditches." Otherwise, how would any road cut work? I picked three random spots in my old childhood stomping grounds and quickly found places that the "road must be higher" maxim was invalid.
https://goo.gl/maps/z2ifv2SrmDp
https://goo.gl/maps/WYKiMHkFRbp
https://goo.gl/maps/qQpa3P1LMeA2
I have used scraps of foam to make variations in landscape. Cut some pieces thin, shape them into mounds of different sizes and shapes, attach to the base (I use inexpensive caulk), then I used a thn layer of Sculptamold to hide the seams. This still made it possible to plant trees with an awl quite easily.
For my surface areas I just painted the appropriate ground color and sprinkled foam right onto the wet paint. Once dried, I added addtional layers of texture, using different types of foliage products, natural and foam.
Good luck,
Richard
I also can't speak about Ground Goop's value since I swear by Plaster of Paris (POP). This stuff is so easy to find and quite inexpensive. You simply mix some of it up with water into a paste and apply.
Your approach makes sense. Perhaps for the roads consider outlining where to put them first befor starting with the scenery. To create the appearance of an elevated road, you can first cut strips of Stryene that you paint to appear as a road. Plenty of resources out there to make them.