What really is a scale soil substitue?

[tomwatkins]

You can frequently find perfectly good blenders at thrift stores and second hand shops. We got one at the local VFW thrift store for five bucks. It works great for grinding up scenery materials and also for preparing moss to be planted between the rocks in our patios. Having one for non-food prep tasks makes life a lot more pleasant.

Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[tomwatkins]

You can frequently find perfectly good blenders at thrift stores and second hand shops. We got one at the local VFW thrift store for five bucks. It works great for grinding up scenery materials and also for preparing moss to be planted between the rocks in our patios. Having one for non-food prep tasks makes life a lot more pleasant.

Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[Nieuweboer]

I've been using blended colors of "Scenic Sand" this is a very fine sand in quite a number of colors. It is made by Activa Products Inc. in Texas so should be available in the US too. Here it is sold in stores that sell hobby products and is apparantly used to make "sand pictures", much like the |Indians make or used to make.

[Nieuweboer]

I've been using blended colors of "Scenic Sand" this is a very fine sand in quite a number of colors. It is made by Activa Products Inc. in Texas so should be available in the US too. Here it is sold in stores that sell hobby products and is apparantly used to make "sand pictures", much like the |Indians make or used to make.

[Anonymous]

Rivet counters, what is the scale size of a grain of sand?

colin154,

If you would like to use dirt from the area you model I would sift it down in stages using small homemade sieves. Be sure the dirt is dry, very dry, or it will stick to the screen.
Stage one: Pick out the larger pieces, rocks and pebbels. Put them in a box or bag for landscape use.
Stage two: Sift the dirt through window screen (this is normally #25-30 mesh). Mesh is the number of openings per linear inch. What you have in the screen can be used for hillside rock/gravel or what ever.
Stage three: Sift what's left through a tea strainer (most are #50 mesh). What you catch in the tea strainer can be used for roadbed? or what ever.
Stage four: Sift what's left through a drip coffer maker "screen", not a filter, but one of those screen inserts, these are normally #100 mesh. What you have in the screen is good for roadside gravel.
What comes through the #100 mesh screen should be fine enough for dirt road gravel. If it is still a little large for your liking you can buy finer mesh screen. Use you favorite search engine and search for "wire cloth".

Years ago for a WWII beach landing diorama, I sieved real Normandy beach sand through #200 screen.

Good luck and enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Rivet counters, what is the scale size of a grain of sand?

colin154,

If you would like to use dirt from the area you model I would sift it down in stages using small homemade sieves. Be sure the dirt is dry, very dry, or it will stick to the screen.
Stage one: Pick out the larger pieces, rocks and pebbels. Put them in a box or bag for landscape use.
Stage two: Sift the dirt through window screen (this is normally #25-30 mesh). Mesh is the number of openings per linear inch. What you have in the screen can be used for hillside rock/gravel or what ever.
Stage three: Sift what's left through a tea strainer (most are #50 mesh). What you catch in the tea strainer can be used for roadbed? or what ever.
Stage four: Sift what's left through a drip coffer maker "screen", not a filter, but one of those screen inserts, these are normally #100 mesh. What you have in the screen is good for roadside gravel.
What comes through the #100 mesh screen should be fine enough for dirt road gravel. If it is still a little large for your liking you can buy finer mesh screen. Use you favorite search engine and search for "wire cloth".

Years ago for a WWII beach landing diorama, I sieved real Normandy beach sand through #200 screen.

Good luck and enjoy.

[CNJ831]

Gotta say that I'm amazed not to see anyone mention what is the most common and obvious method employed out my way to create very fine dirt.

After drying a small container of local dirt, run it through fine screening. Scoop up a plastic beverage cup full of the results. Secure a layer of women's pantyhose (leg area) across the mouth of the cup. Hold this arrangement up-side-down over a small bucket and shake side-to-side vigorously. What ends up in the bucket is the finest dirt you can imagine. It does take some effort to produce a significant pile of this fine material but it is just perfect for the job of representing soil/dirt road surface on the layout.

Incidentally, I also used this fine dirt like chalk dust in the final weathering of my structures. Very realistic!

CNJ831

[CNJ831]

Gotta say that I'm amazed not to see anyone mention what is the most common and obvious method employed out my way to create very fine dirt.

After drying a small container of local dirt, run it through fine screening. Scoop up a plastic beverage cup full of the results. Secure a layer of women's pantyhose (leg area) across the mouth of the cup. Hold this arrangement up-side-down over a small bucket and shake side-to-side vigorously. What ends up in the bucket is the finest dirt you can imagine. It does take some effort to produce a significant pile of this fine material but it is just perfect for the job of representing soil/dirt road surface on the layout.

Incidentally, I also used this fine dirt like chalk dust in the final weathering of my structures. Very realistic!

CNJ831

[krump]

as Fergie also noted, I've considered using extra-fine coffee grounds.
some might re-cycle them for the railroad (once dry), but the thing that I'm uncertain about is if food substances / coffee in the scenery and layout construction will attract rodents ???
cheers, Krump

[krump]

as Fergie also noted, I've considered using extra-fine coffee grounds.
some might re-cycle them for the railroad (once dry), but the thing that I'm uncertain about is if food substances / coffee in the scenery and layout construction will attract rodents ???
cheers, Krump

[Anonymous]

I recently made a plowed field. I took top soil and filtered it with window screen. It made a very nice fine dirt that could be used in various projects. Now all I have to do is figure out whet to use for corn stocks.

[Anonymous]

I recently made a plowed field. I took top soil and filtered it with window screen. It made a very nice fine dirt that could be used in various projects. Now all I have to do is figure out whet to use for corn stocks.

[darth9x9]

I would avoid the foodstuffs as a solution. You want to avoid anything that lends itself to mold and algae. Use inert materials whenever possible.

[darth9x9]

I would avoid the foodstuffs as a solution. You want to avoid anything that lends itself to mold and algae. Use inert materials whenever possible.