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What is the best way to make dirt roads?
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[quote user="jfugate"][quote user="jeffrey-wimberly"]Why buy it when I can go outside and get it free?[:)][/quote]<br><br>JW:<br><br>Free isn't always the best deal if it isn't what you are looking for.<br><br>Dirt from the outside is often way too dark under indoor lighting, and it may be the wrong color to boot. Dry powdered pigments like <b><u><a href="http://www.dickblick.com/zz000/04/">these from Crayola</a></u></b> mixed with plaster is the way I go. For a few bucks (less than $4 per jar), I can get some black, brown, yellow, and blue powdered pigments, and for a few bucks more I get some white plaster of paris.<br><br>With this combination of materials, I can literally mix <b><i>any dirt color I need</i></b> in a few minutes -- and if I match the color to a reference outdoor photo, it will look right under my layout lighting. Plus, if you include at least 50% plaster in the mix, all you need to do is moisten it with a mist of water and it's fixed in place once the plaster sets. It doesn't get much easier than that. [swg]<br><br>NOTE: One thing to watch out for is the pigment and plaster mix can dry darker once you mist it with water. It's best to test your mix on a scrap of material first by misting it with water and see what color it is when it's dry. If it's too dark add more plaster to lighten it, and try again until you get the color you're after.<br><br>[/quote] While part of what you say may be true, $4 a jar and some plaster is at least $20 total, that's no small outlay for, say a 14 year old just starting their layout. If the real dirt is too dark, it can be lightened with some plaster, or painted after it's glued in place. We should be offering people ideaS and not steering them into believing that the dollar spending way is the only way to have a nice layout. Fred <br>
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