~G4
19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.
Once you are beyond the ballasted tracks and the roads and sidewalks, unless you live in a desert or rocky mountain, the world is covered with dirt/earth/duff, some of which grows weeds and grass, but very little of which is colored like pure black or gray/brown dirt. Ground goop provides that world of earth because this is actually one of the most time consuming things to model. Most scenery products make the world pure white and a texture which is not very earth like. Ground goop for the base, onto which you can add grass or bushes, or pure black earth for a newly plowed farm field, or rocks and stones, or sand -- whatever.
It covers up the plywood, homasote, plaster, foam board, whatever.
Dave Nelson
As I recall, he uses it to model...well, ground. For example it's good for mud, like around a run-off pond where water collects. It also kinda saves a step or two. Normally you have to put up say cardboard strips and maybe newspaper into a general shape, then put plaster over that, then paint the plaster, and then do the scenery on top of that. With goop the plaster is mixed with the base color and such and can go right onto the paper-over-cardboard, it's pre-colored and gives you a three-dimensional texture too. Then you just need to add grass and such depending on your situation.
http://www.fourthray.com/Peter/Articles/Scenery/SceneryBase.htm
http://railroad.net/articles/columns/highgreen/MethodsForRealisticScenery/index.php
I first heard of Lou Sassi's ground goop concoction in one of those Dream Plan Build videos - he told how to make it and use it as a base ground cover that simulates, well, ground. Because it derives its color from latex paint I would imagine one could make it in a variety of earth colors. Anyway, I tried ground goop, found it to be a very good base material and would encourage anyone to try it. The only down side of ground goop is the odor from the Lysol that tends to linger for a few days after its applied to the scenery - but it's a small price to pay for something that works so well.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
There are several varieties of 'ground goop', of which I used Joe Fugate's version: one part Portland Cement to two parts Plaster of Paris mixed with four parts fine-ground Vermiculite. In order to improve the earth tones, I added a teaspoon or two of masonry dye. When a batch was mixed, I'd slather it over pre-placed stretches of aluminum window screen hot-glued to the frame members, risers, and the splines supporting the roadbed.
-Crandell
It gives your layout surface texture. Just a plywood or foam surface are very smooth and unrealistic even when painted and sprinkled with scenery material. Ground goop doesn't leave a smooth surface and when you add scenic material it looks more realistic. You spread it over the surface, hills, flat spots and all. Exceptions could be where you plan to place a building, road or some other thing needing a smooth surface.
Have fun,
HaroldA The only down side of ground goop is the odor from the Lysol that tends to linger for a few days after its applied to the scenery - but it's a small price to pay for something that works so well.
The only down side of ground goop is the odor from the Lysol that tends to linger for a few days after its applied to the scenery - but it's a small price to pay for something that works so well.
Heh heh I suspect we wouldn't want to experience the odor if you didn't use Lysol!
Hi Dave. I don't use the lysol and I've never experienced any issues. Between the paint and glue, it pretty much kills anything that might grow.
Tom
I use goop over my hardshell base. The basic hardshell will have unsightly bumps and creases that the goop covers to give a more natural-looking and "ground-like" contour. It can also be laid up varying thicknesses depending on what I want in a given area. I mix it up in a big resealable microwave storage bowl and apply it with plastic silverware. My recipe is equal parts Celluclay and vermiculite with several big globs of white glue, tan-colored latex paint, and water as needed for workability. I also add a dash of Lysol but not sure it's really needed. It has a very long shelf life if kept in a sealed container, is tough and semi-flexible when dry, and provides a good sticky surface for ground foam materials if they're applied while the goop is still wet. I can't do large swaths of scenery at a time using it, but I'm in no great hurry anyway. Highly recommended.
Jim
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright