I've been working on putting a little creek on the corner of my layout, and decided I would use Woodland Scenic's "Realistic Water". My layout has a base made of OSB with 2" industrial foam sheet on top, and therefore, the creek bed is made of foam. After putting a couple applications of the "water" on, I found that some of it had managed to seep through a small area (creek goes to the layout edge, which I thought I had sealed). The "water" coming out the bottom is purple in color, which leads me to believe that the pink foam base is being melted.
Has anyone else had this problem? If so, were any of you able to get around it?
_________________________________________________________________
Everything must be absolutely sealed. If the realistic water can soak through, you have not properly sealed the area. The coloration is probably from the chemicals with which the OSB is treated.
Before I poor any brand of water material, I always do a test pour with real water to find any possible leaks. If it doesn't leak, I use one of those superabsorbent towels to soak it up before pouring with the water material. If it does leak, I'd rather find out with real water than the expensive stuff.
What should I use to seal it? Also, should the seal be applied over the entire area to receive the Realistic Water, or just the spot that's leaking?
Maybe you should cover the entire foam creek bed with a layer of plaster or hydrocal or water putty or whatever equivalent is being pushed these days.Also, isn't the standard now a piece of hard plastic at the layout edge of the stream, with copious amounts of adhesive caulk to prevent leakage, and masking/painter's tape to key things stable?
Darth:
When I put in Bullard's Bar Reservoir on my Yuba River Sub about six years ago, I used about two layers of smoothed plaster cloth over the foam base, colored it to appropriate depth and sealed the edge with thick painter's tape before I poured the Realistic Water. I did two coats of about 1/8" deep, allowing about 36 hours for setting time between coats.
But first I made sure that the area I was pouring was COMPLETELY sealed with the plaster cloth. That Realistic Water will find any little nook or cranny in your base to leak out of, believe me.
It's pretty good stuff, but make sure you 'dust' it frequently ( I use Windex and a soft cloth), or it will attract dust particles that 'settle' into the surface, itself. I'm not sure, but I don't think the WS water really 'hardens' like some other gloss water products.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I have also heard that the WS water doesn't fully harden. The product I've used with complete success is Envirotex Lite, available at most craft stores. It's basically a clear two-part epoxy. It cures to a glass like finish and can be tinted with enamels (not acrylics). Again be sure the whole area is sealed, it will find the smallest pinhole. Put some plastic under the area just in case (on the floor). You can also use latex paint to seal the foam, apply at least two or 3 coats, then paint with appropriate colors and add any underwater details, then add the "water". I would also back the tape at the edge up with a piece of wood srewed into the foam.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
Not specifically with that product but I have learned the hard way that there are a lot of things that don't like extruded foam. It seems anything solvent based destroys it almost instantly. I can't say for sure thats whats happening in your case but it sure sounds like it. One thing I have also learned when using any sort of "water" product such as magic water envirotex, realistic water etc. is that you absolutely must seal the area where the product is going to go extremely well. If there is the tiniest of hole the stuff will find it. I once was pouring the envirotex lite in a 90% completed scene and thought man this is sure taking a lot more product then I thought it should have. Yup you guessed it I had a nice little lake on the train room floor.It's very important to read the literature that comes with the product to see what it's compatible with.before you start, trust me I know.
Well, my creek bed is already beyond finishing with a coat of paint (I colored it with ground foam). I think I have some clear epoxy I can use. Will it be enough to use the epoxy on the ends alone?
Darth Santa Fe Well, my creek bed is already beyond finishing with a coat of paint (I colored it with ground foam). I think I have some clear epoxy I can use. Will it be enough to use the epoxy on the ends alone?
I strongly urge testing on a scrap piece of foam to make sure the epoxy won't eat it. I haven't tried much on my foam yet. But the drawbacks of foam keep manifesting themselves - I doubt I'll use it again.
Fred W
modelmaker51 The product I've used with complete success is Envirotex Lite, available at most craft stores. It's basically a clear two-part epoxy. It cures to a glass like finish and can be tinted with enamels (not acrylics).
The product I've used with complete success is Envirotex Lite, available at most craft stores. It's basically a clear two-part epoxy. It cures to a glass like finish and can be tinted with enamels (not acrylics).
I've also used Envirotex Lite, and I have had very good results with it. Jay, I'm curious about your statement about not using acrylics. That's what I used, and I've had nothing but success. Why shouldn't acrylics be as good as enamels?
On another note, I've used Envirotex Lite with pink foam, and there seems to be no interaction. Also, use thin pours. Try to keep each pour to 1/8 of an inch. Allow a good 24 hours before the next pour. Take your time.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I meant not using acrylics to tint the Envirotex, they don't seem to disolve readily, at least they didn't for me. I used Floquil to tint the envirotex in the end and it mixed in well. If you meant painting the base and the scenery, no, it doesn't matter what you use.
The Magic Water website recommends painting a thin coat of their resin on the lake or river as a first coat. The idea is this thin coat will find any pinholes, but will not have enough volume behind to flow through. The resin will set up in the pinhole and seal it. I also agree with a small test on the foam just to confirm that it will not attack it or it will.
http://www.unrealdetails.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33&Itemid=13
Look under "Leaks and Viscosity"; note that their product is foam compatible.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
HA! Funny you should mention it. I had a dammed up stream that spilled down into the river below.
I knew about the issue about the resin melting the foam so I very carefully put on 3, no 5, no 7 coats of paint over it. Then I started pouring in the plastic water. About a cup of fluid later I realized something was wrong. Come to find out my "water" was leaking around the roots of my cattails. I am guessing I've got about 1/2 cup of plastic blobbed inside the foam. Fortunately I caught it before it melted through. That would have been a real mess.
The second mess was when that plastic water ran down the stream and right off the edge of the layout. I fixed it simply enough with masking tape. The tape held the water on the layout where it was supposed to be.
Hmm, so the Realistic Water is damaging to the foam base? I've already got about 3 applications soaked into it, and it's starting to develop a hard surface. This may be a crazy idea, but might it work to seal it the rest of the way with some airbrushed acrylic gloss clear coat, in addition to clear epoxy on the leaky edges?