Thanks Guys for the Awesome Input; will be awhile before I can get some real dirt/gravel from outside due to dang weather here but already got the coffee can to put in the car............lol Great pic also there Peter. Created other name by accident but have being away for awhile as old computer wasn't compatable with new program here and of course forgot passwords; different emails....etc
Cary
Just finished a gravel lot of sorts with Arizona Rock and Mineral products. Used a slightly tweaked version of Lance Mindheim's Dirt 101 method from his May 2013 blog. Light coating of HO size ballast for the base layer, followed by a a layer of N scale ballast sprinkled on randomly. Grooming with a fine brush I applied different, but matching rock powders in various areas, with heavier application of the powders in some spots. Finally a very, very light sprinkling of asphalt powder and a little ground foam for grass. After glued and dried I came back and brushed on some craftpaint washes of burnt umber and tan here and there. I think I need some more greenery though, maybe a few random weed patches.
Sorry for the photo blur.
regards, Peter
Hi OlDawg. If it hasn't happened yet, welcome to the forums!
Looking at your photos, with the car there I used the "imagine how big or small the feet are getting out of that car..." method of looking at it, and with that I came to the conclusion the sandier stuff looked better sized and the grey stuff was like small boulders. I think what is throwing you, me and the other poster off is the color; if the smaller stuff were a grey, I don't think it would look so "sandy" to you, but it is a sand color.
The other post about looking in ditches is a good one and I will follow with look everywhere! Throw an old coffee can in your car or truck for the purpose of bringing home different dirt or sand. You can always sift it at home. A word of caution: it is a good idea when using any real dirt products to run a magnet through it to remove any naturally ocurring iron as it tends to wreak havoc in our electrical railroad world. (This may also lead to later on bringing branches and twigs home for scenery at a later date!)
Happy RR'ing!
Duane
I agree with your observations. You might try sifting real silt from a ditch by a gravel road or driveway to get a mixed size gravel look.
Was just trying to get some Gravel right in a small trailer park; the one I think looks to Sandy and the other the Stones maybe to Big - Tell me what do you Railroaders think?
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg34/cjham/2014-March011.jpg
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg34/cjham/2014-March010.jpg