Newspaper Scenic Shell?

[Anonymous]

I read in a caption under a photo in MR Planning 2002 about a scenic base made with newspaper and wallpaper paste over a cardboard web. Has anyone out there tried this? If so, how well does it work?

[Anonymous]

It works OK, but I prefer the newspaper soaked a bit in thinned plaster, when using this method.
Whenever possible, I use an underbase of styrofoam or balled up newspaper, then cardboard strips hot-glued together, then masking tape webbing over any large openings in the cardboard.
Then I plaster right over this shell. [ I use a slow-drying commercial Polyfilla ]
best regards/Mike

[thirdrail1]

Industrial grade paper towels cut into 2 inch wide strips and dipped in Hydrocal plaster works a lott better.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Guys,

I was just curious. I thought there might have been a less "messy" way, I use towels and plaster myself. It's amazing how the photos always show a fairly neat and clean process (HA HA)

Joe

[Anonymous]

Here's a method that's not "too" messy that I've used sucessfully: Build up your landscape base with the pink or blue foam stuff, shape it using rasps, metal brushes, etc. (Okay, that's messy but a vacuum cleaner will clean it up.) Afteryou get it to the shape you want, mix up a thin batch of Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty, about the consistency of paint, and add a little water-based paint of the background color of your choice. Apply that over the base with a disposal brush, your fingers, popcicle sticks, whatever works. (That's messy, too, but at least you don't have those big honking pieces of paper towels dripping plaster all over.)
You can do a lot of the above "off site", like outside, where messiness isn't such a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Here's a method that's not "too" messy that I've used sucessfully: Build up your landscape base with the pink or blue foam stuff, shape it using rasps, metal brushes, etc. (Okay, that's messy but a vacuum cleaner will clean it up.) After you get it to the shape you want, mix up a thin batch of Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty, about the consistency of paint, and add a little water-based paint of the background color of your choice. Apply that over the base with a disposable brush, your fingers, popcicle sticks, whatever works. (That's messy, too, but at least you don't have those big honking pieces of paper towels dripping plaster all over.)
You can do a lot of the above "off site", like outside, where messiness isn't such a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Over the years, I've tried just about everything except wall paper paste, Joe. Zip texturing, patching plaster, Hydrocal, you name it...

But if you're looking for something that's "less messy," try plaster gauze. It's all I use now. In fact, I have the better part of a 100-lb. bag of Hydrocal in the basement that I'll probably never use up because I like the plaster gauze so much better. There's virtually no clean up with it and it dries just as hard as "hardshell." After I've applied a surface coat of my Sculptamold/paint mix and rock castings, I can't see the gauze texture underneath.

I guess the downside to using it, though, is the expense. It does cost more than a bag of plaster and a roll of paper towels. But then I think of the plaster drips and the cleanup and ... well, you get the point.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again Guys,

I've been out of the hobby for around 7 years and now that I have a somewhat large area in a basement (14 x 16) I've decided to take the plunge again. This layout will probably have a variety of hardshells (gauze, paper/plaster etc.) I'm going to experiment a lot on this one to get back into practice and see which is best for me. I like the styrofoam/water putty method. I'll give it a try on my low level hills. I was just curious about the wallpaper paste method only because I've never heard of it and the procedure was not explained in the magazine article.

Again thanks for your replys, and if there is another method you all hear of let me know. Maybe I'll make a great discovery during this layout!

Joe

[Anonymous]

One more thought...I've recently been using the Woodland Scenics Plaster Cloth product and it works pretty well. It can be pricey depending on the area you need but my layout isn't that big (3x18) so there wasn't a need to get a lot of rolls. It's quick, easy, and best of all, not all that messy.

I'm sure you could get by getting heavy duty paper towels and soaking them in a pan of hydrocal which would probably be cheaper.

[Anonymous]

dafowers, I wrote nearly the same thing yesterday. See my posting for 3/19 @ 9:36 (or thereabouts).