I'm laying down dirt, gravel, and ballast on my layout but have encountered a big problem. I'll dip a paint brush into the solution and "paint" it pretty heavily onto the substrate and then using a spice shaker I found at Amazon to apply the material. I'll usually use a small handheld vacuum to pick up the excess. I only do one material type at a time so I can reuse the excess. The problem I have is trying to apply a coat of glue to hold everything in place. I've tried four different spray bottles and all of them cause the material to roll up into little balls. And if there are any bare spots, trying to spray on the glue messes up everything nearby. Is there a secret or solution?
First, try not spraying directly, but spray a mist above and let it drift down onto the area.
When I did mine, quite awhile back, so I may have forgotten something, I painted on my earth tone, then sprinkled on the first layer of ground foam right onto the paint. I would think brushing on a good coat of glue would do the same. Shake on the foam then let it dry completely. In most places I didn't try to take the excess off, as most of it was stuck to the paint or would get another coat of adhesive when I did the next layer.
Using wet water or an alchol mix to help the adhesive flow may help you also. The techinique is explained in several different scenery books.
I use grated cheese containers or spice shaker bottles (larger holed ones) to apply the ground foam if it didn't come in a shaker when purchased originally.
Good luck,
Richard
Mel and Richard pretty well sums it up.
But I'll tell you my way anyway.
Don't need to have paint or glue down first. Apply your material, dirt foam ect. the way you want it. Spray with ''wet'' water. I use water and alchol 50/50 by guess.
Start by misting so as to not mess up and blow away the material. Then get it wet, almot to were you can see water running.
Then drip on the glue mix. 50/50 water glue by guess. If you got it wet enough you will see the glue mix seep into the material. Then don't touch for at least a day.
You can then add more stuff, repeat the above. Or rewet scrape it all up and start over
RealGomerI'm laying down dirt, gravel, and ballast on my layout but have encountered a big problem. I'll dip a paint brush into the solution and "paint" it pretty heavily onto the substrate and then using a spice shaker I found at Amazon to apply the material....
To add ballast, ground cover, etc., the usual process which I follow is to apply the material - ballast, ground foam, real dirt, and/or coloured tile grout - is to apply the materials dry, and in whatever order that will best represent the appearance I want.
The next step is to pre-wet the area, using "wet water" - ordinary tap water to which has been added a few drops of dish detergent.
If your local water is exceptionally hard, use distilled water instead - it's readily available, and cheap, in gallon jugs at any supermarket. Some modellers prefer alcohol instead of dish detergent, but if you're doing fairly large areas at a time, it dries too quickly for my tastes.
For wetting the material, I use a large-capacity sprayer bottle which emits a fairly fine mist. The sprayer is first aimed upwards, so that the droplets can simply fall onto the dry material.
Once the area is somewhat wet, I then spray it directly - do not skimp on the wetting agent, as it must penetrate right down to the base on which the dry material has been placed. Otherwise, the diluted glue will not penetrate down to the base, either, with the result being a hardened crust atop loose material.
I used diluted white glue, 1/3 to 1/2 glue, with the rest as tap water - again, use the appropriate water as noted for the "wet water".I use a small dropper bottle, as shown below, to apply the diluted white glue, but you could also use a plastic ketchup or mustard squeeze-type container - do not, however, squeeze it, rather letting the droplets simply fall. Due to the action of the wet water, you will see how quickly and widely the diluted glue disperses.
...here's the area with the diluted glue applied...
...and after the glue had dried...
Do not touch any of the scenic material once it has been wetted - it will only make a mess. Allow it to dry - for light applications of material, overnight is probably long enough, but I've done some areas where it took over a week to fully harden. If I recall correctly, this is one of those places...
Wayne
I've always done about the same as Dr. Wayne. After applying the material, I get it wet with the "wet water", dish soap or alcohol, and then apply the "wet" glue mixture.
I use a dropper, such as eye dropper? for both.
IF , after ballasting, and you discover you need to make some "track alignment" adjustments, the ballast is easy to take up, save, and use agin.
Mike.
My You Tube
I too lay down the material first, dirt, gravel, grass etc and get it how I want it. I then spray / mist it with straight rubbing alcohol, the apply 50/50 white glue, soak it good. If it balls up the the alcohol has evaporated so just spray it a bit more.
No spray bottles for me. I have a small, empty Elmer's glue bottle. I fill it 1/4 full with fresh glue, then the rest with water, then shake. Presto, ready to use white glue already in an applicator. I use straight isopropyl alcohol from a pipette for my wet water. I think the pure alcohol allows the glue to dry faster, and it's cheap enough to not bother diluting it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I use a medicine dropper to apply both the wetting agent (rubbing alcohol) and the diluted white glue. (I've also used diluted matte medium.)
No spray bottles means no air to blow materials around.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Like Ricky, I use alcohol from an eyedropper, then the glue. I've just tried what MisterBeasley does with the glue bottle, and it works great. It takes time.
When I first started my layout, I tried a spray bottle and did not have good luck.
York1 John
I use those condiment bottles that burger joints use for ketchup and mustard. I have found that if left sitting too long, the diluted glue separates I drop a large fishing weight into the bottle, now it works like a rattle-can ball.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR