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woodland Scenics Grass Matts

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woodland Scenics Grass Matts
Posted by Heartattack 19 on Friday, November 2, 2007 11:02 AM
Hello everyone, I am finally at the stage to start doing something with my layout! (5 years and one sewer collapse after my last one!). I have acquired two of the vinyl grass matts from Woodland Scenice (the 4x8 kind) and am interested to see who has used them and how they attached them to their layout base.  I am using 3/4" inch pink and blue foam over 3/4" plywood as my layout base.  I know the January 07 MR, they used contact cement, i was thinking of using double sided tape or maybe even wallpaper adhesive.  Just looking for a little direction.  Thank you in advance for all of your help, i really look forward to having trains run in the near future!
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  • From: Mankato MN
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Posted by secondhandmodeler on Friday, November 2, 2007 12:44 PM

I started out using one of those grass mats in the beginning.  The reason I did that, was my last layout as a child had no scenery at all.  I have to tell you though, in about two weeks the last of that mat will be covered by ground foam and trees.  It is better than plywood, but not much.  I wish I had spent the money on a couple shakers of Woodland scenics ground foam.  The main problem with it, is it really only works for a manicured lawn.  It's a little too perfect for any real world application.  I did like having that down instead of staring at plywood though.  Good luck with whatever you do. 

Sorry , I just reread your post.  I attached mine with 3M spray adheasive.  If you're using a foam base, I wouldn't use the grass mat unless you are having a perfectly flat world.

Corey
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Posted by Heartattack 19 on Friday, November 2, 2007 12:55 PM
Thank you for the reply!  I will have to find the 3M spray adhesive.  I am just using the mat to give me a base to look at, i had second thoughts when i was buying it, but the 40% off coupons from Hobby lobby made me bite the bullet and buy them.  The layout is in my parent's basement, i do not have room for one in my place, at least the mat will make the layout semi presentable and get rid of the pink and blue perfectly manicured fields!
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  • From: Mankato MN
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Posted by secondhandmodeler on Friday, November 2, 2007 1:06 PM
That's exactly the reason I used one.  One thing to keep in mind for the future.  The fact that you have foam for a base lends itself to adding different elevations.  All you have to do is carve down to create ditches, streams, ponds, etc.  I wish I had used a layer of foam on mine.  Covering exposed foam is fairly easy.  All you do is paint it with an earth colored latex paint. While it's still wet, sprinkle different colors of ground coverings on.  Blending a few different colors together give a more realistic look.  Like I said before, good luck!  This forum is a great place to learn different techniques.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Corey
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  • From: Amish country Tenn.
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Posted by loathar on Friday, November 2, 2007 2:25 PM
Since your using foam, you'll probably have to use white glue or wall paper paste. A lot of products will melt foam. Cheap caulk might even work.
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 2, 2007 3:21 PM
     I used a Readygrass sheet on one of my layouts. Very realistic for a grass mat. Use a rolling pin or whatever to flatten the sheet, otherwise it will turn out all wavy. If you want to create a readygrass hill, place a small piece if it on top of crumbled newspaper. You don't have to use the special "readygrass heat tool", a blowdryer will work just as effectively to mold the desired shape. Also, use various turf colors for accents, as most areas of grass are not just one color. Use a ruler when working with roads. Make sure EVERY bit of grass is off before painting the roads. The "scenic cement" is just white glue and water (I think): fill a quarter of the container with water, a quarter with white glue, and half of it with water. Shake well, spray on where desired to attach all scenery to the grass mat. The woodland scenics website also has how-to videos to watch about the grass mats.
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Posted by wjstix on Friday, November 2, 2007 4:11 PM

It depends on what you're doing, if it's temporary, I wouldn't glue it down at all !! If it's permanent, keep in mind you can use their hot air gizmo to "melt" it into place to conform to hills and dales underneath it, so it doesn't have to be flat. Of course, I suppose if the hot air melted the foam that wouldn't be so good....Confused [%-)]

Stix
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Posted by Heartattack 19 on Friday, November 2, 2007 4:20 PM

Thank you for all of the replies!  I am going to attempt to glue it down hopefully this weekend!  I will have scaprs left over, so i figured when i decided where to put hills, i can use the scrap mat peices over the wadded up newspaper.  We shall see what happens.  It has been since about 2001 since i had trains running, but that does not mean i have not been adding to my collection or loco's and rolling stock!

I will try and post an Atlas Right Track plan that i have worked out, thank you for your help! 

 

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Posted by loathar on Friday, November 2, 2007 4:46 PM
I just noticed...Interesting Screen Name. I hope that doesn't mean you've HAD 19 of them.
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Posted by Heartattack 19 on Friday, November 2, 2007 4:59 PM

Not yet at least! JK!

In high school baseball, i was a second baseman, but could really run, so the coaches had this bright idea to put me into Center Field!  Well, i caught almost everything, but it involved a lot of circling and last minute adjustments after it looked like i was camped under the ball, thuse, i was giving the coaches a "heartattack" everythime the ball was hit to me!  The nickname has stuck with me since 1996, and i still unfortunately catch the same way.  My friends get disappointed somewhat when i make a catch like i know what i am doing! 

 

My uniform number is still # 19, feels weird when i played for a team this fall that gave me # 23!

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 4, 2007 1:36 AM

Coincidently I had posted a similar question before I saw this thread. I will leave my post up for any advice, but would like to ask here as well, what about the edges of this WS grass mat?  How obvious are they or how much disguising do they require if I lay a piece in a field between some roadbed etc.  I am worried that the mat may be fine for large areas where the edges go out to the edge of the layout, but that piece by piece application looks bad??  True?

So far the score here seems tied.....one says the stuff is unrealistic and one says it is quite good for a mat.

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  • From: Charlotte, NC
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Posted by Phoebe Vet on Sunday, November 4, 2007 7:45 AM

I used Readygrass ..... ONCE.

I put it down with white glue.  Used it for a manicured lawn.  I had to use hedges and bushes to hide the edges.  I also had to use bushes to hide some small areas near the edges where I dripped a little scenic cement while applying the bushes.  It seriously discolored the Readygrass mat.  It looked OK until I used sprayed on scenic cement and sprinkled on blended turf for another grass area of the layout.  The difference was so striking that I threw out the rest of the Readygrass that was not yet applied.

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

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  • From: Mankato MN
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Posted by secondhandmodeler on Monday, November 5, 2007 12:03 PM
 Cisco Kid wrote:

Coincidently I had posted a similar question before I saw this thread. I will leave my post up for any advice, but would like to ask here as well, what about the edges of this WS grass mat?  How obvious are they or how much disguising do they require if I lay a piece in a field between some roadbed etc.  I am worried that the mat may be fine for large areas where the edges go out to the edge of the layout, but that piece by piece application looks bad??  True?

So far the score here seems tied.....one says the stuff is unrealistic and one says it is quite good for a mat.

I honestly think that it's geared towards beginners like myself.  I don't think that there is a coincidence that the mat is 4x8.  My childhood layout was the ever popular 'plywood empire'.  I bought the mat to have some sort of scenery before I decided what scenery I really wanted.  I wouldn't suggest it for little bits and pieces of grass.  If you want to cover large sections with little effort, the mat is decent for that.  It's a step up from no scenery.
Corey

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