Looks really good Kevin.
I always like to mask things off with blue painter's tape and painters paper where I don't want over spill or any intrusion the same. Good job on the blends of ground foam. A lot of good information on application you provided as well.
I like how you recessed the power pack (transformer) and control panel in the fascia. Black or Dark box car red..... That's a tough one, I love flat black, there isn't much better but boxcar red is more of an Earth Tone and subtly fades to a blend with the scenery. Tough call. That needs to be your decision brother, I know what I'd pick.
Now the Mugger drink holder and you say you have 10 of them. I did see you had a Fresca planted in one.
This old Scottish-Irish boy might get into trouble with a set of those dispersed around his layout. I may leave those out on mine
I like it Kevin, keep the updates coming.
Thanks Track Fiddler
PERIODIC UPDATE #8:
.
I spent this weekend working on the first level of the scenic ground cover. I am so excited to finally have some scenery in place.
The first thing I needed to add was a drink holder. Once scenery is in place cold drinks need to be kept off of the layout surface. I found this product called "The Mugger" at a Flea Market years ago, and I bought 10 of them thinking they would be useful someday for a layout.
I mounted one to the front fascia in the center, and sure enough, this product will make a great cup holder for the edge of the layout. It folds up out of the way when not in use, and it is adjustable to hold larger cups or mugs.
I mounted the power pack and control panels back into the fascia. I like the green color of the fascia and how it accents the troller pack.
I think that I will change the background color of the control panels to black when I build the final layout. I though dark baxcar red would be a good looking option, but maybe basic black like the power packs is a better decsision.
Or maybe I will leave the control panels this color. Maybe it will grow on me after a while.
I got all my supplies together for the application of ground flocking materials.
I keep all my different flocks in clear plastic one gallon bags for easy access and identification. I buy everything I see when it comes to ground cover. Variety of textures and colors work very well for me.
I use a pressurized hand sprayer to apply diluted adhesive over large areas of terrain. I am trying Mod Podge adhesive on this segment. I have not been happy at all with the new "Extra Strong" formula the Elmers Glue has switched over to. I am hoping Matte Formula Mod Podge will be a good alternative. It costs about 4 times as much as Elmers, so it bettert work well!
I dilute the glue 10:1 with water for spraying, and then I add 3ml of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 to get it to soak in quickly and flow well. I have a large container that is marked with the proper levels for this ratio.
I also have a squeeze bottle that I use for careful application of diluted glue.
I masked off all of the layout. I left about a 3/4" area around the tunnel portals, rock castings, and other details that will be flocked in after all the parts are painted.
Today is not about detail, just getting a bunch of ground cover in place over a large area.
I used a one inch wide brush to apply a liberal layer of Mod Podge to the ground surface. I try to work in areas about 1 to 2 square feet at a time and keep a wet edge on new areas that will be glued and flocked. I tend to work from back to front and right to left as I move along the project.
Then I sprinkle everything with an even layer of Woodland Scenics number T-49 fine green blend. I have never found anything that makes a better scenic base than this product.
Two bags were required to cover this entire project section.
I use an empty squeeze bottle to blow the flock away from areas where it does not belong. I do not like to blow flock around with my lips. Inhaling flock must be very bad for your lungs. I will not take that chance.
WHERE SAFETY GOGGLES WHEN DOING THIS. Very few things are as irritating as ground foam in your eye.
Then the most fun part. All kinds of different flock colors and textures are applied to make the ground look a lot more natural. Only the finest maintaned lawns are an even color of green in the real world.
There you have it... ground cover is applied, and it sure makes a big difference. This was a fun and rewarding weekend.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Track fiddler Disney Land and Disney World, I can't remember which was which between Florida and California.
The good one is in Florida!
carl425I'd stick with what you have and do a fade with your airbrush to a light gray at the bottom.
Fading with an airbrush is a skill I do not have in my abilities. I have tried several times, and always failed.
I'd stick with what you have and do a fade with your airbrush to a light gray at the bottom. Start your fade about 1/3rd of the way down from the top.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Hey Kevin
I've only been to Florida once when I took my kids to Disney. I took them to both, Disney Land and Disney World, I can't remember which was which between Florida and California. I do remember I really enjoyed Epcot Center, I do remember that was in Orlando. Man..... that was a lot of years ago.
Now thinking about what you said, I can imagine the sky is really blue in Florida. Florida is pretty much a peninsula with the wind currents from the oceans blowing everything away, unlike the Inland States where the haze gathers and makes the sky appear a more milky blue.
I agree the middle color is a good choice for the final layout. Not many people do experimentation before they set things to Stone. I sometimes do a little experimentation before I decide on something as well.
Looking good Kevin..... Anticipating seeing your next steps
Track Fiddler
I am kind of spoiled on skies down here in South Florida. Our blue sky days are VERY blue, and that throws off my perspective a bit I guess.
I think the middle color would be a good choice for the final layout.
Kevin Honestly, I was more prone to the lighter blue for the sky. It is all a matter of preference though.
I do remember seeing somewhere, how skies are blended to a lighter, more faded blue closer to the Earth for a more realistic effect. Respectfully just wanted to comment on that. I wonder what you think.
TF
PERIODIC UPDATE #7d:
Well, all the base colors are in place. I am quite excited about all the probress made this weekend.
I painted the fascia the same color as the base for the grass. This makes it easier to conceal the edge for in-the-front photographs.
Hopefully I will have some time to put down the first layer of ground covering soon.
PERIODIC UPDATE #7c:
Paint is finally going down, and some color has arrived!
I was not happy with the blue I chose for the sky. I chose the lightest on this color card, which is similar to the blue on Walthers Instant Horizons backdrops, but I thought it was too light.
I went back to Home Depot and had some mixed that was the darkest blue on the same color card. I like it much better.
PERIODIC UPDATE #7b:
Time to slap a lot of paint onto this project... FINALLY.
After the paint is on it will start to look like a real layout. FIrst step... put manilla paper and tape all over the track again. Must protect the painted track and ties.
Now a couple of coats of KILZ-2 are applied all over everything as a base coat.
Once the primer dries, color will be applied.
PERIODIC UPDATE #7a:
There is nothing better that Sculptamold made my the American Art Clay Company (AMACO) for blending rock castings together, or for sculpting rocks.
It took less than an hour to make all the fillers for the rock casting sections.
When you mix Sculptamold you need to be very careful when adding water. It only takes a thimble full or less to go from "not enough water" to "too much water".
Track fiddlerLooks like you found some time to get back to your craft and have some fun again
Yes, I am very grateful for this three day weekend. I have not spent three days at home with nothing to do yet in 2019.
Looks like you found some time to get back to your craft and have some fun again Kevin. I would like to say the same.
Your Mach up projects with step-by-step illustrations are enjoyed. That kind of stuff takes extra time out of what you're working on, I know. I always look forward to seeing some more.
Appreciated. TF
PERIODIC UPDATE #7:
It has been a while since I have had time to even think about this project. I have a three day weekend, so time to get down to it.
This morning I removed all the tape from the tracks and exposed them for the first time in months.
I added a thin layer of joint compound over the plater to smooth everything out.
Then I smoothed the joint compound with a sponge. This is the last of the scenery base preparation.
After the joint compound dries, I will move forward for the next couple of days. Stay tuned!
That's a cool story Kevin. I like the name, sounds good. I'm anticipating the next steps in your project
PS You could also break down the possible meaning of your Railroad name.
1) Briggs & (Stratton).... Smooth running Railroad.
2) Gillette.... Very sharp-looking Railroad.
riogrande5761Of course the danger is for readers is they will forever be thinking of lawn mowers and razors!
Track fiddlerMeant as a funny, I don't expect you to answer, it is somewhat blunt humor....
The story of the railroad name goes like this:
I wanted a name that did not reflect a certain area or region. OHIO SOUTHERN, VIRGINIAN & OHIO, and ATLANTIC CENTRAL are all ficticious roadnames that lock you into a certain part of the country. I was young, and I really had silly dreams for the railroad. I will not discuss the original (and completely ridiculous) plans right now.
I was 15 or 16 years old when I came up the name. My process was this... I went through the house and wrote down anything that sounded like it could be a city. This is where the lawnmower and razor came in. Then I went through the Rand-McNally Atlas (this was the early 1980s, way before Google), and I crossed off any city that had a population of more than a few thousand.
Of the city names that were left, I thought "Stratton" and "Gillette" sounded best together. The STRATTON AND GILLETTE was born.
Later, I found out there is a good sized city in Wyoming named Gillette. I guess as I neared the end of the atlas I became a little lazy. Oops.
Most people think it sounds like an English railroad. Some people ask me if it is in Wyoming.
If I had paid better attention to the atlas, I might have the STRATTON AND PILLSBURY or something. Good thing, I really like the railroad's name, even 35 years later.
I have changed scales, location, and era, but my railroad has aways been the STRATTON AND GILLETTE.
I just gots to knows.
Those would seem to be a couple of sure bet companies combined into one!
Did you purchase stock in the company at the time of the merger Kevin?.... and then name your railroad?
Meant as a funny, I don't expect you to answer, it is somewhat blunt humor.... I bet you did though.... it makes too much cents
SeeYou190riogrande5761 Your RR name always reminded me of a merger between Briggs & Stratton lawn more engine and Gillette razor companies. . Believe it or not, that is exactly where the railroad's name came from. -Kevin
Of course the danger is for readers is they will forever be thinking of lawn mowers and razors! As the old ELO song goes, "I can't get it out of my head"...
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Track fiddlerTo sum it up in a word Kevin... Excellent... I've been following your thread and it's been all good. You are now getting to a point I can really use.
Thank you for the kind words.
I am getting excited about scenery coming into place. I love working on scenery.
riogrande5761Your RR name always reminded me of a merger between Briggs & Stratton lawn more engine and Gillette razor companies.
Believe it or not, that is exactly where the railroad's name came from.
SeeYou190I can get the forms I want very easily with the cardboard strips. I have become very good an weaving these together and getting nice flowing landscapes.
I like using cardboard too for getting forms I want, and then covering with plaster cloth as well.
Your RR name always reminded me of a merger between Briggs & Stratton lawn more engine and Gillette razor companies.
To sum it up in a word Kevin... Excellent... I've been following your thread and it's been all good. You are now getting to a point I can really use.
I have the two back corners on my layout that will be high mountainous areas with tunnels. I have been contemplating what method and materials to use. I have heard hydrocal is lighter and stronger than plaster. Weight is a concern of mine as I am building a portable layout that will be brought to train shows someday in the future. I will be older and possibly less agile then
Your step by step examples and instruction has been very easy to follow and leaves no confusion. I have decided on your method and can't wait to get to that point. Your detail sander, shaper tool not gumming up on the hydrocal sure sold me. I will make sure I construct plenty of tunnel access when I do this.
Thanks for the great thread!
Weekly Update #6:
I tried something with the hydrocal that I know does not work with plaster of paris. I tried finishing the surface with a grinder. It worked! This stuff dries so rock hard that you can grind it with a coarse diamond bit and it does not clog the grinder. Amazing!
I tackled the riverbed this week. The frist step was to break out a 3/4" wood chisel and remove all of the plaster from the subsurface that will be the river.
Then I made a paper template of the path the river will take. I just taped pieces of notebook paper together and marked the pathway with a black sharpie and cut it out.
I am using the diffuser lense from a florescent light fixture to model the water. This was suggested in another thread last year. It seemed like an interesting idea, and I am experimenting, so I am trying to make it work.
I transfered the shape of the river to the diffuser using the paper template.
Then I cut out the river water. It took a lot of careful work with a box cutter utility knife, but I got it done.
The test fit was OK. The river fit in the alotted space perfectly.
Then I took some drywall compound and applied a thin layer to the plywood to form the bottom of the river. I like using a Bondo spreader for drywall compound. I seem to get better control than when I use a putty knife.
The adventure will continue next week.
Weekly Update #5:
Did not get much done this week. I went to a train show and spent the day with my wife on Saturday, and I spent all day Sunday working on the freight car fleet.
I did get some work done suring the week.
Before doing hardshell, I always mask off the tunnel portals. These were left unmasked for the plaster cloth, but hardshell is messier.
Then I opened the box of Hydrocal 30 I bought online.
The mixing rationis 100:38 plaster:water by weight. I carefully measured 100 grams of plaster.
Then 38 grams of water.
I do not know what type of paper this is. We get parts for work wrapped in it, and is makes great hardshell. I have used it for decades, and it is free. I just rip the paper to a usable size.
I do not have any pictures of the actual hardshell going down on the layout segment. It is too messy to even think of using the camera.
I will have more next week.
Stay tuned.
SeeYou190I found a place where I can buy a massive quantity of plaster cloth for about $150.00, it comes out to about 35% of the cost from Woodland Scenics.
That's great. That is about the cost ratio that we found too. However, we may not need to buy any more plaster cloth at all. One of our members walked into the club on Tuesday night with a huge box of cheesecloth (eight cubic feet maybe) which he is willing to sell to us for peanuts. He also has a large bag of dental plaster to go with it. The dental plaster may be a non-starter though because it has been sitting in storage for about 20 years. It could be one solid piece by now!
He also made an interesting suggestion. My immediate idea was to soak the cheesecloth in the dental plaster and then apply it to whatever surface it is going over. He suggested that we should spray the base with a light coat of glue and then put the cloth on dry. Then, after the glue has had a chance to dry, he suggests 'painting' thinned dental plaster on to the cloth. The theory is that there will be fewer drips and therefore less mess. It's worth a try. Woodland Scenics sells plaster brushes that are designed to hold a fair bit of material.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterMay I suggest that you have a look at your local medical supply stores for plaster cloth.
I found a place where I can buy a massive quantity of plaster cloth for about $150.00, it comes out to about 35% of the cost from Woodland Scenics.
Thanks for the tip.
gmpullmanWhat a difference a layer of skin makes over the terrain forms! Keep up the good work
Yes, it was an amazing difference. Thank you for the kind words. My wife is always so amazed how much one of these projects changes as soon as the wood is covered up.
ATLANTIC CENTRALI just have to ask, why so many "steps"?
Well, a lot of it has to do with the way I work. I try to move as fast as possible on a project. I really want to get scenery down. I just cannot wait.
I can get the forms I want very easily with the cardboard strips. I have become very good an weaving these together and getting nice flowing landscapes.
The plaster cloth is very fast to use, and hardens in about an hour. Hardshell goes on fast and can cure overnight.
Then I use thick plaster of paris to actually sculpt the landscape. I blend together anything that does not look right and take care of strange dips or indentations.
After the plaster of paris hardens, I hit it with a drywall rasp and knock down all of the wierd high points. Then I smooth over evrything with a thin layer of drywall joint compound.
I have covered 30 feet of layout like this in a week.
The result is a very nice and smooth scenic base. The biggest disadvantage is how heavy the whole thing turns out to be.
Kevin,
I just have to ask, why so many "steps"?
I have done hard shell with Hyrocal for decades, no card board webing, just balled up newspaper or other "stuffing" that gets pulled out later. Learned to do it that way at the Severna Park club. That layout is 60 plus years old, scenery still in great shape.
No plaster cloth, just newspapers dipped in hyrocal, with some supports and "anchors" for it to grab.
Then softer plaster over top for carving, etc.
OR, my preferred method, is still wire window screen as a base. Faster and easier than the cardboard strip thing?
Sheldon
SeeYou190Hi Dave! The cardboard strips are very weak. They can barely hold the plaster cloth while it sets.
I remember my days of building hard-shell scenery. One handy material I had on hand was a roll of sticky-backed, mesh fiberglas drywall tape. Sticking a few lengths of this stuff before the plaster goes down (I used reinforced "Brawny-type" paper towels) adds quite a bit of initial strength and helps to fill voids in the cardboard webbing.
https://tinyurl.com/y78t3dn8
What a difference a layer of skin makes over the terrain forms!
Keep up the good work
Cheers, Ed
hon30critterI wondered about how sturdy your cardboard webbing would be, but if it works, it works. You like to build strong structures so I was surprised that you used something so thin.
Hi Dave! The cardboard strips are very weak. They can barely hold the plaster cloth while it sets. I use that style cardboard because it is easier to get flowing scenery profiles than with corrugated or other materials.
The cardboard will support the cloth, in a single layer.
The the plaster cloth will support a layer of hard shell hydrocal.
The hard shell will support a contouring layer of plaster of paris.
Then a smoothing layer of joint compound will be added.
When all the layers are complete, the resulting structure will be very strong... AND HEAVY!
That is why I tested the structure with 300 pounds of floor tiles.
Looks good Kevin!
I wondered about how sturdy your cardboard webbing would be, but if it works, it works. You like to build strong structures so I was surprised that you used something so thin.
May I suggest that you have a look at your local medical supply stores for plaster cloth. If Florida is anything like Ontario it will be much cheaper than the WS offerings, and it is exactly the same stuff. Our club just bought a bunch from a local medical equipment supplier for peanuts.