Woodland Scenics Instant Water

[Anonymous]

I was wondering how this stuff works. Do you paint the stuff after you pour it or do you paint the table where it is going? Thanks for the help in advance!

[Anonymous]

While I haven't used this particular product, the normal way is to paint the bottom of the riverbed, allowing the colors to show through the clear artificial water. I've used Envirotex Polymer coating with good results, and have painted the center area of the stream flat black. Then the banks of the waterway were painted a tan color, blending in with the black. This gives the effect of the water getting deeper in the middle of the stream, even though the "water" is only about a quarter of an inch deep.

Bob Boudreau

[mondotrains]

Hi,
I've used the Woodland Scenic's "Realistic Water", which I'm sure you're talking about, with great results. It's much better than using those plastic beads that you melt and pour. This realistic water is simply poured directly from the bottle and has a tougher surface than the plastic beads.

I painted the bottom of my riverbed using Delta Ceramcoat's "black/green" color which gave it a nice deep appearance (these paints are available at craft stores like Michael's and Joanne Fabric. Along the edge, I painted the bank of the river a dark brown and blended it into the dark "black/green" paint. The river looks real deep even though the "water" is only about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Be sure to damn up the edge of your layout where the river is with some masking tape so the liquid doesn't spill onto your floor.

Good luck and most of all, have fun.

Mondo

[Anonymous]

I was actually talking about the little beads that you melt....but i'm guessing the process would be the same. thanks for the quick answers!!

[twhite]

Just finished pouring a mountain lake with the Realistic Water and it's a honey to use. Make sure all the details you want are in first, and paint the river or lake bed the colors you want--in my case, Sierra Nevada water is remakably clear, so I use a lot of dark blue and dark green to simulate 'sky reflection'. One thing--make sure your lake or river bed is solid and seamless--the stuff will gather around ANY little imperfection and leak out--. But you'll get an astonishing result if you're patient. Let it dry for at least 24 hours before you use another coat--1/8--1/4" is really as deep as you need to go. Great stuff--sure beats the two-part chemical epoxies we all had to use back in the Dark Ages.
Tom

[willy6]

I used it for a swamp, fantastic results.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 02F350PSD

I was actually talking about the little beads that you melt....but i'm guessing the process would be the same. thanks for the quick answers!!

If I had a choice, the melting beads would be the last thing I'd use for modeling water. The stuff when melted is really hot - it can scortch any scenic materials near the edge of the waterway. It also hardens quite fast, so you may not have time to place the water in the way that you want it.

I was with a group working on a small layout in a hobby shop a few years ago, and we tried the melting beads. We used a commercial heat gun to melt them in a tin can, which was quite messy and not all that user freindly.

I thought Woodland Scenics had discontinued the beads in favor of the new liquid stuff, which is supposed to be better.

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

well the three bags i have will not be enough for where i need so i may purchase some of the liquid stuff and see what i like. Thanks for the heads up though.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mondotrains

...Be sure to damn up the edge of your layout where the river is...

I hope you meant "dam" the edge of the layout[:D]. I am getting to the point soon where I need to do my own creek... Maybe I'll get the stuff for Christmas...
Reed

[mondotrains]

Hey Reed,
You got me! I guess I use the word "damn" so damn much in my verbal vocabulary that I forgot how to spell dam.

Mondo

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnnnboy

QUOTE: Originally posted by mondotrains

...Be sure to damn up the edge of your layout where the river is...

I hope you meant "dam" the edge of the layout[:D]. I am getting to the point soon where I need to do my own creek... Maybe I'll get the stuff for Christmas...
Reed

[Rene Luethi]

In my winter scene I have a brook with snow caped boulders in the riverbed. On the bank of the brook are Pine trees, also in deep snow. In the real world a river under such conditions is almost black in colour, but the details on the bottom of the river are clearly visible. To simulate this I mixed a half cup of Woodland Scenics Instant Water with one drop of black tinting colour for acrylic paint. I had to apply an amazing amount of layers of this mixture in the riverbed to get the desired water level. The most part of this Instant Water dries away leaving only a thin coat after each pour. Thus, the finished water gets fare darker than the same amount of fresh liquid water. I underestimated this effect but in places with only little water, the texture of the ground is clearly visible – just as desired.

Rene.

[Anonymous]

Don't use the little beads you melt, after a year or two your river will develope cracks that look awful. I have seen this happen to many layouts that have used this product. I have tried their new product and was not thrilled with it either. It is hard to build up any thickness to it because it thins as it hardens. I have had my best results using envirotex which you mix, pour, and let harden.