Diatomaceous earth to model dirt and sand scenery (updated with picture)

[electrolove]

There is an interesting artice by John Nehrich in the october 1988 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman about diatomaceous earth scenery. It's about using a exteremely fine material that is commonly used for pool filters to model dirt and sand. It looks really great in the picture I have in the issue. I want to know more so please tell me what you know about it.

[RedGrey62]

Don't know about scenery with it, but it was also used in the making of beer. Many carloads of the stuff arrived at the old Falstaff brewery in Omaha.

RedGrey62

[Adelie]

I haven't seen that article and have no experience with the stuff in model railroad uses. The stuff is basically ground shells from microscopic marine organisms, and it is an extremely fine powder. I used it in a special filter periodically when I was involved in freshwater aquariums. It has various other uses, including being mixed in animal feed to kill internal parasites and organisms (I guess it is sharp, if you are a microscopic organism).

Being as fine as it is and the off-white color, it would probably make a good sand or very light earth. It handles like fine dirt and looks like an off-white mud when wet. What did the article recommend as a glue or binder, and how how friendly is it to paint?

[electrolove]

I found a very bad picture on the net, this is how it looks like:



He used rubbing alcohol and then diluted white glue. He added rainbow dry pigments, mostly raw sienna to color it. Because it's white I think you will be able to color it in many different shades and colors.

I also found something on a webpage about it.

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/images/scenery-bldg/Layout-construction.asp

The other alternative is to glue down the diatomaceous earth first and paint it using any colors like Floquil afterwards.

[Adelie]

It is certainly worth experimenting with. The stuff is so fine it will scale well. I don't think it will crack, since it is really a hard substance that does not absorb moisture and expand. I haven't looked at it in a long time, but it was never an expensive product. And it is probably readily available.

Sounds like everything you'd want in a scenery product, assuming it really works!

[electrolove]

Adelie:

If you do try it, please post some pictures.

John Nehrich liked it a lot. He wrote:

It doesn't turn to mud when wetted and still looks like dry loose soil efter the white glue mix has dried.

He ends the article by writing:

Having gone trought the other methods, I think that colored diatomaceous earth opens up a whole new world of modelling earth.

[Adelie]

Electro,

Unfortunately, I am a long way away from that point. I may be a few months away from dismantling what I have, moving, and starting all over again. But the idea has caught my attention for whenever I manage to get to that point.

[electrolove]

Adelie:

Yes it seems like a interesting idea.

So guys at the forum, who want to be the test pilot? [:D]

[selector]

I have used a commercial diatomaceous earth powder to pour over ant hills in our yard when the ants become a problem. It is what the manufacturer recommends as an application. I would be cautious using it....sneeze once, and it is dust city.

[Adelie]

I do remember that about it. When messing with it, no sneezing, fans or any other air disturbance unless you like being covered with the stuff.

Ants, huh? I never thought about that. My father-in-law sometimes hosts fire ants in his backyard. Assuming he can get close enough, it might just be something to think about.

[jrbarney]

Electrolove,
If I'm correct, it's also known as "fuller's earth" and was/is used in the fur trade to fluff up pelts. So, if you know any furriers you might be able to get some used "fuller's earth." Maybe your wife wants a new fur coat. [:)]
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Jetrock]

Food-grade diatomaceous earth is a good way to get rid of insect pests--it is actually fossilized bits of tiny creatures (diatoms) and the bits are so small that they scratch up insects' carapaces and causes them to become dehydrated and die. The stuff is harmless to humans, and actually contains many good minerals, so it's safe to use around gardens.

For scenery, it might make a good scale-sized dirt--does it take pigment well?

[dknelson]

I remember that article in RMC, or perhaps I recollect an earlier article in MR that also advocated use of diatomaceous earth as scenery, and I think there was a warning letter to the editor that followed, to the effect that the stuff is an abrasive and if it gets into your engine's gears and bearings and steam loco valve gear and side rods (or any other mechanical parts that rub) it could cause premature wear. So fasten it well I guess is the lesson and don't leave it in a loose or dusty state. If you ever run your hands through the stuff you can feel the abrasive qualities.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

This stuff sounds pretty interesting. I imagine you could paint it also or use chalks? Does anyone know where this would be sold, I would think a 1# or 5# bag would last a while.

[electrolove]

I can read the following from the article:

Dave Messer won a price with his model of the Jack Work sanding tower. I remembered that for sand he used diatomaceous earth, as it is much finer then real sand.

I can also read:

At first I used the diatomaceous earth straight out of the sack, but this was too white. I then added Rainbow dry pigments, mostly raw sienna, for coloring, and added another layer. I then added some more, only with aditional coloring, for some accent. A salt shaker works well for sprinkling on small controllable amounts. At the edge of the scene, the soil is supposed to be a more typical brown, and the nice thing about the use of diatomaceous earth was the ability to shift the color as desired. So that there is an even blend from sand to soil. By the time I had varied the color all the way through to the brown I realized that here was a technique far more usefull then for just modelling sand.

I will try to scan the photo in the issue so you can see how nice it looks in a scene.

[electrolove]

Here is the photo I promised:

[robengland]

I'm with dknelson: sounds great but you would need to be very tidy and thorough else it it is going to do nasty things to gears and motors

[MisterBeasley]

I recall using the stuff for pool filters a long time ago. If my memory serves me well after 40 years (yeah, right) it had a noticeable odor. They may have cleaned that up.