How to make plaster cloth??? Help!

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me how to make my own plaster cloth? I'd buy it already made, but it's so %$#* expensive. I mean I know how to make it basically, I just need to know what material to use, and other stuff about it.
Much thanks,
caseyjohn39

[Anonymous]

casey i made mind useing cheap papper towels and plaster mixed kind of soupy in a aluminum roasting pan its messy but cheap hope this help.

[dknelson]

Over the years "hard shell" scenery has been made using industrial brown paper towels dipped in plaster (Hydrocal for example), old bed sheets ripped into foot square pieces, old linen handkerchiefs, I suppose parts of old dress shirts would work.
Other technique involved cloth and watered down white glue.
The advantage of true plaster cloth is a bit less mess.
Dave Nelson

[wp8thsub]

After many years of using traditional paper towel hardshell, I finally ditched that method entirely in favor of cheesecloth, which is available through most fabric and even hardware stores. I tried the plaster cloth but found I liked cheesecloth better and it's a whole lot cheaper.

Using it goes like this:

Build the scenic base out of your favorite material (I use hot glued corrugated cardboard strips with about 1 1/2" or less between them). Next, use yellow glue to attach cheesecloth to the supports. It's easiest to attach it to one edge first, let the glue dry, then stretch it across the remaining area. The more taut the cheesecloth is the better. I coat the cloth with casting plaster mixed 1:1 with water and applied with a 3" disposable paint brush. Two or three brush coats are sufficient for strength, then you can finish with thicker plaster (I mix it 2:1) applied with worn out drywall tools.

Cheesecloth hardshell is quicker to build and stronger than paper towels and much less expensive than pre-plastered cloth. Try it, you'll like it.

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

[Anonymous]

Thanks Rob I think I will try your idea with a few revions of my own:
I will use the cheese cloth and have it go through a plaster solution as you suggested, but not have the cloth down and then put the plaster on, I'm not very artistic, so that way I can adjusted it more easily, And instead of using the cardboard lattice method, I will have crumpled newspaper underneath, and lay the plastered cloth on that. You see I just need a base on which to use mold-a-scene plaster. Thanks for all of your ideas as I am incorporating a little bit of each into my design.
Thanks,
caseyjohn39

[Anonymous]

Hello Rob,

Interesting technique. Sounds quite workable and a lot less expensive than plaster-wrap cloth.

Will there be another story on your WP layout appearing in MR anytime?

Regards,

Paul Schmidt
Contributing Editor
Trains.com

[Anonymous]

If you buy it through the mail order places (Standard Hobbly Supply is good) you can get it much cheaper than getting it local.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I have been able to find plaster cloth as cheap as 4.50 for 10 sq. feet but that is nt the only reason I don't want to mail order it. Another reason is that it takes soooo long. I ordered something onec and it took 3 weeks to get here!!! We have almost all of the track laid so I don't want to be twiddling my thumbs while I'm waiting.
Thanks for all of your help,
caseyjohn39

[Anonymous]

You can make your own plaster cloth out of cheese cloth - its really cheap. Unfortunately I don't remember the formula but if you do a search in the Yahoo! Groups - Layout Design Sig (or LDS) you should come up with it (their is a search engine there). I have even toyed with the idea of getting a spray glue, spraying the cheese cloth, dipping the freshly sprayed cheese cloth in dry hydrocal, drapping this concoction on the layout, then spraying it with water. I suspect it would work.

But there is another formula that several have used involving cheese cloth.

[wp8thsub]

Paul:

I'm working on getting some scenes of the new layout finished enought to be ready for photography. Hopefully I'll be ready for another layout article later this year.

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

[wp8thsub]

"I will use the cheese cloth and have it go through a plaster solution as you suggested, but not have the cloth down and then put the plaster on..."

Beware! I've tried plastering the cheesecloth first and it doesn't work at all for me, the cloth is very loosely woven and doesn't hold up if you soak it in plaster then try to move it around. If you want to use newspaper, foam or some alternative to the cardboard web I use you will get the best results by placing the cheesecloth on the supports first, then applying the plaster with a brush.

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

[Anonymous]

i know that in the past i have used a mixture of hycrocal ans water, then submerging peices of paper towel in it and using that. it worked very well.

[Anonymous]

i know that in the past i have used a mixture of hycrocal ans water, then submerging peices of paper towel in it and using that. it worked very well.

[Anonymous]

Hello Rob,

I'll be looking forward to that. I still remember your UP layout featured in MR in, when was it, 1984?

Regards,

Paul

[wp8thsub]

"I still remember your UP layout featured in MR in, when was it, 1984?"

Yup. Dec. 1984.

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT