Foam Scenery?

Hello to all.
I am working on a 6' x 12' layout.
Ive decided to model it after the Truckee California (Sierra Nevada's) area.
Ive also decided to use foam board in creating my mountains.
Never have used foam before and Ive been able to get the very basic shape cut out with a hot knife.
Now I need to get ready for the detail... what do I do next?

I appreciate everyones input and ideas.
Thanks

Rich

 

"Model Scenery Made Easy" by Woodland Scenics is a great (but not cheap) video showing how to build a foam layout (one of theirs but the principles are all the same for any foam layout), and how to use the rest of their products. I highly recommend you get your hands on this video, if you can.

Its hard for me to say, since I can't see your layout, but assuming all the contours, mountains, etc are in, then you cover the foam with plaster gauze.

After the plaster gauze comes the laying of the track. You can use the Woodland Scenic track bed (cheaper than cork) and hold in place with pins while it is glued, then track on top of the road bed.

 

Well, Im familiar with gauze and Hydrocal. But I havent got that far yet.

Ive cut the foam boards to a very basic shape that I want my mountains to follow.
I have not made any cuts in the foam as far as molding, sculpting, or detail as such.
I still need to cut the foam at angles to give the mountain, well, a mountain shape.

Should I use a hot knife for this?
How do I get a hot knife to get me the details that a mountian in the Sierras have?
Should I use something else such as a hobbie knife?
Just looking for ideas.

Thanks.
Rich.

[ 20. August 2003, 00:07: Message edited by: DieselDaze ]

 

Diesel,
You do what you can do with a hot knife, but for greater detail in mountains you use rock molds, or you sculpt using hydrocal (less recommended for sculpting), plaster of paris, or scultamold.

So first a basic shape of a mountian, covered with plaster gauze. Then buy about two or three rock molds that reflect the contours of the area you like. Because you can mix and match the three rock molds, it won't appear repetitive.

Usually, but it doesn't have to be this way, most people put up the basic mountains without the molds, then finish their track work, then go full bore into finishing the scenery.

 

I like to carve with a fishing fillet knife. I have never like the smell the hot knife makes. I also like to use a serrated carving knife and a hack saw blade with masking tape wrapped around the end to form a handle. The hack saw blade cuts large areas fast but it leaves a ruff surface. You can slice off the ruff surface with the fillet knife or sand it off with sand paper. I don't think that you always have to cover the foam with plaster. I have been able to also carve some nice rocks by shallow cuts into the foam and then tearing the rest away. Malcom Furlow had a series in MR in the early eighties about building a HOn3 layout with foam scenery. He was able to cast rocks with expanding foam from a can.

 

Thanks rsn48,
Thats my plan as well. If I can get the mountains close to the way I want with a hot knife and/or other tool, then I'll place the plaster on, lay the track and wiring, then finish the mountains.

Thanks Coaltrain,
thats a pretty good idea. I might give that a try as well as some rock molds... perhaps combining foam from a can with some plaster rock molds.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Rich.

 

question for anyone -

-- I also have a foam base (1/2 inch blue house siding stuff) and using the black foam roadbed that WS makes.... can I glue the two directly or should I put some "medium" down beforehand to make it a better stick?

 

Just make sure that surface of the foam is free from dust and dirt and then glue down the WS roadbed with white or yellow glue (or any other latex or water based adhesive) directly on the foam. It will stick just fine.

 

is this the same for adhering the flex track to the foam trackbed?

it just seems like the glue wouldn't hold it in place... maybe with the whole track connceted, that might help

and I'm assuming I need the track pinned until a full cure of the glue

 

White glue doesnt do well with foam board .yellow is better but PL 300 is the best.It is however very permanent and you havent got a lot of time for adjusting so take car when doing your roadbed that you get it right the first time .PL300 is designed specifically for use with foam products.

 

Ive noticed that white glue and foam dont work well together.

Thanks for the info on the yellow glue, I'll give that a try.

Thanks
Rich.

 

Perhaps this weekend, I'll have the time to get more foam and get a little farther on my scenary!
Provided I get the time, I hope to have much of the detail done by Sunday night and ready to have the raod bed and track finalized.

It always seems to be more of an issue with time than anything else.

Rich.

 

Hey, one more question...
Do you guys place the trees and shrub into the foam and then plaster around them?

Or,
do you plaster first then place the trees and such into the wet plaster?

Rich.

 

If there is an area where I just used foam, no plaster, I just poke a hole with a screw driver and stick the tree in the hole with a little glue, no plaster need. There are areas that I have the WS plaster cloth over foam that I do the same, poke and hole and stick the tree in with a little glue. If any plaster show I will either touch it up with some paint, sand, or ground foam.

 

Thanks Coaltrain and Boxcab,
As Ive mentioned, Im going to be modeling the Sierra Nevadas... lots of trees.
I was concerned with laying down the plaster first then poking a lot of holes in it, for fear of cracking the plaster and it chiping off.

On the other hand, putting the trees in first will make it difficult to put down the plaster cloth...

Thus, I think I'll put the cloth down first, then place the trees in, then the plaster.

I think that should do it.
I have a small hill on the far side of the board that I plan to use as a testing area for some of this.

Rich.

[ 22. August 2003, 20:57: Message edited by: DieselDaze ]

 

For you more experienced guys, if you get bored this weekend, come on over.
Im sure I'll offer plenty of laughs as I try this out for the first time.



Rich

 

Yep,
already doing that.
Ive got a test mountain set up in one corner just for that.
If it turns out ok, it'll stay.
If I screw it up (most likely) I can take it off the board.

Rich.