Wondering what people have used for mountain/terrain apart from the Woodland Scenic type & hobbyshop available items... I saw a post in another forum where toilet paper was used. Anyone else have some domestic alternatives? (pics would be nice if you got em)
No pics, but I have routinely used wadded up newpaper for supports, and more newspaper with thinned white glue for the first layer. Between layers I often used a layer of straight white glue. Jeff Augsburg & Concord R.R. (a fictional shortline in Central Illinois) Come see us on the web: http://www.pegnsean.net/~revnjeff
On my old layout I needed to cover a couple of tracks but leave access to them, so I built a shell using cardboard, and covered with plaster impregnated bandage. Paper could be used instead as Jeff did. The end result. Rock outcrops were made using rock castings from rubber molds
I used a similar process to Alan using cardboard strips to make a shape then plaster dipped in paper towel. Here are a few pics of the results
I used anything stable (usually wadded newspaper secured by duct tape) underneath plaster soaked paper towels. Some of the cheaper paper towels have a nice texture to them, which helps enhance the terrain. My higher mountain peaks are supported by a built up network of Styrofoam pieces (or blocks) glued together. I used whatever leftover Styrofoam I could find (packing material is good). The idea is to do this cheaply.
My favorite method is paper towels cut into strips. Dipped in hydrocal, they are laid over the hot glued cardboard forms already in place. Boxcab E50
I use chunks of scrap styrofoam, Bead Board, packing peanuts, packing popcorn, cigar butts, and any kind of filler I can fine, all held together with minimal expanding foam (the stuff in a can for sealing window and door frames). When it sets, about 3 or 4 hours, I carve it to shape with a steak knife, slather a soupy mix of plaster of paris over it, then proceed to making plaster rock castings.
pray, that sounds like an EXCELLENT idea.... I can see lots of true rock/mountain looking results using that method (you have a pic of a recent mountain you could share?) funny though, when I read that, I had flashbacks of the people in Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind making mashed potato mountains of Devils Tower.... now that might look good on a layout! Maybe a layout featuring national monumnets....
I don't have any pics of under construction, but here is a shot of how they look after they are finished:
Pray, Your results look interesting. Anyway you could do a series of shots from beginning to end. You'd probably only need about 4 to 6 shots.
JEEZ, LOUEZZ don't even think of using toilet paper! That stuff disolves in water remember! What a mess! Paper towels dipped in Hydocal or I like to use the industrial (brown) towels instead of regular paper towels. The brown towels have a bit more strength in them.
I have used the brown Kraft paper shopping bags, toilet paper, adding machine paper, and discarded wife's stockings to make scenery. There are a couple of photos that could be posted later if I find them. Pappier-Mashie' is an excellent medium for texturing, and is light weight. It is easily cut and painted or stained. If you do not cover it with plaster, there is no damage when an engine derails into it, and they will eventually. Any splaters or over-spills can be easily removed with no damage to the substrate, including rails and ballast. [ 13. September 2003, 12:57: Message edited by: watash ]
Hi all, after the toilette bussines by watash, I can not resist to add some more info about what to use for mountains and areas around. It could be all kinds of scrap material like newspaper soaked in wall paper glue, cardboard, cigarette boxes, plaster bandage, and cat litter - you name it. See for your self in the axamples that follow: concret wall landscape module for exhibition start of Cold Spring area background mountain at Cold Spring and of coarse you might look through the whole site if you like, you are welcome
It is an extremely hard brittle commercial molding plaster made for producing the ornate decorations on the ceilings and Walls of mansions, stage theaters, and auditoriums. Those bass relief heads, leaves vines and flowers you see that look as if they have been hand carved then covered with gold leaf are typical. It is also used to mount some items for further working in industry. It "sticks" better to most substrates than Plaster of Paris, which is cheaper and used mostly by dentists for making gold tooth crowns and certain dentures. The least expensive plaster is Lime Plaster used to plaster walls and ceilings in homes and offices before wall papering, or just painting in today's homes. Hydro-cal usually dries with a glossy hard skin on the surface, and does not lend its self to re-working or carving once set-up. It chips quite easily, and quickly dulls sharp tools. Its advantage is it can be applied thinner over a wire screen to save weight, so is desirable for layouts. It seems to work well even when applied over wadded up paper or foam, and can be textured before setting up if you work fast. One method of adding details is to apply a coating of ordinary Lime Plaster over the Hydro-cal, which can then be easily carved to various shapes. [ 15. September 2003, 17:34: Message edited by: watash ]
Although it's not toilet paper, I've used gift box tissue paper with good results. I shape it while wet with a white glue and water mixture, followed by a coat of latex paint. For the image of southwestern desert I'm trying to capture, I think this effect works rather well.
I used 'Sculptamold' on my hills. First I carved out the 'pink board' insulation into mountain shapes, then spread out the sculpy and let it dry. This stuf is great and you can add plaster rock castings later on and it won't 'suck' the water out of them and crumble them.
