Hello all, I am working on my first build. It is a 4' x 4'6" christmas tree base layout in N scale. The layout must remain as light as possible as it wil be need to be portable. The question I have is what have others with foam based layouts used to fill in the gaps between the pieces. I was thing teh expanding foam like great stuff used in very small quantities may be a good filler. I will be laying on a thin layer of plaster over the foam in some areas but not all. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Dale P.S. The Unitrack is being used for clearance testing through a couple of tunnels.
Lightweight spackling compound or Sculptamold would do. I have both but I've been using Sculptamold more. They both look the same when dry.
The foam will expand - and I mean it will get to a huge volume eventually. And until it has achieved that, it will stick like hell to anything in it's path - your fingers, track, whatever is in the way. And it will expand in all directions - of course, also downward towards the floor. To get that stuff out from the carpet is really difficult (don't ask). On the contrary, scupltamold or gypsum will not expand and therefore usually stays where you put it, so I'd prefer it. Hope this helps you deciding. Michael
Consider using Woodland Scenic plaster cloth. I build the basic shape with chunks or slabs of foam board, then span the gaps with one or two layers of plaster cloth. I finish with a thin layer of Sculptamold which smooths any wrinkles and weave of the cloth. This has two advantages, first it gives a smooth flowing contour, and second it adds little weight because the gaps between foam layers remain open.
I've tried several methods but have settled on using the glueshell technique. I like it the best because it is extremely strong when dry, yet lightweight. I use old bed sheets for the material though, not paper towels. They seem to hold up better during scenery application where you're soaking things in water/alcohol.
If you don't intend to do a shell, then I prefer sculptamold/Spackle. Great Stuff works and we have a couple people here that swear by it, but I don't like to use anything that I don't have control over and lack of control describes great stuff to a T.
If you wish to use aerosol foam, get the Window & Door type. Expands a LOT LESS and VERY slowly[check w/building mat'l. dept. clerk, so you have the correct product]. Just bought/used this from H.D. It's first time I've tried it; worked as stated on can. My 2 cents.....Tom
Yes what Old tom said. Use the type for windows and doors, Its called minimal expansion foam, and will expand a little, but not much. real sticky!!!...Mike
I've used the plaster cloth over roughed shapes built from leftover foam pieces then applied plaster slip that set to the surface texture that I wanted... complete with "rocks" accidentally developed ... paint w/base color for each terrain region modelled, touch up w/various paints for emphasis as needed ... pretty much as Hytec described ... results excellent, but cheap ... Did not entertain ever shaping the leftover foam to the terrain shape desired ... too much modelling and plastic dust ... and then you finish it anyway ... build in layers w/plenty of corrections allowed ...
First off, my compliments on how neatly done your construction methods are. That always gets things off to a good start. I prefer lightweight joint compound as it is easy to control, inexpensive, and readily available. It does take longer to dry than other materials. I smear it on by hand and then go over it with a wet paint brush to smooth it out. Lance Visit Miami's Downtown Spur at www.lancemindheim.com
I agree with Lance that this also is a good technique, but a word of caution. Apply joint compound in thin layers (<=1/4"), because it shrinks and will crack if applied more thickly. If a more thick application is needed to fill gaps or valleys, then apply it in multiple layers about 1/4" each. Personally, I have used joint compound in the past and liked the results, but found that Sculptamold is lighter and easier to smooth, especially with moist fingers. Also Sculptamold can be applied in thick layers that do not shrink and crack. Thick layers just take longer to dry. The downside is that Sculptamold is more expensive than joint compound.
I use the same adhesive that I use to glue my foam together. Loctite. Or, I use joint compound. I think the joint compund is easier to work with. I guess the idea is to not have a obvious straight line running down your layout. Not sure how I did with that!
First off Thank You to all who replied to this thread. Based on the input I am going to try lightweight joint compound on one corner to see how it looks once dry. I will post a couple of picture of the joint compound as I did some of it tonight. Again Thank you all.
Hi All, I have used multiple options and must admit the the lightweight spackle seems to be the best for larger areas. I did use my adhesive to fill in slammer seams and that does work very well. I did have some cracking with the joint compound but I did apply it a bit thick. I also pick up some of woodland scenic’s foam filler and upon opening it seemed to be exactly like the lightweight spackling compound. Other things I figured out was the joint compound is heavy, over 10 pounds for a 1 gallon pale, while the spackling compound weighs just less than 3 pounds for the same size container. I will be using the spackling compound for the rest of the filling. Again thank to all for your input.
Yet another alternative Glad to hear the lightweight spackle is working for you. Here's another approach I've adopted. The first half of my layout received plaster and cheesecloth atop the foam landforms. As I modified various locations in the plastered area, removing the plaster and dealing with the mess has been more trouble than it is worth. Now I don't use plaster at all. Gaps in the foam get filled with latex painters caulk. It adheres well, it flexs instead of cracking, it goes on clean and quick, and it's cheap. I've used it to fill some pretty rough textures. Here's a photo from last December showing joints filled with caulk. Washed sand sprinkled onto wet latex house paint helps hide the foam texture. Here's the same area after paint and sand. Where needed, additional sand saturated with diluted matte medium can fill unnatural textures. After the sand, road surfacing and vegetation, here is the same scene. I've grown to appreciate the lack of plaster on the newer areas of my layout. To start new modifications, I can simply peel up the latex/sand/vegetation surface with a putty knife like you see here. Now that I can make changes without creating a big white dusty mess, I'm far less reluctant to dive in on bigger projects.
Todd, I like the idea of the latex painter's caulk as a less messy alternative to plaster-like products. And you can't argue with your results, which look great! Do you recommend any particular brand? - Jeff
MGB and Jeff, thanks for your kind words. I usually use DAP painter's acrylic latex caulk. In my area, it's less than $3 per tube and it's available at Lowe's and Walmart. I have used other brands with equally good results. Given the way I'm using it, quality variations from brand to brand will be pretty hard to detect. I just remembered a side benefit of using latex caulk. I can apply latex paint directly over it as soon as it has formed a surface skin but even before it fully hardens. Even under fresh paint, it cures within a few days.
