Went back with some Hydrocal and got rid of the gaps between the rock castings then repainted. Still not completely happy although the camera view has it lighter when It is not. Taking Dave Frary's advice I will let this sit for a few days and go back again with a critical eye. I may just pull out my India Ink solution and have a go with a light coat of that. The some dull coat. Too much light reflection and shininess. After some terrain corrections. I also called the CFO up for an opinion and She also thinks it is too shiny. Most likely the effects of the Acrylic. With a few more hours dry time I will check again but at this point I think the India Ink and dull coat may end up being called for.
Hurry up and wait! We learned it years ago and it seems to still apply. What dullcoat will you use if needed?
Probably good old Testors in a rattle can since that is what I have in one of my little storage bins. Although I left a fan running on the layout while I went and took a senior citizen nap with the big guy and it appears to have lost some shine.
Yeah, dullcoat it in any case, I would say. Nicely blended rock formations now, maybe another wash of lighter gray/light gray brown/??? to get it lighter still? I think the right color (whatever that might be) might depend on the final landscape, so you might just loosely lay out some trees and structures and put up something not white for a background, as a check. I'm thinking the current white background throws off the look. Rocks darker than you want now might actually highlight the bridges and structures, if you want that kind of effect.
What I am trying to capture is the look of Basaltic rock. Depending on the minerals in it can weather some to a gray or a reddish brown hue and a few other shades. I did go back this evening after supper and applied some dark red and a little brown and then highlighted some areas with a blended gray but the basic undertone is the darker color. When everything had dried adequately I went back and dull coated everything. That got rid of the acrylic shine I was having issues with. I am seriously considering breaking out my Bragdon weathering powders and try a few highlights in a small space just to see the effect. I did put a few of the structures on the layout to see how the color looked against them. But I figure by the time I am done landscaping with dirt, grass, trees, and shrubs, plus the ballast for the roadbed, the rocks will be a nice contrast. The Basalt look I am aiming for.
Definitely use the powders. I use a dry brush of lighter colors to 'pop' the high spots and that compensates for the india ink wash in the cracks and crevices. For your basalt light, light gray and a light dun color should be helpful, I think. And steamghost has a good thought t'boot, contrasts can make a huge difference. Naps are great! Took this weekend off and took two (!) short ones today. Aaaaah.
A photo of a sample from my research on Basalt. It is the real thing found on the web. Also found that there are areas that have pillow lava on the island. so at some point in at least one of the coastal sections of the bigger layout I will need to model some.
Last night before bed I applied a good coat of Dullcoat to the rock. Late this morning I sat down with my Bragdon weathering powders and applied some of them. I used rust, black, some blue, a tad of green, and a light dust coat over all. Then I used compressed air to blow off the excess. I am finished with this portion now and will move on to setting my trestles and laying some more roadbed. At some point one has to say stop enough is enough with the rocks. Once the trestles are in then I can also concentrate on the stream beds. Still debating on what I put on the upper level and now thinking about my brewery maybe. Rocks after dull coat and Bragdon powders. Light coming through window on the left is making things brighter than they actually are.
After my senior citizen PM nap with the Big Guy started installing the first two out of three trestles. Had to do a small bit of demo work to get the fit and angle and then mixed some Hydrocal to prepare the bed for them and set them. All three trestles are in the middle of inclines so care had to be taken at both ends to line up for the track. Once everything has set I will go back with some more Hydrocal and the artist's pallet knife seen by the left trestle and point up and fill in where needed. Later I will lay a section of track across the trestles to check to see how much roadbed build up is need if any. The lower trestle will wait until the upper is completely done for the obvious reason of working in close relation to the upper one. Once it is in I don't want to be reaching over it. Almost time for supper that the Wife has been preparing. Baked Ham, Potato Salad, Asparagus, fresh risen and baked Yeast Rolls, and fresh Strawberries for desert.
John, please set another place, I'm on my way, that is if Deekus and Big Guy let me in the front door....LOL
It's 1110 here in PA. I was going to comment on your rocks. I already ate dinner 4 hours ago. You made me hungry. Thanks. The rocks do look really great, the powders and dull coat are going into my mental bank of "when the time comes". Sent from the magical mystery box
Good thing he did not post a picture of the dinner table. I might have taken a bite from the computer screen.
This morning I finished up the Hydrocal work around the trestles and the upper main line bridge. When all had dried well I gave everything its first paint coat. I also installed the upper main and started the track down the incline. Was going to use a curved turnout for the mine lead but it went to Hades, and then some, so circular filed #13 it. Only left hand curved turnout I had so after a bit of thought I dug out one of the Peco STS turnout that have a very short length and a radius of 9 inches. That meant I had to widen the roadbed slightly below the turnout so installed some more cork sheet cut to the curve. I might at some point go back to a curved turnout there but for now I will see how that works. Thinking about adding a narrow road along side the tracks heading up and have the road share the trestle. The prototype for that is in far eastern Montana on the old GN near the N.D. State line heading for Fort Buford. I have crossed it a few times, once with my Wife and Mother in Law in the car. Got a danged flat coming back but managed to get off the trestle.
Nice work John, I like your coloring. Basalt can vary in color from gray to reddish and or brown with all from the iron content. Have you tried working with Styrofoam as the final surface. Great effects can be had with a hot wire and steel brush. A friend of mine has almost perfected the column and pillow rock versions of basalt with its separate layers. I have also tried Sculptamold freehand and Bragdon resin molds with varied success. I am looking forward to seeing trains run on your layout. Rick
The area around the far left side tunnel portal is foam with a light plaster coat not rock molds like the rest. The foam was carved with the hot knife I had purchased from Micheals which there is a picture of back further in this thread. Using the hot knife is less mess in the long run and far quicker. Also lest I forget the hill that the mine will sit on is also another carved foam structure again with the hot knife and a light plaster coat. This mini layout is really a test bed for a lot of newer stuff for me and some newer products. This project is to be later incorporated into a larger layout and will be near one end that has the log camp and the loop that returns the mainline, now at a higher elevation, back the way it came now at the back of the layout. When that finally happens the hidden track in the tunnels gets abandoned and so does most of the incline. But I do find the rock molds to be less fuss and bother. I just have to remember to make the mounting plaster more of a slurry consistency so that it oozes out around the edges where I can work it around with a brush eliminating the lines I had to go back and address earlier. Doing some research on the Web for rocks in my modeling locale was a big help also. Right now this is a harsh and craggy environment which I hope to soften up when I finally get to the vegetation phase. I am probably about a week away from holding my golden track nail ceremony after which I will pause to check my track work by running some power. I would rather be tearing something up and relaying it before I get to the more detailed scenic work.
Today before I can progress any further I have to get the lower part of the Macie Mine set in order to lay track. So mixed up a plaster slurry to set in the load out portion and level the roadbed some. Later I will go back and sand any parts down I need to and cut out a shallow notch to set the main part of the structure level. In the foreground is one of my little Peco STS series turnouts. Their compact and short size will allow me to have a double track up there. Hopefully I will be able to lay flex all the way to that turnout from the incline. While that plaster takes its time because of the thin slurry mix to set I will run to Wally World, AKA Walmart. Had a close call last evening when I turned on the sink disposal and a unseen sharp knife was launched upward. Fortunately the dishpan was in the way and it punched through the bottom rather than my throat. While there picking up a new dishpan I will look for some Modge Podge to use later on my water surfaces.
Was it a Peco switch with which you had trouble yesterday? That knife accident sounds really scary! Yikes!
It was an very old Trix. A very close shave at the sink yesterday. Luckily I was rinsing the dishpan after having just emptied it. My Wife came close to collecting on both of my retirements, deferred comp., and SSN survivors benefits. Plus She keeps the insurance benefits also as far as medical goes and dental. Not to mention the hefty savings account. I figured out the launch trajectory and it would have got me either in the neck or right under the bottom of my chin.
Got the mine track laid today but not without a struggle. Peco flex doesn't want to bend as easy as Atlas. So far I have 2 Peco ST-6s installed and 1 ST-5 with about a section and a half of Peco code 55> the track on the upper main is Atlas code 80 and an Atlas #6 turnout. So I have the first track across a trestle and the first part of a structure installed. Tomorrow I will dig out a loco and a 9 volt battery and test the freshly laid track before I go back and install some ties at the join points.
