First layout, has a small lake maybe 3/8” deep. Bought Woodland Scenics deep water kit. The bottom of the lake is painted shades of blue. Is it necessary to dye the water? The store did not have dyes and the water should be pretty clear its an alpine mountain scene. But I don’t really know.
dye in the clear shouldn't be necessary, but as the saying goes, it's your layout ... the painted on stuff on the bottom -should- be enough ..
I have usually dyed my waters, even if it is just to give them a bit more “oomph”. An “alpine lake” will sparkle in the sun and have a nice bluish tint, reflecting the sky. Will that be available in your layout room? One way I have found to be effective is to use Futura Floor Wax (or whatever it is now called) with a couple of drops of acrylic paint mixed in. Then, after pouring your first layer of “water” and having it dry, paint the top of this layer with the tinted floor wax solution. Let fully dry and cure, then pour another thin layer of the “water”. Repeat a couple times. This will help add depth to your lake, and just a hint of color.
Sounds great, I can make it as easy or as hard as I like! The second method sounds like it would be amazing though.
I highly recommend doing a test run, first. Before committing to your actual layout/module, build a small test (I use scrap pieces of foam, covered with plaster cloth and/or sculpt-a-mold) pond. Try your bottom paints, and the layering.
Excellent picture! That looks great. When you say "layers of future" do you mean the Futura Floor Wax technique described earlier in the thread?
This is a different question but I also want to put some half submerged rocks on the shore of my lake. Now I'm afraid they would trap bubbles if I glue them down and pour around them. Is it better to press them in place after the pour?
Yep, just pour a generous amount of the stuff on the surface and spread it with a paper towel to ensure everywhere is covered. A few layers will give the feeling of depth, and you can recoat once or twice a year to restore the shine once it starts to fade. We used pledge revive it floor care, which seems to be the new name future uses in the US.
There are several ways of doing this. All good water I have done, and seen, involves a sealed nether surface that is also painted to show 'depth'. Also, the pours of whichever medium one chooses should be thin and multiple as a general, not hard-'n-fixed, rule. You'll get less cracking and other problems, say with bubbles, if you convince yourself to wait a few days, keeping the surface covered while it cures, and then adding a second topcoat. You can alter the topcoat based on how the first pour looks. Dyeing, for example, or adding opacity. I use acrylic craft bottle paints to paint the surface, use caulking or plaster, and masking tape, to seal the edges, and then do a first pour of two-part epoxies. It has to be a craft/finish quality epoxy, not a gluing epoxy. Envirotex, although costly, is a very good product. I used another brand on three layouts, and liked the results, but then I found a deal at Michael's on Envirotex. Same diff, it turns out. But, if you want somewhat cloudy/turbid water, something like the glacial or alluvial look (mouths of rivers in the ocean where the water changes), you can add a pinch of Plaster of Paris to the mix, and you can also add a couple of drops of two or three acrylic craft paints. Always, but always, follow the instructions to measure twice, and correctly, and to mix up the two parts thoroughly over several minutes (resin and hardener solutions). About placing tallus or rip-rap at the edges, or on the bottom: I would place them first, glued ideally or caulked into place, and then do the pour. Don't be afraid to use a clean stick to help the pour to get to the edges. Add more if you need to. Let it cure fully prior to adding a second layer. I cannot think of a reason for a third pour unless you badly misjudge the amount needed twice in a row to get your painted surface covered. Or, to add a dyed and opaque topcoat because the first two pours are just too unnaturally clear...and flat/shiny. You'll see bubbles. About 95% of them should disappear on their own. Don't fret. Wait 10 minutes and you'll be surprised. But, if you see a few remaining after 10 minutes, take a soda straw in your mouth and gently blow over the surface where the bubbles are seen. Like magic, they'll disappear. Finally, about that shiny flat surface. Get some gloss medium (Mod Podge from WalMart, cheap and good) and paint a thin layer over your glossy flat pour. Then, with the same foam or brush applicator, turn it on its side and tap away at the new surface. It's like stippling. When it dries, there's your natural surface.
No. Water is clear in real life and should be on our layouts. It is what is under or above water that gives color.
"No. Water is clear in real life and should be on our layouts..." Not in my experience. Out of most taps, certainly, but out in the open air and untreated: https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/9774952091/photos/3875958/img_0875rcontest https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/9774952091/photos/3054546/dscf6177shares https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/9774952091/photos/2827562/img_0209dpr
