Finally I have some scenery started. Mind you it is pretty white right now but it is a start. I use Durabond 90 for my plaster material as it is generous for play time as it sets up in approximately 90 minutes. Although I make small batches that last no longer than 20 minutes as it starts to thicken and becomes more difficult to work with. I create a frame with thin flexible cardboard strips and us utter wipes rather than paper towels as they are much stronger and do not tear easily but still soft enough for easy forming. Once the toweling layer has had a full day to dry, I go over the same area with a slightly thicker coat and a brush and stipple the area to create texture and to remove any other brush or towel marks. This will allow the coloring to blend in and the surface will look natural. I will get into more detail on the coloring and ground textures on the next post once I have a few areas on the layout done to photograph.

Here is a shots of the east end of Gainesville with the base plaster done.

I have covered the rest of the Gainesville with newspaper and covered the walls as to not get plaster on areas it doesn’t belong. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

(more…)