Pouring, Shaping, Installing, Coloring, and Detailing Rock Castings March 11, 2008
Posted by railroadman in Buildings and Scenery, Model Railroading.4 comments
I received several emails regarding my rock casting techniques which I really appreciate. So I am returning the appreciation by detailing step by step how I get my rock castings to look realistic.
1. Pouring the Casting – First I pick out a mold that will fit the space I am working on. Molds by the way can be purchased or made like I did. I made dozens of all different types of rocks with liquid rubber latex that is applied in several layers to build the thickness.
The key is the first layer as it holds all the detail so I make sure to brush the latex in every groove and hole on the rocks surface. The remaining layers build the thickness so the mold does not tear when removing it. Now I can create hundreds of castings. Make sure if you purchase molds that you get several as you do not want your rocks to look repetitive. I use dental plaster for my moldings as it is super fine, starts to setup in 5 minutes and can be installed on the layout in 30 minutes. Full cure time is about 24 hours. Dental plaster is very hard to find but if you know a dentist you shouldn’t have any problems. I am sure some of the fine molding plasters out there may do a similar job. I start by mixing just enough plaster to do the mold as I only have 5 minutes to work with it. I wet the mold and pour in some plaster and tap it with a spatula t0 get any air bubbles out and to help it flow into all the detail. I make sure to have enough plaster around the edges as if it is not thick enough, it will chip when I go to remove it or when I am installing it. After I have filled the mold with plaster I leave it to setup but return every 10 minutes to spray it with water as the dental plaster heats up in the curing process. The water keep the plaster from getting brittle.
Rock Casting Portal Scenery March 9, 2008
Posted by railroadman in Buildings and Scenery, Layout Construction, Model Railroading.2 comments
Well I have continued on with the scenery in the mountain area divide of the layout. I have lightly turfed the whole area to simulate ground cover although most will be hidden from all the trees and vegetation. The areas with no or less foliage will be colored further with greens, browns, yellows, etc… I use the woodlands scenics clump foliage on the mountain to represent the tops of the trees as if you were standing looking at the mountain. You can’t count the trees as they all blend in together to make on large tree mass. That is the effect I am going for here and I use 3 different colors and then sprinkle additional coloring afterwards to create more texture and variation. The close up areas and around buildings will have larger individual trees and some underbrush amongst other details to create realistic settings. I simply use a small amount of white glue to secure each clump. I am also starting to add some field grass in some of the dips representing areas were moisture settles and allows for more lush vegetation. I will make sure these areas are greener then most and will even place some wildlife looking for a drink. I will be doing some instructional posts in the near future on my rock casting techniques and field grass techniques as I seem to be getting a lot of questions which is great.
Here are some images of the mountain and portal progress to date. I still need to finish some coloring in the open areas and add detail where I feel necessary, ballast, etc…
Heritage Furniture Now Open March 8, 2008
Posted by railroadman in Buildings and Scenery, Layout Construction, Model Railroading.1 comment so far
The last you saw of this building project was in pieces on the workbench. It has been completed for quite some time now but I have neglected to do a posting. Well here it is. I added the smokestack and some other details to add realism and lightly weathered the building as the whole area I am modeling is representing a newer development on the edge of Gainesville. I am only missing the storage and transfer building in this town as it is very hard to find being discontinued. I have just purchased this building on a very lucky find and will be assembling it shortly to complete the town for the most part. I am sure I will add the odd detail here and there including some field grass in the ditch once the east end scenery from the upper towns cliff is installed. Here area a couple of images showing the completed Heritage Furniture building installed and one wide angle image showing the entire town at near completion
