My first 4X8 layout Mountains and tunnel, and town

[nickf06gli]

This project is coming along at a slow and steady pace, I started off with 1X4 12" on center and then framed out and put adjustable legs, put down 3/4" plywood and then glue down 2" blue backed styrofoam board, and carved mountains out of white 2" styrofoam board. Put down a nice dirt colored base plate and then used tree kits for the pine and hand made and dark green spray painted some twigs off the bush out front (I know ghetto right but it turned out awesome and the paint sealed it from roting away)

 

[nickf06gli]

Phase two of the project

Phase two started by glueing the black foam roadbed down to the blue board, I used PVC cement and it worked great (don't try this on white board it will melt!) then we cut 6" peices of Plywood for the curve and cross braced them using 2" stips of 2X4 and used trim nails to lock it together, we used styrofoam to build up a good base around it then I used black roofing/flashing tar to seal all the joint (i had 6 caulk tubes left over from a roof job I did) I used the left over cork roadbed (that I suck at working with) to build the roof around the plywood for the tunnel, then built the rest of the base of the mountain. We used 4 cans of spray foam from home depot 2.98 for 2 cans (home depot knock off "great stuff") was a great deal. This was used to make the walls of the mountain and form out the tunnel entrances. We then painted everything 5 hours later once the foam hardened, with a dark brown color (this is only the base coat)

Up next will be carving in an access road to the top of the mountain, and then a lighter coat of paint (simulator to other side) and building a ton of home made tree and a few kits. Will also be putting in a pond kit with water running down the side of the mountain (stream only).

Here are the pictures

 

[nickf06gli]

Here is a video if you wanted to see it in action.....sorry I'm just proud of my first big kid set lol http://s155.beta.photobucket.com/us..._22-37-43_106_zps71ef952a.mp4.html?sort=3&o=8

 

[nickf06gli]

Does anyone know how to make the grass "raised" I seen a layout where it actually had a texture, like some type of torch.

 

[TRAINFAN9510]

First off, nice layout progress! I like the idea of the spray foam for the mountain, I never thought of that and it looks pretty good. As for the raised grass, google "static grass applicator" I think this is what you are looking for. Some are expensive but it makes the scenery really lifelike. Other members of this form can probably speak from experience about it. Post more pics when it progresses!

 

[swiggy]

Excellent work, really like the hill area. I use the spray foam as well, but I covered mine with plaster cloth......looks tons better

 

[nickf06gli]

here is a cool video I found on the grass applicator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYSAK1ezou4 I wonder what they used to make it.

Where do I get plastic cloth?

 

[swiggy]

I have the $39 applicator.....works great. Plaster cloth, not plastic

 

[nickf06gli]

I must of read that wrong! I was going to say WTH is plastic cloth?? lol

 

[TrinityJayOne]

Looks good for the most part, but please accept some constructive criticism for the section done with the spraycan foam. I'm guessing that you have sprayed the foam on without really forming it in any way, and this has resulted in an almost organic appearance that is pretty unnatural for a rock formation. Aside from maybe a small stone in a riverbed, rock formations just don't form in the sort of round, bulbous shapes you've ended up with there. The natural events that cause cliffs, rocky outcroppings, etc to form result in mostly flat surfaces with rough, sharp edges & corners.

For HO and larger scales, simply snapping a piece of expanded polystyrene in half creates a rough break that's a decent start towards a realistic rock formation. The cliff face you did with just the polystyrene looks really good after just a simple coat of paint, particularly the half closest to the wall - the layering in the corner and the overhanging formation in the middle are great. I would strongly recommend going over it with a dark brown or black wash to really make all the cracks & crevices pop.

Just my 2c.

 

[beiland]

..... we used styrofoam to build up a good base around it then I used black roofing/flashing tar to seal all the joint (i had 6 caulk tubes left over from a roof job I did) I used the left over cork roadbed (that I suck at working with) to build the roof around the plywood for the tunnel, then built the rest of the base of the mountain. We used 4 cans of spray foam from home depot 2.98 for 2 cans (home depot knock off "great stuff") was a great deal. This was used to make the walls of the mountain and form out the tunnel entrances. We then painted everything 5 hours later once the foam hardened, with a dark brown color (this is only the base coat)

Here are the pictures
View attachment 34165

What is the special ingredients in those green bottles ??

 

[CbarM]

WOW! Congratulations on a great start! I really like the hill area too, look really good...but the mountain with tunnel could use some attention like stated previously. Try taking an exacto blade n just swipe at it sideways tearing chunks off and you might get a more realistic rock appearance...

 

[nickf06gli]

Trinity thanks for the good ideas, I put these up so I could get some ideas, I will be shaping it this week and putting a second layer on, also getting ready to build a pong at the base of the tunnel, whatisthe best way to shape spray foam?

 

[nickf06gli]

Beiland that was just what we call magic juice, to bring out the creativeness.

 

[nickf06gli]

CbarM I will try the exacto blade method.

 

[swiggy]

use a knife with a serrated edge......works wonders on foam.....U must wait until the foam dries

 

[SPSFer]

Sawzall blades come in different lengths(4 to 12 inches)and from fine to course teeth. Use by hand and you can rough cut the foam pretty fast.........

 

[TrinityJayOne]

Trinity thanks for the good ideas, I put these up so I could get some ideas, I will be shaping it this week and putting a second layer on, also getting ready to build a pong at the base of the tunnel, whatisthe best way to shape spray foam?

Keep in mind this is just an idea I had recently and haven't actually tried it, but with some experimentation I think it could work.

Back some 20yrs ago my dad, brother & I made a cliff face/quarry scene by using Plaster of Paris set against a sheet of aluminium foil. The method was to take a sheet of foil from the kitchen and crunch it up a bit, then gently stretch it out again so that it is relatively flat but all the crinkles and folds remain. You then use this as a mould for your plaster and simply peel off the foil when you're done. Given the way this spraycan foam expands, I think that pressing a makeshift foil mould against it while it sets could achieve similar results to using plaster.

The best part about the foil method is that you can shape the mould however you wish, say for a curved cliff face, and if you don't like the crinkles you got in the foil just grab another sheet and try again.

 

[nickf06gli]

That is a good Idea I will have to give it a try on a few hills i'm getting ready to build.

 

[nickf06gli]

Mountain two build continued.

So I took some of the suggestions mentioned above and carved it up quite a bit, I also put in a off road trail! and lay down some grass, I used the foam brush after it dried a bit to make the trail (so it would still be a trail) and put in some walking paths as well. I think it turned out pretty well, there is still a ton of detail work to do suck as painting alot of the rock faces and clutster. I bought a 70 pack of pine tree to build so that will be the project the next few days.