Cutting a canal
- Thread starter 68 Camaro
- Start date
Randy, I've never seen that Weller tool before but it sure looks like it does a good job on foam. I'm going to have to look for one on my trip to Lowes since it's a lot less expensive than a foam hot knife and looks like it would be better at shaping foam as well as cutting it.
I like the plan for the canal but I wonder if there's an easier way to reduce the depth. Couldn't you cut another piece of foam the same size as the canal and the height you need it to be to fill in the cut? You could seal the edges with latex caulk and then use acrylic paint for the bottom colors. The water based Envirotex I've used doesn't damage foam at all and you could use it directly over the foam. I'd bet this would also be a lot more leakproof than the way you propose to do it. Just my ideas though, do it the way you think it will come out best.
I like the plan for the canal but I wonder if there's an easier way to reduce the depth. Couldn't you cut another piece of foam the same size as the canal and the height you need it to be to fill in the cut? You could seal the edges with latex caulk and then use acrylic paint for the bottom colors. The water based Envirotex I've used doesn't damage foam at all and you could use it directly over the foam. I'd bet this would also be a lot more leakproof than the way you propose to do it. Just my ideas though, do it the way you think it will come out best.
68 Camaro
Member
Hi Jim,
Thank you for the suggestions. Initially, I was going to do a West Virginia landscape with several rivers. I though I would need 2" foam. As with most layouts, ideas change, but the 2" foam was glued down to the lauan. When I cut the canal I was using a 1 x 4" pine board as a template. The 1 x 4" pine should fit snuggly into the bottom of the canal. I have plenty of that laying around. I will also use a latex caulk around the perimeter of the canal. What has changed is that I am not going to be using a gator board glued to the flat side of the pine. Instead, I will be gluing down a sheet of .010 onto the surface of the pine. I purchased a green tint from Scenic Express that I will be adding to the Envirotex. After talking to Lance Mindheim, he suggested that 3/8" depth is too shallow. He suggest at least 3/4" but I will go with about a 1/2". If I would have used 1" foam on the surface I would have added the Envirotex to the surface of the lauan.
Larry
Thank you for the suggestions. Initially, I was going to do a West Virginia landscape with several rivers. I though I would need 2" foam. As with most layouts, ideas change, but the 2" foam was glued down to the lauan. When I cut the canal I was using a 1 x 4" pine board as a template. The 1 x 4" pine should fit snuggly into the bottom of the canal. I have plenty of that laying around. I will also use a latex caulk around the perimeter of the canal. What has changed is that I am not going to be using a gator board glued to the flat side of the pine. Instead, I will be gluing down a sheet of .010 onto the surface of the pine. I purchased a green tint from Scenic Express that I will be adding to the Envirotex. After talking to Lance Mindheim, he suggested that 3/8" depth is too shallow. He suggest at least 3/4" but I will go with about a 1/2". If I would have used 1" foam on the surface I would have added the Envirotex to the surface of the lauan.
Larry
Sounds like a good plan, Larry. I think the styrene is a better idea since you'll have nice paintable surface. As far as depth, you can try it with 1/2" but I have the feeling it really won't look deep enough unless you really make the color murky. I have a small pond on my layout and I went from 1/2" originally to almost an inch before I got the right look. My pond is clear Envirotex with all the color provided by the bottom painting so I needed more depth to make the pond look deep in the middle. Since you're doing a canal with the same depth for the whole length and your water doesn't have to look like a fishing pond, 1/2" may be enough. I'd leave enough bank height to go a little deeper though, just in case.
68 Camaro
Member
Jim,
I'm hoping that the canal is deep enough. I have a wood planer and can zip off another 1/8 or 1/4" off the 1 x 4". The canal on Lances layout is just 3/4" deep. He used 3/4 foam on the surface. I think the Modge Podge gloss medium on the surface will hide the bottom. Most of the canal water I saw in Florida is extremely dark. You don't swim in it.
Larry
www.lancemindheim.com
I'm hoping that the canal is deep enough. I have a wood planer and can zip off another 1/8 or 1/4" off the 1 x 4". The canal on Lances layout is just 3/4" deep. He used 3/4 foam on the surface. I think the Modge Podge gloss medium on the surface will hide the bottom. Most of the canal water I saw in Florida is extremely dark. You don't swim in it.
Larry
www.lancemindheim.com
Larry
Long Winded Old Fart
Jim,
Most of the canal water I saw in Florida is extremely dark. You don't swim in it.
Larry
Whata-ya mean, you don't swim in it. I use to swim in that canal all the time w/the manatee's when I was a kid & lived in Hialeah. But, Hey, that was 55 years ago & it's got a lot worse since then.
Larry C.
68 Camaro
Member
The canal is finally taking shape. After cutting out the foam, I added a 1" x 4" pine board to the bottom of the channel that was glued and screwed to the lauan base. This was followed by a 1 x 4" strip of finish pine plywood that was glued to the pine board base. At this point I used the Weller cutter and with the angle tip resting on the plywood, cut the canal bank back towards the tracks.
I then cut 1 x 4" strips of .020 styrene and glue this to the top of my pine plywood. I caulked along the edges of the canal to seal any gaps that would allow the Envirotex to escape. The last step involved placing a coat of joint compound up the sides of the canal banks to seal the foam and add texture to the banks. I have sanded the canal banks to knock down the high points and have added a second lighter coat of joint compound.
Larry
I then cut 1 x 4" strips of .020 styrene and glue this to the top of my pine plywood. I caulked along the edges of the canal to seal any gaps that would allow the Envirotex to escape. The last step involved placing a coat of joint compound up the sides of the canal banks to seal the foam and add texture to the banks. I have sanded the canal banks to knock down the high points and have added a second lighter coat of joint compound.
Larry
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Good job, Larry. Looks like just right depth and shape for a canal and you've taken enough precautions that you shouldn't have Envirotex (or whatever you plan to use for water) dripping through to the floor. I'll be interested to see what it looks like when you get it painted before you pour the water.
IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
Even though your canal looks watertight, I'd still cover the entire floor underneath with old newspapers until everything dries - just in case! (don't ask me how I know...)
(don't ask me how I know...)
68 Camaro
Member
UP2 CSX/CSX road slug,
Thank you for the compliments. Fortunately the layout floor is gray painted cement. However, I will be putting papers down on the floor. Lance Mindheim suggested that the depth of the canal be 3/4" and that's what I ended up with.
At the far end of the layout, where the canal angles up toward the backdrop I will be installing a single track BLMA concrete pier bridge to span the water. The plan is to paint the center of the canal black and then airbrush a light sand along the edges of the canal to simulate shallow areas. The Envirotex is going to have a drop of green and/or black tint added to give the medium some color. This is available from Scenic Express. I will experiment prior to pouring the canal to try to get the right color. Lastly, Modge Podge gloss medium will be added to the surface to get a rippling effect. I will shoot for a Envirotex depth of about 3/16 of an inch.
Since this is new territory for me, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
UP2 CSX- If you need a number for the Weller. let me know.
Larry
Thank you for the compliments. Fortunately the layout floor is gray painted cement. However, I will be putting papers down on the floor. Lance Mindheim suggested that the depth of the canal be 3/4" and that's what I ended up with.
At the far end of the layout, where the canal angles up toward the backdrop I will be installing a single track BLMA concrete pier bridge to span the water. The plan is to paint the center of the canal black and then airbrush a light sand along the edges of the canal to simulate shallow areas. The Envirotex is going to have a drop of green and/or black tint added to give the medium some color. This is available from Scenic Express. I will experiment prior to pouring the canal to try to get the right color. Lastly, Modge Podge gloss medium will be added to the surface to get a rippling effect. I will shoot for a Envirotex depth of about 3/16 of an inch.
Since this is new territory for me, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
UP2 CSX- If you need a number for the Weller. let me know.
Larry
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Lary,
Sounds like you have everything pretty well planned. I think you'll have to do more than one layer of Envirotex to acheive the results you want. Let me suggest that you do the first layer with no added color and see what it looks like. If you've done the bottom painting right (including some green as you work up towards the canal sides), you may find that's all you need. It's tricky adding color to the Envirotex since the opacity of the color wet is much less that you'd expect looking at it when it's dry. Adding color to the Envirotex may give you canal that's much more of black than you want.
I'd appreciate a part number for the Weller since the geniuses at my Lowes can't find anything without a part number.
Sounds like you have everything pretty well planned. I think you'll have to do more than one layer of Envirotex to acheive the results you want. Let me suggest that you do the first layer with no added color and see what it looks like. If you've done the bottom painting right (including some green as you work up towards the canal sides), you may find that's all you need. It's tricky adding color to the Envirotex since the opacity of the color wet is much less that you'd expect looking at it when it's dry. Adding color to the Envirotex may give you canal that's much more of black than you want.
I'd appreciate a part number for the Weller since the geniuses at my Lowes can't find anything without a part number.
68 Camaro
Member
Jim,
I'll get that Weller part number to you this evening. I will sent you an email. I believe it will take two pourings to get about 3/16 of an inch thickness to the Envirotex. Thanks for the tip on pouring that stuff. I will make the first coat clear and then see how it looks and then add color.
Lance Mindheim told me that the depth of the Envirotex in his canal on the "Voodoo & Palmettoes" layout is 3/16" . I'm hoping that after putting the Modge Podge on the surface will reflect the light enough in different directions to make it look deep.
I'll get that Weller part number to you this evening. I will sent you an email. I believe it will take two pourings to get about 3/16 of an inch thickness to the Envirotex. Thanks for the tip on pouring that stuff. I will make the first coat clear and then see how it looks and then add color.
Lance Mindheim told me that the depth of the Envirotex in his canal on the "Voodoo & Palmettoes" layout is 3/16" . I'm hoping that after putting the Modge Podge on the surface will reflect the light enough in different directions to make it look deep.
