A look at the concrete/plaster I broke up tonight.

Shaun Previous Layout

After completing the first section of the layout with the terrain cover mixture, I decided I didn’t like it. I’m sure they’re are many folks out there who used this same technique with good results, but it just wasn’t happening for me.

- Inconsistent mixture. Even with using the same measurements each time, I would end up with a different mixture consistency everytime.  Sometimes it was lumpy, sometimes is was smooth, sometimes to thick, sometimes to thin.  This resulted in inconsistent ground covering as well.  It was hard to get it to blend together on the layout sometimes.

- Messy.  Mixing up three powered items, then mixing with water, and getting it on the layout seemed to make quiet the mess to me. I’ve gotta give my office good vacuuming now to pick up all the poweder that kept going *poof* as I opened the bag or scooped it.

- Fragile.  I found the final setup of the mixture to be rather fragile. You really need to get a good 1/2″  layer down if you want it so have some strength. But I found this hard because the mixture was not very smooth when applying, and it stuck to, well, everything.  If you accidentally bump an area where the mixture was a little thin, it would easily result in a crack or shattering of pieces.

- Needs Patching. Like I mentioned in the previous post, the mixture shrinks so you end up with cracks.  Lots of them. I spent almost as much time trying to patch cracks and blending new/old mixtures as  I did putting it down the first time.  A lot of extra work that I’d rather not have to do.

While I think the finished product results in a good, natural looking ground, I think requires way too much time and effort needed to get there.

So.. PLAN B! The old tried and true Woodland Scenics plaster cloth with a layer of Sculpt-a-mold (or mold-a-scene, whatever they call it now) on top method.  I’ll break up and remove the concrete mixture that I did the other night, clean up the layout and room, and then start working on the plaster cloth in the next few days.  I’ll have to order more up though. Only have 1 roll I think.

Shaun Previous Layout

Today I put down my first batch of groundwork.  I’m using a mixture mentioned in one of Joe Fugate‘s railroad videos.  It’s a simple mixture of:

- 4 parts fine vermiculite
- 3 parks patching plaster
- 1 part portland cement

and then enough water to make it a smooth, spreadable mixture.  Here’s how the first attempt looks:

I’ll let this setup for a day or two and then go back to patch up the cracks and any spots needing a little more coverage.  While the mixture looks good once dried, it does shrink a little while setting up. But it’s nothing a quick little patching can’t fix.

I ended up making a much larger batch than I was expecting so I had to sorta hurry through this first section. Next time I know to go with a much smaller batch and just do small 1-2 foot sections at a time.

Shaun Previous Layout

I gave the rest of the lower level a first coat of the new blue backdrop color and then built up the scenery base around the tunnel portal.

Shaun Previous Layout