Best Of Weekend Update 7/31/11

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I like using the secondary covering because it allows additional flexibility in the terrain, allowing for better contours of things like ditches, and blending the various layers together.

My technique of rough shaping the foam leaves a bunch of rough spots from cutting and joining it, and the drywall compound really helps fill that in and smooth it out.

[Sokramiketes]

I like using the secondary covering because it allows additional flexibility in the terrain, allowing for better contours of things like ditches, and blending the various layers together.

My technique of rough shaping the foam leaves a bunch of rough spots from cutting and joining it, and the drywall compound really helps fill that in and smooth it out.

Foam actually sands quite well, so things like ditches are pretty easy to shape even if you're not hot-wiring.  And the roughness goes away quick with sandpaper as well.  Really, it's worth a try.

[tom mann]

 I'm a fan of the cardboard strip method after working on Gary Hinshaw's old layout.  Maybe not as much control, but faster, easier and less messy than foam.

[DKS]

I did a 100% foam layout once. Hot carved absolutely everything, including roadbed, rock strata, the works. Sealed the foam with latex paint, then sprayed on various flat colors. I was not thrilled by the outcome; it just did not have a natural look. Plus, the foam doesn't hold trees and telephone poles very well; they do stay upright, but if they're knocked, that's it--small pink craters. I'm pretty much sold on foam as a support, with a Sculptamold top layer that I can fuss with until it's just right. Foam is kind of a one-shot affair, whereas I can add, remove, do whatever I want with Sculptamold. And if I get the pre-tint color just right, I don't even have to paint it.

Since the G&D, I've also become a huge fan of rubber rocks from Cripplebush Valley. Not economical for a big layout, but for a small one there just isn't anything better. It offers a level of control that isn't possible with any other medium.

[ednadolski]

haven't done any actual modeling.. just playing around with a new photoshop trick to make things look like models

Way Cool! "Code 40" rail with Proto 160 frogs, and the new BLMA scale couplers!!  ;D ;D ;D

Ed

[Sokramiketes]

I'm not saying that foam should be used for everything, I'm just saying that for smooth landforms like Ed is going for, I don't see the need for a top coat.  And I've got telephone poles and super trees planted on the modules that have a pretty rough life and haven't seen any pink craters yet.  Sure I can straighten some poles once the layout is set up, but I'd prefer that to a hard mounting that breaks plastic poles when bumped. 

There's lots of ways to skin a cat.  Here's an old photo of my transition module just before a layer of latex paint and ground foam right in the wet paint.  You can see some filler around the edges to get a smooth blend into the masonite fascia, but nothing on top of the smoothed foam.



Maybe between the latex paint layer and subsequent foam/static grass and glue applications, I have a form of hardshell too.



But in planting the corn, I'm glad I was just poking through a layer of paint instead of true hardshell.  Foam holds corn great! 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I actually had never thought about just sanding the foam. But it makes sense, in a few points I've sanded through to it, and it's held up just fine.

Hmm...

Too late to change it though! Something for next time though... maybe then I'd need even fewer shelf brackets... lol.

[Puddington]

I finished a Humberline 81' wooden trestle kit.



Not too difficult a kit to build; the drawings and instructions are really quite good. The Humberline stain is also easy to work with. I'd never built a wooden trestle but all in all the kit took about 8 hours to complete.

I intend on using the trestle on a new curve I'm building; this will be a rear lead into the curve and will ford a small gully; I wanted to see what I might look like so I mocked up a photo...



I think it will work nicely.....

[MichaelWinicki]

I actually had never thought about just sanding the foam. But it makes sense, in a few points I've sanded through to it, and it's held up just fine.

The challenge I have with the sanding, and I did try some of that with my extruded styrofoam was the mess.  That stuff just gets all over. 

[diezmon]

The first thing I noticed is that extruded styrofoam didn't take paint well.  Actually it looked kinda pathetic.  Yeah, you won't see that after all the turf had been applied, but I knew it would be a while before the surface of my layout was going to see turf.

What kind of paint were you using?  I've never had trouble with latex paint sticking to foam.   This whole section is pure foam, a little latex caulk, and paint.

I found that while yeah, the extruded styrofoam does allow me to install trees very easily... it was almost too easy.  There didn't seem to be a lot of friction holding the tree in place. 

something no one's mentioned yet.. when installing trees and/or poles into foam, a good trick is to sharpen the end first.  a sharp point slides right in, and has enough friction to hold.  I still use either caulk or glue to hold it.   Otherwise, the pole pushes/crunches the foam and it won't hold well.

[tehachapifan]

Way Cool! "Code 40" rail with Proto 160 frogs, and the new BLMA scale couplers!!  ;D ;D ;D

Ed

Yeah, but the factory-applied orange on the BNSF unit is WAY off!  :

[MichaelWinicki]

What kind of paint were you using?  I've never had trouble with latex paint sticking to foam.   This whole section is pure foam, a little latex caulk, and paint.

Oh the paint dried perfectly fine.  The foam just seemed to suck it right up and the resulting finish was on the transparent side without giving it a couple of coats. 

[inkaneer]

Being an avid [maybe too avid] Ntrakker and getting up in years, keeping a module's weight to a minimum has become more of a priority.  I like the foam which I try to salvage from construction sites.  But it  comes in pieces that need to be glued together and the gaps filled in with the liteweight spakle.   I use tinted texture paint for a final covering as it provides both paint and a smooth covering.  It also is less prone to chip when banged about in moving.  A plus is that when dry if you don't like the outcome it can be sanded to an extent.

[cec209]

Some great stuff on the use of foam and coverings. Maybe some of it could be saved to the, "Weathering, Detailing, Scratchbuilding and Construction Tips" section for future reference.

Charlie

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Good idea Charlie!