Hi all! My layout consists of two 2'x2' end pieces which connect up to make an oval. (Z scale, which is why I can get away with modules that small). I'll be using adjustable track pieces that "drop in" between the modules. The goal is to facilitate easy expansion in the future (adding a module between them extending the oval without having to tear up track). Anyone have any advice for hiding the seam between the modules? I have not begun painting or laying down scenery so any tips would be really appreciated. I tried to very diligently line things up but there is still a noticeable gap in the undecorated terrain. (I have a thin layer of cork on plywood).
I have seen some efforts where seams are well disguised, but cannot recall anyone ever discussing a specific technique. My skills are probably why mine showed more than I would care to have visible.
the best way is to make sure that the material is the same on both sides of the seam. And, if you can have something crossing it (structure, etc) that helps too. Here, the seam on my Silicon Valley Station module is clearly visible (mostly due to the wear/warping on the drop in plates for the platforms), but your eye is also fully drawn away from it being a seam. And, where it is just base ground cover... in most cases your eye just glances across it
Make your seams where you might be able to use the side of a building on the edge of the seam. Also use brush and bushes at seams so the bushes meet bushes on the mating module. If there is mountain scenery make the seam hidden in the mountainside. There is a seam in this mountain.
Great advice! Thanks! Having some hilly regions cut from foam overhanging from one module to the next will help a lot. I think I have my solution.
Here is the same place at a different angle. There is a seam in there. It's right off the end of tunnel portal.
I have foam on HC doors with the foam and door joints offset. I fill foam seam gaps with latex caulk and cover with sand (my version of "dirt") and ground foam grass. It might take a couple layers to hide the trench. Cheap and easy. Others have used Great Stuff expanding foam or drywall mud or lightweight spackle. I think caulk is easier to remove when the time comes.
I like to use structures where I can. I also scenic the modules together and then crack them apart. This helps to minimize the joint. Here you can see a seam in a ballasted area that is partially hidden by my flour mill (work in progress). The seam is just to the left of the closed side door.
On a layout I am helping a friend build, to hide the seam in the removable mountain top, we glued strips of soft foam along the the bottom edge of the mountain top.
While not technically a seam between modules, I used a removable foamboard road on my upper deck to cover linkages from tortoises (mounted on the underside of the upper deck) to turnout throwbars. The remote placement of the tortoises was necessary because the turnouts in a yard ladder were located directly over an upper deck L-girder and a fluorescent light fixture illuminating the lower deck, so the tortoises were displaced about 4 to 6 inches away from the turnouts, instead of directly beneath them. Left end of the removable foamboard: hidden linkages 2016-07-31 10.26.52 by ppuinn posted Jul 31, 2016 at 11:30 AM Right end of the foamboard. The "23" is a marker used in op sessions to identify the turnout. hidden linkages 2016-07-31 10.27.28 by ppuinn posted Jul 31, 2016 at 11:30 AM The removable foamboard is wider than the road and I put shrubs and blended turf grass on the side of the road toward the front of the deck, and hid the front edge of the foamboard by putting 1/4 inch of shrubs and grass on the surface of the deck. At the back of the foamboard, I glued a piece of green expanded Styrofoam (representing a levy that runs between the yard on one side and the two mainline tracks on the other side) and put shrubs and grass on it. The yard ladder starts with Turnout 24 located at the levy gate (just out of sight to the right of Switch 23). The seam between the levy glued to the removable foamboard and the levy Styrofoam permanently glued to the shelf is at the right edge of the road where it turns to cross the tracks. The levy seam is run at an angle so viewers can only see across the seam instead of along it, and it is further hidden by trees and shrubs that are randomly placed near the seam, but deliberately not aligning along the seam so the seam line is disguised instead of accented. Left view of the road with foamboard removed, showing linkages and the permanently glued 1/4 inch high shrubs and grass that hide the front edge of the removable foamboard. Behind the road is the left end of the permanently glued levy. hidden linkages 2016-07-31 10.28.10 by ppuinn posted Jul 31, 2016 at 11:30 AM Right end view without the removable foamboard, showing the linkages and the levy seam contour where it is permanently glued to the shelf. The edge of the levy gate is just visible at the right. hidden linkages 2016-07-31 10.28.17 by ppuinn posted Jul 31, 2016 at 11:30 AM Underside view of the removable foamboard showing the channels I carved to ensure free movement of the linkages. hidden linkages 2016-07-31 10.39.48 by ppuinn posted Jul 31, 2016 at 11:30 AM In addition to removable buildings or roads covering your module seam and permanently attached individual trees randomly positioned on either side of the seams to hide them, you could hide your seams with removable tree flats like these. Tree flats in place: 2015-12-21 10.36.25 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM Tree flats removed: 2015-12-21 10.35.28 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM Tree flats in place: 2016-01-17 00.50.28 by ppuinn posted Jan 17, 2016 at 10:52 PM 2015-12-21 10.39.44 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM 2015-12-21 10.39.26 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM Tree flats removed: 2015-12-21 10.40.14 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM 2015-12-21 10.38.52 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM 2015-12-21 10.38.31 by ppuinn posted Dec 21, 2015 at 11:04 AM The tree flats are 1/4 inch foamboard painted green and covered with grass, shrubs, and underbrush, then toothpicks and lichen trees were added. On some other tree flats, I've used JTT/MRC wire trees (which worked well), and Woodland Scenics Fine-Leaf Foliage trees (which were taller and to me looked a little better, but which were too fragile for repeated placement and removal). I used my removable tree flats to hide track at the back of the shelf, so only had to hide the front edge of the foamboard. 2015-12-12 18.06.36 by ppuinn posted Dec 20, 2015 at 12:04 PM Where your module seams run straight back from the viewer, you will need to hide both edges of the foamboard, but if you run your removable road flats or removable tree flats at angles, and if you use odd/irregular shapes instead of squares, rectangles and circles that are squarely aligned with your fascia and/or seam, it will be easier to hide the front edge of the removable foamboard tree flat or road flat. And, as mentioned above regarding a seam, it is easier to hide an edge of a foamboard tree flat or road flat when the viewer is looking across the edge instead of along it. You may want to take cues from camouflage tricks: -where possible, the edge of your foamboard shapes should be irregular instead of straight, just like irregular camouflage shapes; -the shades of grass and shrubs on either side of a seam should vary a lot, so there is no clear demarcation of colors/shades changing exactly where the seam is; -any alignments of buildings, telephone poles, fences, etc near a seam should contribute to hiding the seam, either by directing the viewers' eyes away from or across the seam, or by physically preventing the viewer from seeing the seam; -the size and shape of individual shrubs and trees permanently planted near but not actually covering a seam should both vary randomly, so there is no regularity running parallel to the seam to attract a viewer's eyes to the seam; -seams running through a completely flat area with a uniform color (manicured lawn, paved parking lot, smoothly graded gravel or dirt road) are seen more easily, because the interruption of the uniform color and flatness by the regular black line of the seam is more readily apparent. Where possible, avoid having any of your flat areas of uniform color cross a seam, and, where crossing the seam is unavoidable, minimize flatness by adding texture (varying heights of grass/weeds/shrubs, make the module seam fall on the concrete seam of a paved parking lot or road [easier to do in larger scales than smaller scales], add potholes or varicolored grass or weeds down the middle of gravel roads or lanes) and vary the color/reduce color uniformity.
Hiding the seam through foam hills (like tree-covered smaller versions of Mr SP's mountain) can work very nicely under certain conditions, but if you will be going to modular layout meets or train shows and frequently taking the modules apart and putting them back together again (rather than having them "permanently" joined like jpwisc or Chuck Finley until you move at some point in the future), I would encourage you to cut the foam at the very edge of the module, match the contour of foam on adjacent modules, and use trees and shrubs to hide the seams, rather than covering the seam with an overhanging piece of foam from an adjacent module. If you carefully position your trees and shrubs close to the edge of the module, the canopies can still overlap the seam enough to hide it from sight. You might find that modules with pieces of foam that overlap seams to interlock with pieces of foam on the next module, sometimes make carrying modules awkward; frequently make positioning multiple oddly-shaped modules for transport very difficult (think of working a jigsaw puzzle with 5 to 8 pound, hard-to-hold/balance pieces in the confines of the back of a station wagon or van, covered trailer, or pickup truck...and then trying to secure them to prevent damage during transport); and invariably get easily damaged by minor misalignments when reassembling them. (Granted...others' experience with transporting modules that have overhanging foam pieces may vary.)
One more idea: feather/rag out the edges of a strip of blue painters tape - anything to eliminate a straight edge. Lay tape over joint, apply your adhesive of choice and sprinkle your ground cover on top. When it's time to separate modules, slice the tape with a box cutter or gently pull it up. The blue tape should not cause any damage. This was suggested by a modular guy I know.
