Lets see what people are using to build their mountains. You can click on more than one item in this poll and your id will show up on your vote(s). Joe Daddy!
I use a cardboard-web as substructure and newspaper soaked in wallpaper-glue as top layer. Biggest advatage: it weights practically nothing when dry. It stays slightly flexible as well. Cheers Dirk
The last time I actually did this was back in the late 60's - Early 70's. At that time, a new method called hard shell was in vogue. Using 3/4" x 3/4" vertical sticks at selected locations, a web of masking tape was woven to define the basic structure of the topography to be modeled. The basic structure was refined using a layer of crumpled newspaper to add more detail. Next a layer of wet newspaper was draped over the area to be worked on and a layer of hydrocal soaked paper towels were applied. Once the hydrocal had set, plaster molds of rocks were placed at selected locations. Then the entire surface was painted with a soup of plaster of paris. This was painted with a mixture of water and india ink to give the base a dull grey color. Next various mixtures of colored artist pigment and plaster were sifted on the grey surface to simulate desert sand and grass areas. The overall apearance looked very much like the terrain being modeled. Cost was very reasonable, I asked my employer to donate two cases of paper towels from the company restroom, and paid about $3.00 each for two 90lb bags of hydrocal and plaster of paris. Another $12 for the colored pigments, and a few dollars for a tea strainer and a glass dish to mix the plaster in completed my expenses. Once the whole thing dried, I pulled all of the paper and masking tape from under the benchwork and sent it to the trash. It was really hard, very strong ( used to climb on it) and the color didn't come off. In addition the rocks looked like rocks. Jerry
Woah, Newspaper and Wallpaper glue? Tell me more. I've got a mountains in minutes kit, but I've never used it. I fear change and I don't have enough of it to do the whole layout. Right now, I'm planning foam with key areas of Joint/Spackling counpound and instant casts.
Bones are strips of cardboard glued together in the rough shape I want. Skin will be heavy-duty paper towels, dipped in watered plaster.
The part of my layout that is finished is a fairly narrow shelf, so I had to make my mountains steep and shallow. I glue together some L-shaped forms using 1" foam, about 3" deep and 8"-14" high, and mount them so that they're about 1/4" in front of the backdrop. I then staple 1" wide strips of cardboard from the top of the L to the bottom, using varying lengths of strips to add some contour. That assembly is covered with plaster-soaked paper towels and painted with El Cheapo brown paint. I glue in a pile of toothpick ends to attach scenery to, and I'm ready to roll. It's the only way I've found to make half-decent mountains on a narrow shelf, so that it gives an illusion of depth when viewed head-on. (The last pic is from an oblique angle to show how shallow they actually are.) Ray
Bigger Hammer - I like the mountain. It gave me an idea: You could probably make up a story about a hidden UFO. Well, let me put it this way. I am going to do a hill like that and have a patch of metal showing through. Should be fun.
I use a number of methods but recently found out about drywall compound and I really really like the stuff. Once I mixed it with some cruched rock and spread it on, it took hours to dry and I was able to carve the rocks the way I wamted them. If not mixed with anything it takes a short time to dry. Worked pretty good I think. Go look [under scenery] and see what I mean.
Most of the scenery I have installed to this point is cardboard strips fashioned in a web then covered with plaster. Rock work is carved into the plaster. I also use 1" foam (pink) stacked and shaped then covered with plaster. This is one of the removable sections for access to staging turnouts
I use pink/blue extruded foam shaped to the approximate contour, then covered with a "skin" of drywall compound, which is then painted and "ground foamed". If I want to add rock outcroppings, and set them into place separately.
I finally got fed up waiting on you peoples and I did a google search on making mountains out of Wallpaper glue and Newspaper. Color me intrigued. I will be trying it.
I like to twist and crumple alum screen and apply dry wall mud over it. I use adheasive spray on the back side of the screen and apply saran wrap to the back side, keeps it from being a bit messy as I apply a soupy mix of mud.
Ugh, I closed the link without saving it. Essentially it's a form of paper Mache, but Wall paper glue I think has more strength. Found a number of articles written for school diorama building. Make a 50/50 mix of Wallpaper glue and water and dip the newspaper in it as you would plaster. From what I saw, it yields much smoother results then your typical newspaper and whiteglue. I'll give it a try sometime this month and post results.
YoHo, my apologies, I did not see your question. Using wallpaper glue and newspaper is actually very easy. Wallpaper glue is typically some kind of powder. I just mix it with water per instructions. It might need to set for a while (20 minutes or so) and is ready for use. I buy glue that is intended for "heavy paper" wallpaper, not sure if the same terminology applies in the US. Preparation: I build a cardboard web that is already close to the landforms I have in mind. I use a hot-glue gun to fasten the web to risers, roadbed, fascia and backdrop. Building the mountain: Just take regular newspaper, dip it into the wallpaper glue and apply it over the cardboard web. Add more layers for robustness. I typically go for at least 4 layers of newspaper, but you can apply them all in one go: No need to wait until one layer is dry. You can store the wallpaper glue by covering the container: I am using a batch that I prepared a year ago... Finish: For rocky areas I apply a layer of spackling compund or rock castings, for grass I just paint and add add groundcover. Advatages: Leightweight, easy to do and cheap. Disadvantage: It will never be as sturdy as plaster gauze, no matter how many layers you add. It is still only newspaper, so it is quite easy to poke holes into it. Unfortunately I never took digital construction pictures, but I hope this helps Cheers Dirk
