[neil_s_wood]

I have written an article on scenery which discusses products and contains a step by step guide to building up your scenery on your layout. Hopefully this will be of help to those starting scenic projects on their layouts. I thought this might be a good starting point so that we can collect tips and advice in once place.

There are links included so that you can follow up on some of the methods and manufacturers mentioned.

If you have any techniques or know of new scenic products which are good, you may wish to add them for the benefit of other modellers here.

Click here for the article.

 

[Doug]

Thanks Neil, a great article

I'll be applying some of these techniques to my layout over the Winter.

 

[john woodall]

Hi Neil,

A great read.

One point I would make however is that I am a great believer of dyeing plaster before it is put on. I use black concrete dye for rocks (it gives you grey when mixed with plaster) and brown concrete dye for turf. If the scenery ever wears away there is not a white spot. Probably any powered paint would do the job.

As for trees if you know of someone who has a Nandina domestica (sacred bamboo, heavenly bamboo) plant the flowers stalks make great tree bases.

John

 

[Brian Considine]

Superb, well written artical Neil - many thanks for producing & posting it (it will give BRITHO some food for thought too).

 

[Cpt Jack Sparrow]

Great write up thanks, will certainly put some of that into practice when I come to fine detail my scenics.

Cpt Jack

 

[zmil]

Good work Neil

Very good presentation and well written

Regards Zmil

 

[7113]

Excellent piece of work Neil, well thought out and well presented. I was particularly impressed with the geology lesson, an area many modellers get horribly wrong! (Mind you I seem to recall that on a previous thread somewhere you revealed that you studied geology at university)

QUOTE (Brian Considine @ 9 Oct 2008, 09:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>(it will give BRITHO some food for thought too).

Unfortunately only too true - there are certainly a couple (at least) of things you mention that I will have to take notice of in the future!

As to suggestions I have always found that thick card is a good method for constructing the basic underlay of scenery, when glued and left for 24 hours it is both light and remarkabley strong. I n addition it is easy to seal and add your surface of choice.

One product I would recommend for scenery, and we have used it on parts of SL, is Hydro-Fibre. This is a compound which can be pre-coloured and also has the advantage that when dry it can re remodelled by the application of water. Although it takes longer to dry than many other products this does enable you to keep at it until you get it right.

No doubt I'll think of other things as this thread progresses.

Regards

 

[WSN]

Thank you very much Neil for this interesting article. I think i can use some methods for my layout.

Regards,
Vladimir

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 9 Oct 2008, 17:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>One product I would recommend for scenery, and we have used it on parts of SL, is Hydro-Fibre. This is a compound which can be pre-coloured and also has the advantage that when dry it can re remodelled by the application of water. Although it takes longer to dry than many other products this does enable you to keep at it until you get it right.

Even I can produce passable scenery with this product - send me your address in a PM Neil & we will send you a starter pack to try out.

 

[dwb]

There's only one word to describe the article Neil - "Brilliant!"

David

 

[TonyDaly]

Superb article.

What is this Hydro Fibre ? How does it come packaged ? Where can I get some ?

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (TonyDaly @ 9 Oct 2008, 18:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Superb article.

What is this Hydro Fibre ? How does it come packaged ? Where can I get some ?

Hi Tony,

I've just sent you a PM.

 

[Purley Oaks]

Thanks, Neil, this is great!
mal

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Brian Considine @ 10 Oct 2008, 04:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Even I can produce passable scenery with this product - send me your address in a PM Neil & we will send you a starter pack to try out.

I haven't heard of this before. I'll drop you a line as I wouldn't mind trying this. Thanks

Thanks for all the kind comments hope the article was of use.

Hi John, I tend not to dye my plaster as I tend to predominantly do rocky outcrops and prefer the white base to start with. This allows me to apply lots of washes and stains to highlight the folds of the rock "strata". For flat scenery where there are no rocky bits it would be better to pre stain the plaster with pigment as you mention.

 

[ebaykal]

Neil, thanks for all the useful tips, will come in handy now that all my laying of rails are finnished.

Baykal

 

[80class]

Thanks for taking the time to do this Neil, it really is a very valuable resource that I'm sure will be used by a lot of people.

Rob

 

[Chinahand]

Many thanks Neil for an absolutely superb article. This is, without doubt, the best 'How to do it' scenery hand book I have ever come across and deserves to be published in hard copy. Any plans for that ???

Your article is now firmly set to be my landscaping 'bible' when I finally get round to building my layout.

Out of interest have you ever tried using liquid polyeurethane foam for forming hills etc. It comes in an aerosol can and looks as though it might be a lot quicker and a lot less messy than using polystyrene blocks. I've used it to landscape aquariums in the past but have never come across anyone using it on model railway layouts though there is probably a very good reason for that.

Thanks again Neil,

Trevor.

 

[ben1]

QUOTE (80class @ 11 Oct 2008, 01:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks for taking the time to do this Neil, it really is a very valuable resource that I'm sure will be used by a lot of people.

Rob
Me!

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Expat @ 12 Oct 2008, 03:27) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Many thanks Neil for an absolutely superb article. This is, without doubt, the best 'How to do it' scenery hand book I have ever come across and deserves to be published in hard copy. Any plans for that ???

Your article is now firmly set to be my landscaping 'bible' when I finally get round to building my layout.

Out of interest have you ever tried using liquid polyeurethane foam for forming hills etc. It comes in an aerosol can and looks as though it might be a lot quicker and a lot less messy than using polystyrene blocks. I've used it to landscape aquariums in the past but have never come across anyone using it on model railway layouts though there is probably a very good reason for that.

Thanks again Neil,

Trevor.
Hi Trevor, I don't think I have encountered the liquid polyeurethane foam. I have used a type of insulating foam on the garage not sure if it's the same stuff. Not sure how that would go. It's one of those things that you have to try to see how it works. It may be good for filling large cavities under a hill.

thanks

Neil

 

[john woodall]

I tried the liquid polyeurethane foam may years ago. It is not as messy polystyrene and easy to cut with a sharpe knife. Plaster sticks to it really well.

Just as good as polystyrene blocks but a lot more expensive.

John