Pink Foam layout using Wood Filler as surface

[inobu]

This started with all the portals failures that you have witness. I cannot get the size ratio into perspective and decided that experience is the only way to over come the issue. So, I rolled up the sleeves and started hammering away. I need to get whats in the PC and whats on the table to sync up.

The CAD to real world created one problem but the real world back to N Scale starts the whole process over again. I thought "just start out simple and expand from there". Looked around for a simple project and found the Timesaver puzzle. Just big enough to be a challenging task but small enough to get through quickly. I built the Timesave layout in Easy rail using Unitrack #6 and Kato coal portals for the car sizing. (I will convert to Koki's after I can get the couplers issue addressed). The setup is done using 2 V3 and a few other pieces. (You can buy the pieces individually and it is cheaper but for a few dollars more you get more track).

Once I got the track size done I moved over to the CAD. I built a small frame based on the N-Trak scheme. Got all the board sizes down and headed off to Home Depot. 4 4x8 boards, Pink foam, screws and glue. Started cutting all the pieces, laid them out and started test fitting. BAMMM!! things are coming up short???. Turned out that the boards were not 1 inch wide but 3/4. I have the trim 1/4 off the ends. Modified the CAD drawing and back on my way.

The frame is together and now its time to get the Unitrack and foam together. BAMMM!! Unitrack sits too high. Hummm? Start looking around and yep it not good. I take a few days to think about this one and see a posting about ballasting unitrack. Unitrack is the last thing you want to ballast. (LOL) Hence my comment on that thread. I was at this point when that thread came up.

The suggestion of raising the terrain to level the ballast came up and I thought that makes sense. Though about it again and came to the conclusion that it was easier to trench it. Its foam so I go for it. I get it trenched the track slides right in (well kinda). #6's wires drop through and I'm thinking this is going good. My CAD to layout sizing is relatively good and going as planned. Walking back and forth from CAD to Layout to get my eye and mind in sync.

Now its time for the ground base. I head to my LHS and pick up the WS stuff. Plaster Cloth and a few other things. Started wondering about the foam and plaster cloth. (Thinking) That does not seem right, How is it going to adhere to the foam. Rough it up? ok. Lay the plaster down and let it sit.

Next day I check it out and it look ok. Started to paint the dirt and noticed the edges coming up? Not good. Head to LHS to get clarification on the foam. Yes the foam they use it white. Hummm, time to check around........
my foam is not pink it is purple/pink and new "Green" foam. BAMMM! Now what!!!

Get back to the layout and start picking at it. It comes up like a carpet. I'm thinking do I try to salvage it or can it. Do I spend  $$$ try to save $10 plaster cloth?    No...

I trash it. Now what do I do..............  

Fast forward................

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Tell me what you think so I can finish the story I'm tired.....be back tomorrow.

Inobu




  

    
  

[inobu]

OK got some rest and I need to get some day light pictures.

This is starting to look like a blog which is not the intent. It is about technique so I should get to the point.

I found the foam to be some what of a challenge but discovered a good work around (So far) that may prove to be worth while. I used chemical wood (wood filler) like stucco. It is pliable and sand-able.

Here is my test piece. What I did was smear it onto the foam so that it is a thin layer. You can change the texture and form by dabbing it. I think is will render sand quite well.

The contour of the foam can be melted with a heat gun (out side) or filed out with a wire brush. The key is you can reshape with the wood filler anyway you like with no added weight.

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Here is the test piece with a little test paint and ground covering.

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This is what I used. There is a latex brand but I could not find it so I opted for this brand for my initial testing

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I got it at Home Depot for $6 - 32 oz. (It was really expensive at Walmart) I think I used about 6oz and covered a 15x64 in strip. Doing the math it cost about $1.12.

I don't see any down fall yet, It is easy to put down by hand (Used latex gloves). It takes paint well, it adheres to the foam like stucco.

I did bend the foam as it cracked but did not chip.

The one issue with this brand is that the container leaks after you open it. I forced the air out of the container and it drew it back in so I vacuum sealed it.

Check it out and post your findings.

Inobu

[cteno4]

Inobu,

i think you have run into the one issue with extruded polystyrene foam in that its totally impervious to air and moisture and is a pretty slick surface to begin with. this means that many glues will not dry quickly or as normal as they do when boding porous materials. so when starting out with stuff straight to the flat surface you may not get great results or it may take things a very long time to dry out as compared to putting stuff down onto plaster cloth, wood, etc.

one trick is to rough up the surface some with a piece of 60 grit sand paper to give the surface some more tooth for your glue/paint to bond to better.

many folks will first put on a coat of earth brown flat exterior latex paint (or whatever your earth color needs to be). this stuff tends to bond well to most anything and attaches to the foam well. then they go at laying down scenery. you can even start with your first coat of material into the wet paint. most glues and such then bond pretty well with the latex paint.

the wood putty is really interesting. does it still have the sand texture after you sand/shape the dried putty? really cool if this gets nice sand texture. how tall was that ridge you made? how long did it take to dry. only thing i have found with putties like this is that if its too big a chunk they can so some odd cracking while drying out. looks like this stuff can handle a big 'stucco' patch like this! also good to know it bonds well to the foam like the latex paint.

btw folks use liquid nails foam insulation glue with good results on the styrofoam board as well as low temp hot glue guns. PVA glue will work, but usually requires you pin things together well and let it sit a long time till totally cured (days or weeks). the down side of the liquid nails is its pretty thick and pastie and will not do a really thin layer well.

thanks ill have to pick up a tub of this stuff to experiment with! i just got a tub of 600grit silica sand blasting powder last month but have not yet tried putting into some paint to see if it would give a good sand texture that was not softball sized sand!

cheers

jeff

[inobu]

Jeff,

On that test piece I did both. One end is rough up and the other end is untouched. It sticks in either case. What I did was rub it into the foam and build up from there. I tried acrylic paint and it stuck some what but its just paint. I was thinking the same with the 600 grit silica but thought the wood filler had more molding qualities. 

Based on the color you choose it has sand qualities. I need to post up some pictures in the day light. I was trying to render a simi arid scene and it came out pretty close. I want to get better and the turf seeding.

I"ll post the over all picture as I have light now. 

Inobu

[cteno4]

Inobu,

cool, will look forward to the pictures. im going to pick up a small tub to play with--always love new approaches!

these kinds of putties tend to have pretty good sticking power as they need to fill chips and such and hold well to resurface.

ill let you know how the 600 grit goes. let me know if you want a small packet in the mail to play with, stuff aint cheap, smallest quart tub i could find was like $8 at harbor freight. usually the stuff is sold in like 5 gallon cans!

cheers

jeff

[inobu]

Funny how my camera changes the color with the angle on some of the photos.

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I do have a few questions. What is the best was to control the turf density. I want to be able to control lush grass to sparse dirt. Kinda like areas with sprinklers and areas without.

Inobu  

oh, tell me what I did wrong.

Criticism can make you mad or make you better. Use it to become better.  

[disturbman]

I think the problem is that you forgot to add a track giving the impression the trains can reach the big wide world lying outside the realm of your layout. Except for that, it looks pretty cool.

For your pictures' colors, that's normal. I usually use photoshop to rebalance the coloring like it should be.

[inobu]

I think the problem is that you forgot to add a track giving the impression the trains can reach the big wide world lying outside the realm of your layout. Except for that, it looks pretty cool.

For your pictures' colors, that's normal. I usually use photoshop to rebalance the coloring like it should be.

"Connecting into the world " was a factor and the thought of running a main line through the layout came up. I was trying to come up with a freezable/logical setting to skirt around not having a true connection. Hence the building to the right.

Here is my skirt........

Will you buy it being the TSA (Time Saver Academy)? A training facility for switching. LOL. With an annual competition? The plan is to have signs that links the objective of the puzzle with the layout. Instead of having a yard make it a competition setting as in its actual purpose.

After I finish the turf I'm going to make the signs so we will see how it goes. I should have made provisions for a maintenance building. 

Inobu



 

[inobu]

I'm going to start a project thread but I wanted to end this with the basic intent of this post.


Another alternative for covering foam is wood filler.

• There is a Latex version that look to be hard to get but the Elmers version seems to be common.
  
  The texture that it renders is based on how you leave it smooth or rough, sanded or grainy.
  
  The cost is minimal but goes a long way.
  
  It takes paint well and adheres to the form pretty good from what I see.
  

Try it out and post your findings good or bad.

Inobu

 

[inobu]

Update

It has been 3.5 month and the wood filler is holding up. I have had the module in 90 degree temps all the way down to 40 degree and had no problems. The module has 5 pieces 3 of them are glued the other two are not. The only cracking is from shock (Me dropping one end of the module a few inches/test) the crack occurred at the foam joints where it should have. The reason for the drop test .................to see if the material would crack with enough force......... being one section cracked verified acquit force while the other side withstood the impact proving its bonding strength.

As a whole the filler will adhere to the foam as one piece but it can crack under stress if the foam is not glued properly. 

I think the wood filler is much better than the plaster cloth both in cost and weight.

I'm finishing up my portals and will create a scene using the wood filler, pink foam and portals.

Inobu   
  

[cteno4]

Inobu

Perfect timing! Matthew is working on a little over and under t scale briefcase layout. Base is carved pink foam and Matthew was just noodling on what to use on top of the foam. I'm thinking this wood filler will really fit the bill.

Thanks

Jeff