The Art of Water in a Model Railroad Scene
One of the fascinating activities in building a model railroad layout is the water scenes. Even with all the trees, fauna, grasses and other scenic materials it looks like a barren waste land with water.
The creation of water scenes are not necessarily ease but worth the effort. There a several materials that can be made to look like water. There are three types of resin plastic that I use to create water scenes. They are all non-toxic and readily available either by hobby shop or WEB site.
With out going into trade names the three types are different for specific reasons. One comes in a squeeze bottle that is very thick and does not run readily and I find hard to use. I use it for specific areas where a fast moving liquid would not stabilize fast enough to create the scene that I want. However, it is wonderful in making waterfalls. It is so thick that you can comb it with a fine metal comb that produces the look of a water fall.
The next type is a thick but fast pouring liquid plastic that can be used to begin a small to large pond and streams. The key to this one is that it has restrictions as to how much you can poor. It dries very slowly thus the amount you can pore at any on time is only about 1/8 thick. It dries very clear and is very useful when you try and get small amounts in specific areas to increase the realism.
The next type is hard and comes in beads with a slight yellow color. It is my favorite of the three because of its nature once heated to a liquid. It is very hot once heated and it pours fast but solidifies quickly. You do not have to wait a long period of time before you pour the next batch. It also has a unique characteristic of creating a wave like action.
The best example I can give you is when I poured the plastic down a pre-made stream bed. The stream bed had already been landscape with rocks wood brush and the like. There was a stop at the end of the stream. I poured the hot plastic gradually and watched it flow just like a stream and solidify with unique qualities like the real world. I repeated this action several times which gave the stream character and caused a waterfall effect over the rocks. At the base or stop a small pond was created as I wanted.
This type of plastic water is tricky to produce and use. Great care must be taken not to burn your self nor allow the liquid plastic to boil over. Also, you must use a container where you have complete control. The container needs to have a handle on it that will not act as a heat sink thus burning you. It would be wise to have a container with a spout like the coffee pots used on camping trips. This way you will not have the liquid plastic going places you do not want it to go.
A stove is not the best way to heat the plastic. For one thing, there usually are no stoves in the layout area and the heating would take to long unless you had a gas stove. The best method is to use a torch or some quick heating implement that would generate enough heat to liquefy the plastic rapidly. We have used a torch in a pinch but it is cumbersome and a bit dangerous. The safest method is a butane stove that can produce a lot of heat fast. What ever method you use where fire is concerned make sure you have a fire extinguisher available and there is plenty of fresh air circulating in the layout room. Also, use fire retardant gloves when working with this type of liquid plastic and fire. DO NOT MAKE TO MUCH LIQUID PLASTIC AT ONE TIME. You will accomplish each project in plenty of time by following the directions on the package. The more you make at once the greater chance of an accident.
There are other types of clear resins available but this set is easily attainable from more than one source and ease to use.
Joy Ball has been involved in the restoration and maintenance of a variety of Brass Model Locomotives. Through her years of expertise, Mrs. Ball has perfected the art of train restoration often spending countless hours preserving vintage Brass Locomotive to the running condition of even the newest Brass Model Replicas. It should be noted that the above article was written by Joy’s husband Michael Ball. Receive her free newsletter at http://www.brasslocomotiveworks.com
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