Budget Scenery Materials - Ground Cover!

Joey,

That is FANTASTIC!  Thank you for being brave enough to raise this topic. I hope you don't get into too much trouble with the "support you LHS" gang.  One thing that drives me crazy in this hobby is the number of people who seem to believe that it can't be good unless it is expensive and end up paying $12/oz for white glue.

I won't hijack your thread without permission, but it would be fun to have a broad discussion of other inexpensive scenery materials. What do you think?

Of course I agree that a lot of products over priced. But that is not with this thread is about. As long as I don't have to pretend that something for sale is better than some cheap or free natural resource because someone pays to say it is - I am OK with it. 

With that said,  I can assure everyone reading this that I use plenty of commercially available products, including those products from many of the sponsors of this very forum. I also support my local hobby shop. If a product is good - it's good - period, derived from nature or purchased. 

With my interest in and love for the hobby, I am attempting to share information and keep the hobby moving forward for all involved. I especially want kids to see that they CAN AFFORD to be involved in model railroading and not everything has to be purchased.

Some people just don't have the time or inclination to dig up dirt and take the time to do this project. On the other hand, some things you just can't dig up in the backyard or make from scratch, so you have to purchase it. Lets promote the hobby for the better of ALL INVOLVED. Sometimes that means "dirt is still free". Or at least - I'm not selling it just yet.

Lets keep the hobby fun!

Don't get me wrong. I, too, support the commercial side of our hobby.  There are a great many great products that are beyond the skill of the average hobbyist, and thank goodness we have suppliers to solve these problems for us. My problem is with those who assume that perfectly fine cheap or free techniques (such as the one that you show) are somehow inferior to high-priced repackaging of the same stuff.

Joey

     Excellent video for your idea. I also use a lot of backyard items for scenery. The thing I have trouble with is permanently gluing dirt to the layout. It seems the diluted glue sprayed over brushed under tends too soak the dirt. and darken the color. What experiences do you have?

Thanks

Ray Marion

I get ya Pete, I just don't want an informative thread to turn into a general complaint about high prices. It's about keeping the hobby at it's roots with creativity, simplicity and well....just plain getting outside and getting our hands dirty doing something that we enjoy.

I get your point and I have to say that if I ever offer some sort of "JOEY DIRT" for sale, it would probably have to be be similarly priced to some ground up carpet fibers in a bag to be worth the effort. It's still a lot of work, but I do it, because nothing I have ever seen or used looks more realistic than "dirt".

Hey Ray, 

My primary method is using a "paint/glue" mixture - painted with a brush on the area. This is a latex dirt colored paint I use with standard white glue. It's a heavy thick mix like cake batter. I then sift the powered dirt over it completely covering it. Occasionally I will spray cheap hair spray over that if it is on a steep hill or rock to really make it stick.

My plan for the next video (or one after) is to show how I apply it. For modeled areas like a flat track side area or dirt road, I actually sand some of it off after it dries. It gives the effect of a well traveled over area, such as the area in front of my "country store" in the video. 

Nice video and I thought I was the BOSS too.  In my Micro layout that I built we used Nebraska sand and dirt.  I do agree with you on not baking it, Our glue mixture has enough alcohol in it to kill any bacteria.  I do need to find a nice little sifter like the one that you are using.  Thanks for posting the video.  Nick

I have made my own ground foam using a blender as well.  A mentioned pick up a yard sale or thrift shop blender.  Pick up some foam rubber new from the fabric store or used from an old chair.  I cut the foam into one inch chucks.  Fill the blender half full of water and turn it on it's highest speed.  Remove the center of the lid and start putting pieces of foam into the vortex.  Once the blender seems full you can add a little paint to color the foam.  I buy the little paint color samples form Lowes or Home Depot.  Pour the paint out into a colander to drain off the excess liquid.  Save the liquid for the next batch.  I spread it out onto an old window screen and stir it around to keep it from clumping.  It takes a couple days to dry depending on the temperature and humidity. 

Great video Joey...too funny. My Mom had a blender exactly like that when I was a kid... I wonder if she still has it, she never throws anything away  

Joey, you and your wife make a good team! Interesting fact about dirt.....it can be and has been eaten. I know this as I myself have done so and, well at 71+ am still living.

Dirt was eaten by our forefathers and to this day many tribes use dirt in preparation of food.

i have a question, Joey and that is how can I make (simulate) Longleaf Pine trees?

thank you very much,

Nice video. I bought myself a cheap microwave ($49.00) a couple of years ago & any ground cover that I dig up from the yard I"Nuke" for about a minute. maybe it's an old wives tale about the bugs or parasites but it makes me feel better so that's why I do it.

Ray,

If you use enough glue to fix your dirt it does get dark but you can scuff it with sand paper or just rub it with your finger and the light color will come right back.

Dave

Great video!  Obliging wife! (Mine, too!)

Haven't used the blender-technique on dirt...just sifter.  In the dry season (remember those?....me neither, lately!) I can find enough fines to sift down to get the jobs done.  BTW...What parasites, indeed?

HOWEVER, I use the old blender for grinding up dried leaves (late Fall) in a water slurry, spreading them out on an old cookie sheet, drying them in an oven at a temperature that kills the leafy buggers, then crumbling/sifting the remains for forest ground cover.  Not my original technique...read it in a Lou Sassi book...but I'm not even sure he'd lay claim to it.

The old blender (ours came from a relative's estate...freebie) is a very handy tool, indeed, for scenery work.

Hope to see more of your videos!

KD

Thanks all, I am glad everyone is bringing up all these ideas and experiences. This is what it is all about.

Bernard, I sent you an email from my tracksidescenery@gmail.com address

Hey David, I want to make sure you saw my reply message I sent you about backdrops a while back? 

Spence, that is a good idea and I probably should have mentioned that I have heated dirt on the BBQ to dry it, but not on a regular basis and not to kill anything. If I were a bug, I'd rather live in a structure. ha ha

I have my speakers turn up as high as they will go and I still can barely hear you on the video.  Is it just me or does anyone else have the problem.  Thanks for posting, very helpful. 

I can see in the near future that Scenic Express will be selling "Real Dirt!" in 8 oz bags for $12.99,

wb47; It's got to be you. No problem hearing the video on my end. Check your volume button on You Tube.

I had no problem with the sound in the video.

Another good old-school "cost effective" material is peat moss.  it has an nice texture and clumps in interesting ways.  It can be used in its natural form, or it can be dyed various shades of green.

I like your attitude about the hobby.  I like being open to all things around us for use on the layout. Great little how to.......THX

great video

I think Joey has the lowest cost option, zero dollars invested. Nice work on your video, even got the wife into it with a rolling pin.

We use real dirt. You can even pick dirt from the specific region you want to model if so inclined.

This micro, based on the Redlands Loop in San Bernardino County, has actual dirt from the abandoned right-of-way.

niceley done Joey

mwb, Scenic Express already sells real dirt.. both course and very fine 

another way to lighten areas of real dirt is to use one of the lighter ground foams, mixed with real dirt.