Preparing natural Lichen?

Back in the '60s when I used to collect wild lichen for my layout, it was recommended practice to soak it in glycerin to prevent it from drying out. If you have some already dyed and in place, you could lightly spray it with glycerin if you are careful about overspray.

Hi C.Sam, I had heard the same technique that you and Nicole had heard, even being cautioned to spray the lichen miniature foliage with it once it was in place on a layout.

However, if I may offer this (limited) perspective, as the years progressed, and I found myself re-doing the layout several times, I discovered that the lichen out of my reach (and thus not maintenance-sprayed) crumbled to dust when I tried to reposition or re-use it. As a result, esp.since there are so many attractive products availalbe from Scenic Express, for example, I avoid lichen altogether, even if it were available for free.

Frank

c.sam, in his excellent book on model railroad scenery, Dave Frary devotes a section to gathering, cleaning, sorting, dying, etc. your own lichen, including the glycerin treatment. 

I'm not much of a scenery expert, but I have used pre-processed lichen because I liked the natural branching, that the foam products can't match.  That said, I have been gradually coming around to Frank's view, that lichen has pretty much been surpassed by modern materials.  

The hand gathering and cleaning of lichen is extremely labor intensive, and wasteful: according to Frary, you'll be spending days of messy work processing it, and in the process throwing away two thirds of the raw lichen.  I'm not a rabid environmentalist or anything, but I do know that lichen takes many years to grow: anything you pick will not regrow in our lifetimes.  Hardly seems justified given its short life expectancy on the layout.  Especially when, as Frank says, there are a lot of better alternatives out there now.   Just my two bits, like I say I'm no scenery expert - which Frank certainly is.

Hey Hojack, I don't know about the '"scenery expert" part (but thanks, very much, anyway!) However, I must confess that I still do have some of the older areas on my layout possesssed of some lichen (See attachments) because they're pretty well permanent and not likely to be moved. Every once in a while, I mist them, but carefully, not wanting to make a mess and mar adjoining powder-weathered details. I just would not use it again, esp. not in areas to which I, now (at this age,) know I will not be climbing to reach.

Thanks for the input here. Reason we're using the lichen is that we hope to have a sale for our house soon and the layout will have to come down. I want some good photos of it 'finished' as much as possible before having to do so.  

We are on a push to scenic large areas and the lichen seemed a good idea. We found it literally on the side of the road here and only picked some of it leaving plenty behind for continued propagation!

When I purchased lichen at a hobby shop for displaying this layout

Modern Version of Lionel's Disappearing Train Layout

I realized it wasn't the everlasting stuff we had used when we set up our layout annually in the '50s.  It wouldn't stay pliable.  I needed reusable lichen for each setup to hide the portability features.  Here's the recipe I used for treating the hobby shop lichen.

Lichen Preservation Recipe
 1 bag lichen, 1 pint technical grade glycerin + 1 pint water
  Soak lichen in warm solution in Pyrex bowl for 2 hours. (in oven as low as possible)
  Dry for a couple of days.

The dyes color the solution but it is reusable.  Keep refrigerated.  The only place I found to purchase glycerin was a pharmacy and they ordered it for me.  It's relatively expensive.

Frank, I think your photos validate my assessment of your scenic skills.  Really marvelous stuff IMO.  Your photos also show that fine branching of the lichen that is so hard to get with anything else.

Cheers!

I have a grocery bag (paper type) full of lichen my in-laws gathered for me over 20 years ago.  It's been in the bag ever since.  Is it too late for glycerin?  I completely forgot I had it when I started my layout, but now don't have much room for it.

Time for the trash can?

Bill

Toss it.

Cheers, for sure - it is really nice - cheers me - to hear from you and to receive your very welcome approval. It's enjoyable when a fellow hobbyist takes the time and initiative to do so. I am grateful. Thanks again, and I agree with you that the appearnce of fine branches is a plus with lichen; then, there's that fuzzy top that looks like a crown of closely grown leaves, also a plus.

Frank M.

Thanks, Susan, for posting that recipe. I never knew what it was, so precisely, and it's good to have - one never knows when it might come in handy. Simply standing back and giving aging lichen a spritz of somebody else's concoction isn't exactly having knowledge. So, now I know. Very thoughtful and team-spirited of you.

Frank

I never used natural anything on any of my layouts over the years, I guess that's because I grew up in the city. So, that said this thread is a real education for me.

But, when I think about all the trouble one has to go through to use the natural lichen I came up with a new motto; Ah, Scenic Express, phony scenery for my phony little world.

"Time for the trash can?"

NO!  I wouldn't.  You can revive it by getting it wet again.  Let it soak and if it comes out pliable it can still be used.  I had a couple boxes I picked around 1984 that could have easily turned into dust but I still managed to save it, and treat with glycerine and Rit dye.  It's still sitting in a plastic bag, ready to use.

BTW, There are chemical supply houses who sell industrial grade Glycerine possibly in your area.  Depending upon their policies, you may be able to buy it cheaper in bulk and split the cost with friends who wish to do the same.  (5-gallon pail)  I was lucky to get leftover stock when my company closed.