I am building a 25×14 layout with HO on the top right side, and O everywhere else. I have constructed a facade rock wall with shaved 2" foam. It is affixed vertically with PL300 adhesive and temporary screws. Any tips on how to trick it out to make it look more rock-like? Thank you for your time.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Do you want blasted natural rock? Or stone masonry?
Given the relatively smooth vertical face of your pink foam, it might look better with a "man-made" stone retaining wall. Check Woodland Scenics and Scenic Express for materials.
MELGAR
I did mine with a hobby knife, wire brush and soldering iron.
I used rock molds with plaster of Paris on Fusion Fiber in the first picture, rock molds in Sculptamold in the second, and a screwdriver and knife in foam in the third. I used various washes sprayed on the rock molds, and gray primer on the foam.
@BobRoyals posted:Would prefer a blasted rock look. Thanks.
Well, you COULD carve a stone texture directly into your stack of pink foam, but (a) it would be awkward work, and (b) the layers may come out too regular. The alternative (if you can afford the space) is to put a veneer over the foam with some kind of sheet material.
An old-school technique for making stone that is hard to beat is to use broken pieces of ceiling tile. The material is friable and breaks into convincing stone shapes. Traditionally, you break the pieces by hand and stack them, like this:
(In the above, the stacked pieces are very thin strips--not very deep. They are just hot-glued together).
However, there is a less common technique that might work well in your case. You can simply carve the stone shapes into a single sheet of tile and mount it vertically. This is easier than it sounds--use a screwdriver and perhaps a Dremel tool. Chunks of tile material pop out easily.
The below walls are done that way:
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
