Small Layout Progress #3

Looking really good.  nice work!

Can't answer your question on plaster cloth, but your workmanship applying it sure looks good.

Looks like you are off to a great start.

Art

From my experience, you will see those pinholes in the plaster cloth when you paint it.  If you plan to cover it with ground cover, you might not need to worry about it.  If you are going to leave it exposed (i.e. rock formations or to pour water) you will want to fill in the holes.    You can do a couple of things -- Woodland scenics flex paste works great but can get pricey.  You can use light-weight spackle to smooth over the holes -- that works well.  I haven't tried it, but a slurry of hydrocal would also probably work well.

This looks great.  I like what you are doing here.

Tony

Tony,

It's ironic that you mention the idea of using hydrocal to fill in those holes because I was also thinking about the feasibility of this solution.

I wonder if it will work... I have two half gallon containers of hydrocal that I planned on using for some rock outcroppings, so I have enough to go around. I wonder if anyone else has tried this.

Also, I do plan on adding ground cover and a few other elements to bring all of the scenery together, so that will cover some areas up at the very least.

I had used plaster cloth on a previous layout I built and I got those tiny holes also. After painting and using ground cover most of them were covered up. I did not try to hide all of them but I can see how you would like them gone. I was wondering if white Elmer's glue thinned out with water could be painted on which would also aid in adding ground cover. Wallpaper paste would work also.

I really like what you've done! That's going to be a great small layout.

I used to always go over my plaster cloth with hydrocal. In fact I thought that's what everyone did. Go ahead and use the hydrocal. Sometimes it helps to wet the plaster cloth with a spray bottle before applying the hydrocal. It makes is spread easier.

I used latex caulking(cheap at the box stores) on those holes.  I put it on and spread it with a WET paint brush.  Really spread it good with the sloppy, wet paint brush and it will dry nice, filling in the holes and adding a little more strength.  I tried joint compound but over time it would crack, producing unsightly white cracks.  Not what you want in landscaping.

To fill in the holes on plaster cloth, I use a mix DAP' premixed patching plaster and white sanded grout. Mix equal amounts together and add water to make a thick paste and brush it on. When dry paint. Charlie