Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe

[GerryW]

Gerry remind us what the base material is that you are trying to lay the road on please.

Don't think that it was the base that was the trouble, as it seemed to stick down fine when I could get the pva to penetrate, and getting towards the end, think that I was trying to hurry and put too much down at once.

Started by just using papermache (mix of pva/water/tissue), allowed to dry completely so was solid, but have now cut that out, and replaced with corrugated cardboard + layer of pva/tissue and the texture pressed in while everything is wet. Stuck fine in the corners - where I could get a thick coat of pva mix, so I'm thinking it was lack of penetration, rather than anything else.

Of course, could easily be the material that I'm using for the road, which is coffee grounds only as they're of a slightly differing mix of size which gives an interesting texture - closer than sand, which tends to be of fairly uniform size grains (dried - wondering if it'd 'take' the glue better if it were wet?).

[minitnkr]

I use a 4oz. 50/50 mix of PVA/water w/couple drops dish washing liquid & eyedropper full of 90% alcohol. Brush/pour this onto road area & let set for a couple minutes and then sprinkle a layer of aggregate over it. Let dry overnight & then whisk away excess w/ sable makeup brush. Add additional aggregate onto berms & center to taste then douse w/alky before adding PVA mix w/eyedropper to affix. PaulE

[GerryW]

Think it's sorted - just gone to it, and applied 2nd layer without too many problems, added to the 'mix' some acrylic paint which seemed to make it flow better (ok, so I've got a 'lamp black' road at the moment but when I can get to the shops, that can be changed!)

[GerryW]

I use a 4oz. 50/50 mix of PVA/water w/couple drops dish washing liquid & eyedropper full of 90% alcohol. Brush/pour this onto road area & let set for a couple minutes and then sprinkle a layer of aggregate over it. Let dry overnight & then whisk away excess w/ sable makeup brush. Add additional aggregate onto berms & center to taste & eyedropper PVA to affix it.

Think that that was the problem - wasn't getting the excess off & too thin a mix

[spanner570]

Looking excellent and a cracking idea, Gerry.
Just be aware of complicating things. Simple is good.

Ron

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Gerry, what a interesting build, way past my skills!!

[GerryW]

Looking excellent and a cracking idea, Gerry.
Just be aware of complicating things. Simple is good.

Ron

Thanks.
As to complicating things, too late I think - the original idea is far, far more than I've ever done before! :tears-of-joy:
The only time that I've tried anything similar was the one that I posted up in the 'Critique' section when I signed up.
The only way I've found to learn, is to try, fail, try to figure out what went wrong then re-try and hopefully get there in the end.

[rtfoe]

That's the way to do it Gerry, go where no man has gone before...explore and that's the fun with dioramas, being able to replicate things in scale from scratch and everyday stuff.

Cheers,
Richard

[GerryW]

Hi Gerry, what a interesting build, way past my skills!!

Hi Bob, sorry I missed your post last night.
Probably way past my skill level, but hopefully I'll learn on the way :smiling2:

That's the way to do it Gerry, go where no man has gone before...explore and that's the fun with dioramas, being able to replicate things in scale from scratch and everyday stuff.

Cheers,
Richard

Thanks Richard, only way to learn something new - I'm just bumbling along combining things that I have done with things that I haven't tried before - the water/pva/tissue/cardboard build is something that I've often used in the past to make things - what's new to me, is/will be the use of the coffee grounds, creating the water effects and the campfire and smoke, but if I don't try, I wont know if it does or doesn't work! :thinking:

[GerryW]

Still bumbling along, first attempt at water, doesn't look too bad, but I think that I can do better with some more practice (had to open the silicon today anyway, as needed it for a plumbing job). Trying to create the campfire smoke - not sure about that (still drying). Got some 'rocks' drying, couldn't find any wood that was the right shape, so took some plastercine molds from some stones and knocking them up out of papermache.
My thanks to spanner570 for the advice given on another thread :thumb2:

[JR]

Ron is the resident expert on using varnish for water, always looks good.

[GerryW]

Ron is the resident expert on using varnish for water, always looks good.

Too true, and his work with the clear silicon - I'll be using both techniques, as I'm planning a small stream that comes bouncing down rocks into a pool, then bouncing out of one of the sides - if I can do even half as well as he does, I think that I'll be happy!

[GerryW]

1st attempt - think that I've got too much white?

As said, this is the first attempt (stones that are being used are two of the ones that I've taken molds from - a third one will be to the left, so that it's a 'double' fall and merging in the 'bowl' at the bottom, then flowing out into the bigger pool) overall length of this section is about inch and a half.

[GerryW]

Think that I'm going to have to practice a lot more! Checking some photos of waterfalls online, and I'm way, way wrong - need a lot more white, and finer 'splashes'. :thinking:

Also need to get the red, yellow and blue (already got black, white and green) scenery paint to match the rocks for that area (going to be fun getting these colours!)

[GerryW]

Think that this corner is just about ready for painting, the two waterfalls, pool, and runoff