Using Floral Foam and Foam Paste to Model a Rocky Cliff
Scenery work has begun on the N scale Pagosa & Southern! All of the rock work in this photo was modeled using dry green floral foam and my special recipe foam paste. Backdrop added in Photoshop.
I want to keep things very light and portable on my N scale Pagosa & Southern shelf layout. To do that, I've set a goal of using little or no plaster and that has led to experimentation with more foam scenery techniques. I've used Balsa Foam to carve many of the rock formations on the On30 Thunder Mesa layout and I wanted to see if I could also get acceptable results in N scale using far less expensive green floral foam. (Note that I am talking about the dry green floral foam here, often used for silk flower arrangements, and not the "wet" foam that absorbs and holds water.) In practice, the green foam can be carved like a less dense version of Balsa Foam. Fine detail is not really possible and the resulting carvings can be fragile, but I have found that when they are painted and properly blended the results can be quite convincing. I've also found that mixing the resulting foam dust with matte medium creates a very useful modeling paste for blending the rock cravings and other scenic elements together. This foam paste shows great promise and could be a handy scenic material for modelers in all scales.
Top view of the sceniked area, also showing a bit of the staging shelf at left.
Making Floral Foam Rocks
Hobby knives, a sharp pencil, a razor saw and other tools have been used to carve a hunk of dry green floral foam into a rocky cliff wall. The cliff-face on the P&S was made up of four separate carved pieces cemented together and blended in with my special recipe foam paste.
To seal them and add strength, the carvings were painted on all sides with tan latex paint.
A wash of diluted black acrylic was brushed on to darken all of the cracks and crevices.
Each section of the cliff-face was then painted with acrylics. Here, a base of dark grayish-tan is being applied.
Successively lighter colors were then brushed over the surface of the rocks, allowing them to blend and mix with previous coats. Rocks don't have a uniform color in nature and they shouldn't when modeled either. The final color is unbleached titanium, dry-brushed on for highlights.
Here, the first sections of rock carvings are in place and blending has begun using foam paste. The bottom of the creek bed has also been boxed in with 1/4" foamcore and the Kato truss bridge has been painted and weathered with acrylic paints. The tunnel portal is a Hydrocal plaster casting from Woodland Scenics.
How to Make Foam Paste
I stumbled on the idea for foam paste when considering what to do with all of the little bits and piles of dust left over after the carving process. I mixed a little bit of the dust with some matte medium to see if it might be useful for blending rocks together and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked.
Making foam paste from green floral foam and acrylic matte medium is a quick and easy (if somewhat messy) process. It is basically a mixture of glue, foam dust and pigment and the resulting paste has a grainy, sand-like texture that is great for all sorts of scenic applications. It can be used as a sort of zip-texture ground cover, a gap filling adhesive, and a spackle-like compound for blending rock carvings and castings together. Once dry, it is strong, light weight and can be painted, sanded and carved. Tools clean up easily with soap and water. Working time is an hour or so (depending on how liquid one makes the mixture) and a 1/4" layer will cure completely overnight. Here's how I make it:
First, smash up about 8 oz of dry green floral foam. This is easy to do with your hands or with the butt of a screwdriver. The goal is to create a uniform powder. Yes, it gets everywhere but is easy to clean up with a shop-vac.
Next, pour in about 6 oz + - of cheep, craft store matte medium. The ratio is about 4:3, foam to matte medium but you really just want enough to wet all of the foam and make a paste.
Stir very well until all of the foam dust is mixed with the matte medium.
Add pigment. This is optional but makes it quicker to work with if it already matches the scenery colors on your layout. I'm adding about a tablespoon of inexpensive raw sienna acrylic paint here.
Mix well again until you get something like peanut butter. This foam paste is now ready to use. I mix and store mine in old jelly jars with airtight lids. It can last for months.
Working with Foam Paste
Foam paste can be applied with a paintbrush, a flat stick or a finger. Here I'm using a wooden stir stick to fill and blend the gaps between two rock carvings. The foam paste sticks very well to most surfaces and dries with little or no shrinkage. It can be thinned with water or more matte medium if desired.
A thick layer of foam paste was slathered on to glue separate layers of the cliff-face together and to fill gaps around the tunnel portal casting.
Using a wet brush, it's easy to blend the foam paste into carvings and other scenery. In the foreground, a small hill has been created from floral foam and will be covered in foam paste.
Foam paste can also be used to cover ground areas with a convincing soil texture quickly and easily. Just stipple it on with a brush for a form of zip-texturing. Here the foam paste is being applied right up to the edge of the Kato Unitrack roadbed.
For the creek bank, hunks of floral foam were shaped and glued in place before being skinned and blended together with a layer of foam paste. A little water on the brush makes it easy to feather edges of the foam paste where it meets other scenery.
Once the foam paste had cured overnight, colors were touched up and blended with acrylic paints, and various ground foams, trees and other scenic materials were cemented into place.
Finishing Up
Trees, ground foams and other materials from Woodland Scenics and Scenic Express were used to bring life to the scene. With the cliff-face completed I can next turn my attention to modeling the creek where more floral foam carvings and foam paste will be used. I'm working from left to right on this little shelf layout, with the goal of completing about a square foot of scenery before moving on to the next area. I'm pleased with the results that can be achieved with inexpensive floral foam and excited about the possibilities offered by foam paste modeling.
A train bound for Wolf Creek exits the tunnel. More work will be done to blend the Kato Unitrack into the scenery but N scale Colorado is starting to come to life.
That's about all the news from N scale Colorado. Next week I'll return to Thunder Mesa country with an update on that layout's progress. As always, questions and comments are welcome below. Thanks for checking in, amigos. Adios for now!
The Pagosa & Southern, version 2.0. The new shelf layout is just 12" x 72" and uses Kato Unitrack.
In the coming months I will be expanding the On30 Thunder Mesa Mining Co. into the space that has, up until recently, been occupied by the N scale Pagosa & Southern. I began work on the P&S early this year and it was originally designed as a simple loop with a couple of sidings, just a diversion from the big layout really. But in the last month or so I've been firming up plans for expanding the TMMC (new track plan coming soon!) and it has become apparent that the P&S in its original location was standing in the way of progress. After searching in vain for a new location for the layout as originally built, I came to the conclusion that "N Scale Colorado" must adapt to what little space was available or face being packed away in boxes once again.
Fortunately I was able to carve out space for a 6' long shelf above my workbench. Just enough room for some moderately interesting N scale switching. I decided to keep the original theme of a 1950's Colorado town, but now the operational focus will be on switching the local industries and moving traffic through an important interchange with the rival Santa Fe.
Looking at the plan above, all trains will enter and exit the layout from a staging shelf at left. Beyond the tunnel, a short section of track will mate with 30" long portable staging "cassettes." Each cassette can hold and turn a complete short train (locomotive, caboose, and about 6 cars). I'll have more on building these cassettes in a future update. After switching the town, the locomotive will swap ends with the caboose using the run-around track and head back out the way it came.
The first P&S was built using bombproof Kato Unitrack and I'm recycling it all again here. I've been nothing but impressed by the trouble free operation provided by this track and feel that the aesthetic trade-offs are more than worth it for a project like this. The black and white plan shown above lists the part numbers for all of the Kato Unitrack used.
There won't be the towering mountain scenery planned for the first P&S, but the tunnel, creek and truss bridge area should make for an interesting scene. Structures will also be front and center here so I'll be taking my time on those with some more craftsman-style kits. A shelf layout like this also really lends itself to a shadowbox type presentation, with an integrated lighting system and a backdrop wrapping around three sides.
The first P&S being disassembled. Luckily, I used Kato Unitrack and never glued it down. Most of the wood and foam will be re-used on the Thunder Mesa layout. Unfortunately the backdrop is glued down and can't be removed. I'll make a new one.
For the new shelf layout, a simple box-frame was built from 1" x 3" select pine. It measures 12" wide by 72" long. The two inch holes drilled through the crosspieces are for running the wiring through.
The sub-roadbed deck is 1/2" plywood. I know it's fashionable these days to use polystyrene foam insulation board for this but I find that it turns the entire benchwork into a resonator and makes the trains really loud. I only use foam for scenery.
The track was positioned on the plywood sub-roadbed according to the plan. Locations for turnouts and wiring holes were marked in pencil. This layout has three more turnouts than the original P&S. All are #6.
The layout is mounted to the wall with 5 of these metal shelf brackets from Home Depot. It was propped up and shimmed with whatever was handy as a 4' bar level was used to keep everything straight and true during installation. The final height of the benchwork is 59" above the floor; just below eye level for me.
I was able to re-use this control shelf which was built for the first P&S. Control can be switched between digital DCC or analog DC. A used Bachmann controller from eBay works okay for now but I'll probably replace it in the future.
The new Pagosa & Southern above my workbench. It shares space with a lot of other stuff.
With the shelf complete and the track installed, I've already been having some fun running trains and switching cars on the layout. So far I'm really enjoying the plan and the greatly enhanced operations over the previous layout. Once the staging cassettes are up and running I'll probably use some type of card order system for operating trains.
It's the 1950's in N scale Colorado and most trains on the P&S are handled by EMD GP7's or Alco RS3's. Both of these Rio Grande locos are from Bachmann. They are DCC equipped and their smooth, dependable running was a major contributing factor in my deciding to turn the P&S into a switching layout. By the way, all of these structures are from old layouts and will probably be replaced.
And speaking of operation, on a switching layout like this, you really need an easy and reliable way to couple and uncouple cars. I've used track mounted magnets in the past and found them to be less than reliable. On the Thunder Mesa layout I use modified bamboo skewers as an uncoupling tool and they work just great. Unfortunately, bamboo skewers are just too big to work in N scale. Here's a quick and easy uncoupling tool I came up with for the P&S:
I cut the head off of a dressmaker's T-pin before mounting it in a handle made from 3/8" doweling. A hole was drilled in the end of the dowel just big enough for a tight press-fit with the pin, then a drop of ACC gel was used to cement it in place. Heat shrink tubing on the handle makes it easy to grip.
To uncouple, just insert the tip between two knuckle style couplers and twist gently. It only takes a very light touch and the cars themselves barely move. It works by slipping into one knuckle coupler and displacing the other. A slight push separates the cars.
It's funny, but every time I think I'm done with N scale and just about ready to throw everything up on eBay, I start fiddling with those little trains again and get drawn back in. It is worth mentioning how far N scale has come and how much better the trains look and run now, versus when I started in the hobby 35+ years ago. The new stuff is a joy to operate and I can see myself continuing to fiddle in 1:160 for many years to come.
That's about it for this week though. Next week I'll have a new post on Thunder Mesa, all about putting the finishing touches on Big Thunder Creek. I'll finish up this Friday's post with a fond look back at the first P&S. Adios, amigos!
Red Mountain begins to take shape in N scale Colorado - but it still looks pink at this point.
I took a break from Thunder Mesa this week to spend a little time on my Pagosa & Southern N scale project. I first described the P&S back in January of this year, and showed the installation of a photo backdrop in February. This week we'll look at roughing in Red Mountain with layers of pink Polystyrene foam insulation.
Telling Stories
I always think in terms of scenes when planning and building a model railroad, taking special care to view everything from multiple angles. Beyond mere visual interest, I'm always looking for the best way to convey the story. Everything should flow together without jarring transitions and support the central idea of the railroad. Hopefully, when the P&S is finished, it will convey an enjoyable story about Colorado railroading in the early 1950s.
As well as helping the trains disappear from view for a moment, Red Mountain on the P&S will contain four scenes, each flowing and transitioning into the next: the west tunnel portal, a waterfall scene, the Rebel Girl Mine, and the east tunnel portal. Those are the close ups, with the overall mountain itself being the establishing shot. Altogether these scenes should help firmly establish the railroad's era and local.
Building Mountains With Foam
Just as on Thunder Mesa, I'm using 1" thick pink Polystyrene foam insulation board to build up the base for landforms on the Pagosa & Southern. It's a fairly straightforward process that can be a tad messy and a little time consuming. I tend to think of it like sketching, laying down loose lines and basic forms that will underlie the finished scenery to come.
I started the mountain by building a simple foam box, taking care to allow plenty of clearance for the trains. The top of the mountain will be removable for access.
Polystyrene foam is easy to score and snap using a straight edge and utility knife. That works great for straight cuts but a hot-wire cutter is needed for curves. Power Grab construction adhesive was used to cement everything together.
About halfway through construction and the waterfall and mine areas are starting to be defined.
A view with the mountaintop removed for access. It's a snug press fit that simply lifts off. The mine structure is an old model that is holding the place for the yet to be built Rebel Girl Mine.
A few more layers of foam and the roughing in of Red Mountain is complete.
The mountain also serves as background for this scene looking up Wolf Creek Canyon.
That's about all I had time to accomplish this week. The next step will be finishing the mountain and other scenery forms with Sculptamold and maybe a few plaster castings. Then it's on to adding some color to those pink mountains majesty. Thank's for checking in. Below is a video tour of the layout so far. Adios for now!
I haven't posted an overhead, helicopter view of the layout since last November, mostly because there hasn't been much progress that would be visible in such a view. The biggest change to the layout room has been the addition of the N scale Pagosa & Southern layout across the aisle from the TMMC. Here are a couple of before and after shots showing the relative locations of the layouts.
November 4, 2013
Today: March 1, 2014. I had to use the panorama settings to get everything in, so things are a fairly distorted in this view.
I expect to get back to work on the new Calico and Canyon sections of Thunder Mesa in the near future. Progress on the P&S will also continue as time permits. Thanks for checking in!
Greetings from N scale Colorado! A backdrop sure does help set the scene.
With the benchwork finished and the Kato Unitrack in place, the next project I wanted to tackle on the P&S was the backdrop. It's much easier to install a backdrop at this stage and having one in place early on really helps set the stage for the scenery to come.
For this project I designed my own backdrop in Adobe Photoshop, blending together several photos taken on trips to southwestern Colorado. Sharp eyed rail fans might be able to pick out a few well known narrow gauge landmarks like Red Mountain, Animas Forks and Lizard Head Pass.
This is the complete backdrop created for the P&S. It measures 15" x 90" and curves around two sides of the layout.
Once the design was complete, I sent the digital file off to be printed by a commercial firm that specializes in banners for trade shows and point of sale. It was printed on 13oz vinyl scrim making it waterproof and durable; important considerations with the scenery as yet unbuilt. Turnaround was fast, and the entire cost was much less than commercially available backdrops.
An even coat of 3M General Purpose 45 spray adhesive was applied to the plywood backdrop supports. Brown kraft paper was taped down over the layout and over anything else that I didn't want coated with glue.
With the glue nice and tacky, I rolled out the backdrop, lining up the top edge with the top of the backing board. Rolling out about a foot at a time, I used a brayer to insure good adhesion and to work out any air bubbles.
The backdrop was designed 2" shorter than the backing board. This causes a nice, natural curve or cove in the backdrop when glued into place. No further support for the curve is necessary.
Getting the entire backdrop installed took a little less than an hour. (In fact, it has taken longer to write this post about it than to actually do it!) I'm really happy to have this done because it already adds so much to the railroad.
Starting on Some Scenery
While I was waiting for the backdrop to arrive from the printer, I went ahead and started roughing in the scenery around what will become Wolf Creek Canyon.
Soon a high country stream will cascade through this canyon. The scenery forms are carved pink Polystyrene foam insulation. The section of Unitrack over the gorge will be replaced with a scratch-built trestle.
Well, that's about it from N scale Colorado! Thanks for checking in. More progress across the aisle in On30 Thunder Mesa Country coming real soon. Adios for now!
And now for something completely different...
Now that Thunder Mesa has progressed to the point where I know exactly how much real estate the expansion will take up, it got me thinking about a small, empty corner just across the aisle. I still have a lot of stuff in storage from my old N scale days and it occurred to me that there might be just enough room there for a small N scale layout. Two days and a great deal of wood butchery later, the Pagosa & Southern was born!
The Pagosa & Southern, an N scale layout in just 32" x 60". I'm using Kato Unitrack on this one for a couple of reasons: 1) It operates really well, and 2) I have a bunch of it on hand.
The layout measures just 32" x 60" and is built with dimensional MDF board and 1/4" plywood. Track level is about 56" above the floor, a bit higher than the Thunder Mesa layout, with loads of room underneath for shelves and storage. The track plan is deliberately simple. A mainline upfront acts as a staging track to bring trains onto the loop. Two additional sidings offer a little switching variety. Control is standard DC from a Kato power pack. The turnouts route power, making it possible to have up to three trains on the line without the need for complex wiring.
The track plan was laid out on a 32" x 60" sheet of 1/4" plywood using Kato Unitrack. The track was taped down and then outlined in pencil on the sheet. The locations needed for turnout and track wiring holes were also marked.
The completed table top with track in place. The box was built from 1" x 8" MDF. Wood glue and drywall screws hold everything together. A deep canyon will separate the layout diagonally.
Backdrop supports were created using leftover 1/4" plywood and 1" x 2" MDF. The actual backdrop will be a photo print laminated to this surface.
I couldn't resist digging some old N scale structures out of storage and placing them on the layout. The locomotive is a fine running 2-8-0 Consolidation from MDC/Athearn. I lettered it for another layout with the initials "P&S" long ago and that lettering inspired the name Pagosa & Southern.
The P&S in place in my studio, across the aisle from the On30 TMMC. The 56" tall supporting legs are L-girders made from MDF. All controls are located on a shelf below.
As the name suggests, the Pagosa & Southern will have a southern Colorado, San Juan Mountains theme. The era will be the early 1950s, representing a line that was originally built as narrow gauge and later converted to standard. If you look closely, there are a few Nn3 cars in the photo above and they will be parked on a non-operating bit of track to help represent this history. The rear spur track will serve a classic, Colorado style sliver mine.
I'm sure that some may object to the lack of operating potential on this little layout but the point here is primarily display and an excuse to build a bunch of N scale kits I have that are gathering dust. I don't want a big N scale pike (been there, done that), but I do really enjoy the charm of watching these little trains go round.
Meanwhile, on Thunder Mesa
Across the aisle on the TMMC, a bit of progress continues. I ended up taking a longer than expected two month hiatus from the layout but the train bug has bit again and more progress on the layout expansion and other projects will be coming soon. In the meantime, here's a look at my latest On30 project, a combination baggage/passenger car mostly scratch built with a Bachmann frame and roof. I wrote an article for the 2014 On30 Annual detailing the car's construction and its Disneyland inspiration. More details on that after the magazine comes out.
