It's where I am currently at for the moment on Highbridge. Just lately done about 80% of walling at trackside and to the top of the embankment. Still got the abutments to do but they need a slight alteration before that is done. There is an embankment to be modelled which was intended to be in plaster bandage but I also have some sheets of polystyrene that I salvaged whilst at the tip. They've been in the boot of my car but I need to rescue them as they are starting to get a bit battered. I'll get some pictures up once I get back home. I need to try this uploading malarkey anyway. Cheers Toto
G`day Toto, The polystyrene is good stuff for landforms, however it makes a mess when cutting it. I still like it though.....it`s easy to work with. http://www.click Gormo
Hi Gormo, I may go for the polystyrene as the embankments are not big areas. The plaster bandage would be better suited to larger expanses. The polystyrene could be topped off with a skim of polyfilla to give it a tougher finish. Cheers Toto
Yes......I`ve used a thing here in Oz called "Spackle" to top mine off......why??....because I had it???.......it`s some sort of Polyfiller, thingy, patchy, sticky, uppy sort of stuff. That`s the technical description anyway??.....It sets nice and hard. http://www.click Gormo
Hi Gormo, Thanks for the technical description ....... I understand them. It's probably no messier than the plaster bandage either. Just maybe takes longer to dry. The plaster bandage being medical grade ( I think ) had accelerators in it. Cheers Toto
Now Ron & Matt will be the experts on this plaster thingy. However, I normally add some PVA into the mix, you could also add some hair or hair like substance to help reinforce the plaster - the dogs gone into hiding, cats safe his hair is too short. I've also in the past used strips of kitchen towel, soaked in plaster then layered over aqny type of former - chicken wire, polystrene, crumpled up paper and card frame work. Paul
The best way to get a natural feel to the base polystyrene foam foundation, is to cut the foam to a rough shape, upto a quater inch higher and wider (trackside) than you ancipate. Now, using a wire brush, file away what you don't need. It is a messy job, but the reults are possibly far better than a straight cut with a knife or hack saw. Cheers, Gary.
I'll try an keep that one in mind. As you say, it will get rid of that clean cut look in favour of a more natural random effect. Nice one Cheers Toto
The proses ballasting thingy arrived yesterday. The GTI version with the adjustable doofer and the locking whatsit. Could be time to take it for a hurl. Enter stage left the 50 / 50 PVA mix and away we go. Cheers Toto
For re enforcing the plaster Paul, get a reel of jointing tape ( the web like one not the solid tape ) as used by Ames tapers to tape up joints between sheets of plaster board you put down some plaster then just push the tape down into it and add more plaster on top which helps to stop it splitting. You can also get some in sheet form for doing larger areas but that is quite expensive. A trick we used when I helped a friend building a float for a children's fair ( he needed to do quite a large area of thin plaster that was cracking every time he tried it ) was to cut up and use some cheap fly screen mesh for covering doorways ( like net curtain ) you can cut it up to any size or shape you want and follow the same technique by sandwiching it in the plaster Cheers Matt
Hi Matt Cheese cloth, or hesian will also do. Not really suitable for Highbridge, due to your retaining walls, however still worth mentioning is expanding foam. Just pray where you want it, or if more control is needed, fix cling film to the area, around its edges, then sqirt the foam between the baseboard and the cling film. Paul
All good ideas. The areas I'm covering are quite small and awkward. I've just been using short lengths. I'll post up better photos of it when I get back home before and after I do a second tidy up session on it. Cheers Toto
Hi Paul, cheese cloth or Hessian is more likely to rot over time whereas the net like fly screens are made from reinforced fibreglass so very durable Cheers Matt
I use Chux dishwashing clothes (or the cheap ones from discount stores) cut up to 3"squares. Works a treat. Cheers, Gary.
