Dirt!

[Chris333]

Does any one out there sell dirt?  When I go get it in the yard (or elsewhere) I like the color, but after I glue it down it gets dark. Then I no longer like it and stop working on scenery  :-\   So I would like to buy dirt that is a few shades lighter than what I really want.

Any ideas?

[Sokramiketes]

Stealing Jamie's photo, but the stuff along the front edge of his module here is the dirt from Scenic Express.

[Sokramiketes]

Linky:

http://www.sceneryexpress.com/products.asp?dept=1107

[Chris333]

Funny I was just looking at your guys stuff when I decided I needed to get some new dirt.

I have the Smith & Sons "soil" you linked to and I like the color, but it looks like dirt ballast. The grain sizes look just like N scale ballast.

[Chris333]

What is used along the road in this photo?
http://www.model160.com/mini/buildout/03-13-08/cal5.jpg
And is it glued down yet?

Maybe I just can't see the grain in the photos.

[up1950s]

Maybe a re-sift will cull out a finer and sufficient amount of stuff for a top coat .

[Chris333]

Putting some through my Z scale ballast screen now...

[Puddington]

...and what are the dirt guru's using to adhere it...? I've always thought there was a better way then the old stand by of deluted white glue.....I just didn't know what it was....

[Sokramiketes]

What is used along the road in this photo?
http://www.model160.com/mini/buildout/03-13-08/cal5.jpg
And is it glued down yet?

Maybe I just can't see the grain in the photos.

Same stuff.  I used the 'fine' for a gravel driveway on one of my modules, believe that is the same.  It's mostly powder, so doesn't look like ballast.  It does get a little darker after you glue it, but then I rub some dry dirt over the top to lighten the color again.  I'm just useless and don't take photos though.   :-*

[ljudice]

The scenic express dirt is excellent stuff...

[tom mann]

...and what are the dirt guru's using to adhere it...? I've always thought there was a better way then the old stand by of deluted white glue.....I just didn't know what it was....

matte medium!

[GaryHinshaw]

matte medium!

Prove it!  [I know you know how to take good photos Tom.  ]  I have exactly the same problem as Chris333 - the Smith & Sons is great out of the shaker, but any adhesive I have tried makes it 2 shades darker.  What am I doing wrong?   Lashedup's shade is perfect.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Dirt gets darker when glued due to the translucent quartz in it. When coated with a transparent medium quartz turns from white to a translucent color that obsorbes the colors around it making the whole thing darker.

[tom mann]

matte medium!

Prove it!  [I know you know how to take good photos Tom.  ]  I have exactly the same problem as Chris333 - the Smith & Sons is great out of the shaker, but any adhesive I have tried makes it 2 shades darker.  What am I doing wrong?   Lashedup's shade is perfect.

I soak the area with matte medium and then sprinkle on dirt from above.  My guess is that some dirt is only adhered from one side, while other pieces of dirt are not adhered at all and just held in place by the texture.  You can also lighten the dirt with chalks.

Here is a diorama photo that shows multiple shades of Smith and Sons dirt using chalks blended into it:

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This is gonna sound crazy, but what about trying some pigments? Not mixed in, but instead of.

I had, for a LONG time, used real dirt, but on my latest project, I just used brown paint. If you have some textured paint, that'd be even better. I know I got a gallon of Ralph Lauren brown suede textured paint for $1. It's really, really great. I just wish it were darker.