Dirt!

[up1950s]

Anybody tried hairspray , or dullcoat followed by a top coat dusting in small areas at a time ?

[Bob Bufkin]

Ed.  They sell different shades of "dye" to add to paints to change the color.  Maybe you should try some different add in colors to see what you like.  I also used this method on my old layout and was happy.  Something about using real dirt just doesn't set right with me and I've also read that certain kind of dirt can contain magnetic ores which could affect your running.

[Andrew Hutchinson]

I use  latex paint, fine sawdust, real dirt, plaster, acrylic paint and cheap pigments available at Micheal's for the first layers of ground cover. Most often I  glue down a relevant mix with latex paint and then address the colours with washes of cheapie acrylic paint after things have started to kick.

The last field I made used mostly plaster, pigment and dirt with a little Saw dust to add texture around the ditches. Once I had that down I stained it with the dollar store acrylics/matte medium before finally sifting on a final coat of dirt to give it a faint bespeckled look. In natural light the effect works, but not so much inside.

For lighter, drier soils I used more plaster and lighter shades of Michael's cheapest pigments. It works out OK, but you need to use matte medium or something to seal the pigment in and above all make sure it is thoroughly mixed. I ended up going back and painting a wash over part that chipped off revealing a spot of harsh burnt sienna. A method that worked a little better was to stain the area and then sift on the plaster mix and let it soak up through the mix. Finish with matte medium or another wash after everything is dry. At the time I was modeling dry areas I was using felt as an underlay for grass and this complicated things if I didn't get the mixture where I wanted it. With a static grass applicator everything is easier...

Andrew Hutchinson

   

[GaryHinshaw]

Looks good Tom.  I think laying down the adhesive first is key, and leaving some slightly loose.  I have also been playing with mixing a bit of plaster into the dirt, but I still don't have quite the right 'fine & dry' look of baked Tehachapi clay yet... 

How about a close-up of your BLMA bridge module?  The bits of that I remember seeing look real parched. 

[lashedup]

Chris,

I've been digging through photos and I need to take a better close up, but here is one example with horrible depth of field issues:



Here is another example:



What I do is paint on matte medium directly (not diluted) a little thick and then sprinkle the smith and sons dirt on top of it kind of thick - thick enough that when you press it down with your finger you barely get any wet glue coming up through the dirt. I press the dirt in with my fingers so that it is packed into the glue base. If the glue is coming up through the dirt wet and sticking to your fingers, sprinkle some more dirt on. Let that dry thoroughly and then go back and use the tip of your index finger (skin, not the nails) to gently scrub the larger stones and rocks off the surface to get to the finer stuff. You may need to reapply the glue and dirt a second time, but once you get the hang of how much glue and pile on enough dirt you should get it close. You can also play with this technique a bit. If you press down into the dirt with your finger till the glue wicks up, you can pull small chunks out that make convincing dirt erosion holes and such.

Not sure if any of that makes sense. Maybe I'll record a little video clip next time I do it. I'll be adding more of this dirt technique on the modules I'm currently working on.

I'll also see if I can take some better pictures.

[Chris333]

Up till now the way I glue down dirt and all other ground cover is this.

*Paint the base a close color.
*Spread out the product and meticulously place each grain right where I want it (takes the most time).
*Lightly spray with alcohol from way up high with my finest mister getting closer the wetter I get so I don't disturb anything.
*Eye drop 50/50 glue or Matte medium with water.
*Come back the next day and cry cause it is dark.

Anyways here is my Smith & Sons "Fine natural soil & dirt Blend" #SS0011 in the middle. To the left is ballast, right is screened S&S dirt. The stock dirt in the center is even larger than the ballast. Maybe I just got screwed and need to re-order. I do like the color though just not the texture.




Besides the Chi-town boys I also like the dirt in this scene from David:
http://jamesriverbranch.net/images/081214_200810_F.jpg

I have dry brushed dirt before to get the color lighter and I love the ultra fine dirt in the Rustal weathering kit.

[Chris333]

Also...

I guess the part I dis-like the most about putting the glue down first is I doubt I could get the dirt down just right. If I moved it around I'd get it all balled up and before I knew it something would zoom across the room and hit the wall 

Guess I will try a small test board.

[DKS]

Besides the Chi-town boys I also like the dirt in this scene from David:

What's funny is that there's no dirt there at all. I just painted Sculptamold with Floquil paints. The Sculptamold creates a naturally uneven surface, and the paint gives it a dry, dusty finish.

[Chris333]

Fooled me!  ;D

[tom mann]

Chris, your S&S dirt (center photo) doesn't look like my S&S.  Maybe only the big pieces made it through the screen that day.

[Sokramiketes]

I think you got screwed too... my bottle has a percentage of those "rocks" in it, but is 80% finer dust. 

[sizemore]

Chris have you ever thought of trying the "Hundman" method? Instead of using matte medium, you paint then apply dirt/grass etc, once the paint dries you then vaccuum it all up. Leaving a very fine layer. It requires more scenery base preparation but the results in photo's looked really promising.

Just a thought.

Timmah

[Chris333]

It's worth a try.  All tests will wait for my new jug of dirt from Scenic Express, I hope they get it right. Could be my packaging is wrong. Smith & Sons is just a guy in Ohio with a crusher in his back yard, good stuff though (Penn-Ohio ballast).

[wm3798]

This thread might do well to be shifted over to Tips and Tutorials... Lots of good info here.
Lee

[lashedup]

Also...

I guess the part I dis-like the most about putting the glue down first is I doubt I could get the dirt down just right. If I moved it around I'd get it all balled up and before I knew it something would zoom across the room and hit the wall 

Guess I will try a small test board.

I haven't tried sifting the dirt to just the fine powder, but that sounds more like what you're looking for. You could just lay down the dirt road section with sculptamold like David mentioned or lightweight spackle and when you paint on your dirt color, sprinkle on some ground up chalks. The other option is to mix some chalk powder in with the paint itself to add texture to it. Either way if you went that route, I'd still brush some chalk powder on afterwards to give it that dusty look.

In the past I've found that over-thought this stuff WAY too much (ask Skibbe) and found that forcing myself to just do it I discovered different ways to accomplish what I wanted (and in other cases it was a disaster). But like many have said before me - you can always scrape the stuff off and start over. That's the great thing about scenery. These modules are the first real stuff I've ever built and they have a LOT of experiments with techniques that I've read about or seen in the forums. Some work out well and others are a mess. I have a lot of fun just trying different ideas.

-jamie