Lightweight Spackle

[BCR751]

I think that photo of Prince Rupert is pretty old.  The Skeena Cellulose pulp mill is still there in the center left and the container port has yet to be built.  It's still Fairview Terminal in the photo.  Another note of interest, you can no longer go out to Ridley Island where the coal and grain terminals are.  There is now a guard shack manned 24/7 prior to the terminal entrance and when asked,  they won't say why it was put in.  All pretty hush-hush for whatever reason.

Doug

[SkipGear]

To those worrying about lightweight spackle cracking...it doesn't happen. It doesn't shrink nearly as bad as plaster. Besides not shrinking, it stays slightly flexible, about the same as foam, so it will flex and give with the layout if things get upset. I  have used it for home repair as well as model railroading for years. As mentioned by Dave Foxx, it dries to the consistancy of the high density foam we use for scenery.

A whole 4x8 done with only foam and light weight spackle. It was then transported from my house to the customers with no cracks or damage showing in the process.





I also use it in pre-tinted batches for roads either as a complete paving or a skim coat over a foam or styrene precut sheet. You can sand it afterwards to achieve varying amounts of wear and color shift in the road. Skimed over foam sheet, you can then flex it pretty subtancially and force it to crack to simulate older roads.

I even use the stuff for rock faces and carve in it as it starts to harden.

[MichaelT]

I realize this is an old thread, but had a quick question and hope someone will see it and help out.

When using the spackle, does anyone mix it with any water first?

When I start trying to spread it, it balls up and doesn't spread very well in small spaces?

[dougnelson]

you should just be able to apply it and spread it with a spackle knife.  You should not need to add water, but you could try it improve the consistency.

[jimmo]

If it's balling up, you probably need to add a little water.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

You can rough the surface up a little.
Or add a little craft paint: thins it slightly like water but also tints it to remove the white that pops up when scratched.

[jimmo]

You can rough the surface up a little.
Or add a little craft paint: thins it slightly like water but also tints it to remove the white that pops up when scratched.

+1. I always tint mine a base color then vary it as the scenery progresses.

[georgiaroad]

I use the Patch N' Paint brand from Home Depot. I've found the absolute best thing to do with it is to mix in whatever tan-colored latex interior house paint I'm using for my initial coat of ground cover.   Flows smoother and sticks to the project MUCH better, also if it chips out in the future, you won't have stark white spackle showing.