makeing walls

birdmam wrote:

How would you make a simple stone wall in 1/35 scale ?

My method is to actually CA some selected small stones together (don't get the rounded ones from a creek or some such, go sweep up some out in the street.) in a small wall section, maybe a couple inches high and three long, then I coat the wall with a thin layer of silicone caulk to fill in the spaces and represent the mortar.  Then I roll out flat some modeling clay and press the master I made into the clay about hlw way.  I then pull it out of the clay and pour plaster into the female clay mold and let it cure (don't forget to spray the clay with some kind of release agent. I use Pam cooking spray), then pull the completed casting out and smooth up the edges.  I can then cast the other side of the stone master in another piece of clay and glue the two halves togther with Liquid Nails for a completed wall section.  I cast as many of these as I need.  Paint and weather by washing and dry-brushing as you'd like, geting a good wash into the "mortar"..   I also use Bondo Automotive body filler for mold-making if I need a mold that's more permanent 

If you are making a retaining wall, you only need to cast one side of your stone master. Regarding scale, it's kinda "by guess and by golly" when selecting your stones.  Most stone walls are built by hand, so use only stones that are the size that a man could pick up fairly easily with two hands.  Use a figure in 1/35th (or whatever scale you're using) as a "yardstick" to determine the right size...

 I could do it that way.But as i"ve thought about it more i think i want to do more of a solid wall. Ive read a article somewere were they took lumber and drilled holes in it. then put Durhans water putty over it.  How well does this work??

OH Hans i fanily checked on that book at my library. had to get on loan from another library so i will have to wait a few more day.

birdmam wrote:

I could do it that way.But as i"ve thought about it more i think i want to do more of a solid wall. Ive read a article somewere were they took lumber and drilled holes in it. then put Durhans water putty over it.  How well does this work??

I wouldn't know... I do it with the aforementioned stone wall molds... I haven't figured out a way to get a more realistic stone-shape than to use real stones...

Lemme know when ya do...

OH Hans i fanily checked on that book at my library. had to get on loan from another library so i will have to wait a few more day.

Sorry to hear it... You coulda owned one already..

I don't know if this will work because I haven't yet tried it, but it's an idea that came to mind over the weekend...

Take a sheet of styrofoam (those thin sheets that are used to package modular furniture would be ideal) and simply paint on the block outlines with a fine brush using thinners. The thinners should eat into the styrofoam a little, giving the effect of stone blocks. use more or less thinner as required. Depending on how rough you want the outer surface of the wall to look, you can apply more thinner as sparingly or liberally as you want to roughen the texture, or just gouge it about a little with a hobby knife, dental burr or any other tool you think might do the job. Be sure to use the thinners in a ventilated area!

Then just paint & highlight the wall with acrylics, water colours or poster paint.

Or....

Another idea that just came to mind of you want a rough wall is to break up a cork tile and use the fragments as your rocks. Glue them together with PVA, then paint & highlight.

Here are another two options.

The first is to cast a piece of plaster the right size and carve the rock detail into it. Or you can smash up plaster into rock sized chunks and glue them together.

The second is to use epoxy putty and make small rocks and build the wall. Use real rocks to push details into the smaller rocks you have made whilst the epoxy is still wet.

 

I, personally, would use real rocks like HVH describes above. Nothing looks like a rock more than a rock. I've found the best results come from scaling down the prototype building procedure. You want a rock wall, find small rocks and make a wall. If you need mortar, use plaster or hydrocal and clean it up with a q-tip moistened with spit after the plaster dries.

Good idea Hammer.
I never tried making 2 halves and gluing them together yet.
I have made retaining walls which look good in a diorama.
I also like to make a cast of larger stones, which can be used anywhere in a scene.
There is more fulfillment when items are made from scratch, rather than buying them pre-made.
That's my option.
Nick