how to make cobble stone steps from scratch?

Once, I just put spackle on a board (which was the base for my dio), let it dry and used a hobby knife to cut out the stone pattern. Cutting individual stones is very time consuming indeed, not to mention you having to glue them on individually later.

Muzzleflash, I agree, it does look great.

I sometimes use plastic card to make steps. Cut it to the desired shape and size, sand the edges and stick it together. Roughen the surface with some sandpaper and then paint some solvent on. Let it dry and give it another light rub with sandpaper. Paint as per usual.

I use the split-pea technique as well. Try replacing the split-peas with lentils. Avoid using too much water as they absorb water and shrivel up.

Casting individual cobblestones in plaster or similar medium works great, only very time consuming when doing large areas. I made a rectangular piece of cobblestone, then a latex mold of the texture. While the plaster is still wet, put the latex mold on top, gently pressing into the plaster. Peel off the latex when the plaster starts setting. Refine with some dental picks or similar tools.

Muzzleflash,

I think it looks great.

They came out like bricks instead of cobbles. Next time I plan to cut them more square'ish and sand the edges to make it more "cobbly" and less "bricky".

Well here are 2 examples...
(7 inch pine bases)

ei! again guys i really apprciate your advice :) ill try all of them then choose whatever suits me best aight! God bless to all yah and Happy Modelling :)

Use a frame for you steps, wood even carton. Cover with a thin layer of putty. then use a spatula nose to trace a pattern . Once dry color te surface with a gray color, do a wash of darker gray within the gaps, even black green for the moss.....

Sculpey and FIMO are modelling clays used for creating sculptures.

Kitty litter is used as a toilet for your pet cat.

guys,

im really learning alot from you so again thanks :) btw wats this SCULPEY or FIMO and Clay kitty litter ? wat does it look like? and how do you simulate grass and dessert and concrete?

I just recently starting cutting bricks individually while watching tv :)
By the time the movie ended I had a pile of bricks as if a squadron of b17's just flew by :P

I'll post pics soon of my cobbles (if it comes out right)

-

J-hulk,

Yes I think. If I remember it correctly it is priced at US$3.5. We have some kits here that sells for only over US$4.0. that's why I said roughly same price of a kit. It is imported so I guess that's why it is more expensive here than there in Japan.

Hi Renarts,

I'll think about it (hmmmm LOL). Seriously I have already started reading on resin casting and I found it interesting. The chemicals are available here locally so I might try it someday.

Well, if ever, you can be my distributor in the U.S. You can make tons of money bacause it will be very low cost and we will give VP a run for their money. LOL.

Sometimes we are allowed to dream, aren't we? LOL.

Note: That tip on making bricks is a good one. I'll try it next time, thanks.

Dwight, the Tamiya cobblestone sheets I'm talking about only cost 300 yen (about $2.50 US)! I wonder if we're talking about the same thing.

Well Dwight, sounds like you'd make a good candidate for starting your own resin casting business there in the Phillipines..... You certainly have the talent. Give it some thought. Verlilnden move over....Dwights in town.

fran_shoes, try forming some sculpey or fimo into long bars. WIth a sharp knife cut your bricks and then place them on a cookie sheet and then into the oven to cure. About 150 degrees for an hour or so. Instant bricks. Then assemble these like a mosaic (similar to what you would do with the split peas) to make up your cobblestone street or sidewalk.

Denuded or bare trees can be made with tree roots. The bark on the root is more "to scale" than just using regular brances from a tree. And easier than making them from twists of wire.

Rocks from nurseries (like they use for ground cover in gardens or pathways) work well or you can make outcroppings from plaster and railroad scenery molds. Otherwise, hunt around the garden for rocks that look like they may fit your planned scene. Clay kitty litter is great for rocky soil or desert, stream beds, cliff bases, rubble etc.

Mike

Sherman, thanx again i really appriciate youre advice ill try it in a lil while :) btw how bout trees and rock formations how do you do that?

The split peas we have here (once dried) are about the right scale for cobbles. The flat part gets glued to the base and the round is the top ... correct.

ei! thnx sherman ill try it but dont u think even if i split the peas its still too big? and how is it done? the flat part is on the base and the countoured part is atop?

Maybe you can slowly dry them out in the oven or something. Never really tried to myself.

again guys ill try everything you say :) thnx very much if i cant find a dry split peas i guess i have to buy some fresh ones and sundried it or something what do you guys think?

Sherm, yes we do have split peas here. However, dried ones are usually not so popular here as people tend to go for fresh things. Filipinos like to go to the wet market everyday. Sort of a habit I guess.

J-hulk, I have seen one of those Tamiya glueables. But the cost is quite prohibitive. Roughly the same as one kit.

Slowly hobby shops here are trying to bring in aftermarket accessories and add-ons but the price is something for ordinary modeler (like me) to deeply consider before buying.

Sherm! 1900 posts! Rock on, dude!

The split-pea technique looks really good. Never tried it myself, but I've seen some dioramas done using that technique, and it's quite convincing.

Tamiya also sells a couple of different sheets of cobblestone patterns that you just glue down. I usually use that stuff for the quick & easy bases (not dioramas) I put my tanks on.

I have also seen in my local hobby shops bags of cobblestones of varying patterns.

So, ya got a bunch of choices!

Split-peas are dried and split peas that are sold in grocery stores for making soup. ll you do is glue them to the base (flat side down), paint them the colour you want and weather them.

I guess the only question I'd have, is do they sell split-peas in the Philippines ?

thanx for the advice guys its deeply appriciated :) split-peas wat is this method? can u teach me?

Another more time consuming method is split-peas glued into place, then painted and weathered.

I gave some tips in my post 2nd Dio using foamboard. You can check it if you like. Anyway you can draw lines on a foamboard representing the scaled cobble stones. Use a hobby knife to cut the lines halfway into the thickness of the board. Re-trace the lines with a ballpen define the lines better.

Good Luck.