Willy in the creek

Ive used this casting resin before with no problems:http://www.dickblick.com/zz335/20/.

WHen using this stuff, do it in multilayers to avoid air bubbles and too much heat build up at one time if you are filling a deep area.  Also, you can add food coloring to the first layer and then when you pour successive layers it gives an illusion of depth.

Moon Puppy,

  I 've been modeling military in 1/35 scale and right along with the same ideas for dioramas I have an HO layout that I have the same philosophy with, use home improvement products, all acrylic paints from the craft section of Hobby Lobby, Walmart, etc. Water is easy too, I use acrylic water sealer in the line from Minwax, a polycrylic finish is one step, quick drying and "water" clean up of tools.

 1.) Pour over a painted surface 1/4 inch in depth or in my case a sandy-bottom river bed as found in the desert areas of the SW USA. The coating leaves a very convincing water look.

 2.) Let each layer, about 1/4 inch deep set up, then pour on a second, third and let this dry over night, I even poured up to 1/2 inch and it dried very well. The set up time is only a couple of hours and there is no, mixing, heating or mess!

 3.) Add white bath-tube sealer to the effect for rapids around rocks and logs and you will have a great look!

  More later if you like.

  johncpo

Moon Puppy,

  Yes, I think I may have been confusing a bit, I apologize if I did. It is the stuff to seal wood against water and while I used it to act like a clear coat on my 1/35 scale model dioramas on the frames I build for them.

  As I mentioned I experiment a lot with home improvement products and caulking in a tube works well for building up ground on a dio...I use a mix of this to cover foam bases for the RR and any dioramas, heck it's the same thing, just that the RR diorama is abunch of smaller dioramas tied together.

 1.) Mix; tan latex paint, tan colored caulking, and water into a batter like waffle batter.

 2.) Spread over a foam base an old paintbrush, the blue or pink foam works good, florists green foam that is used for fake plants comes in 3 "bricks' to a package and works great and is cheap! As this mess is drying sprinkle on sifted dirt, sand or other "ground soil" and let the whole thing dry over night. As with the acrylic "water" each layer should take about 2-3 hours to set up for the next layer and by the next day be rock solid.

 3.) I built a 1/35 scale dio depicting a beach landing of Army Rangers in WW2 with an amphibious DUKW as the vehicle, the beach and water effects were so realistic my wife almost got seasick. I built up the beach using the green florists foam, the soft kind and after applying the goop mix sprinkled fine grain sand on it. The water was built up with a mix of blue acrylic paints mixed with caulking and set up to dry. I then spread the acrylic Polycrylic over the water effects and the clear coat started to look very real.

 I have posted many subjects on both this and the MRR forum having to do with the advantages of using inexpensive home improvement products, not only are they less expensive for the amount, any product that is acrylic based will most likely mix with another product in that category.

 Try the methods I mentioned and if you succeed let me know.

 The best,

 johncpo (about 50 years of modeling ships, planes, armor and now HO trains.)

RE: Product name

 Minwax, Polycrylic wood sealer comes in a blue labled can, I just went to the Minwax website to confirm. So build a whole river and enjoy!

 johncpo

Just checked. I got a 5 gal bucket of Thompson water sealer. For some reason I think it's an oil based product.  Heading  to Lowes tomorrow to check it out.  Thanks John, Check back for some picts. I got the base made and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. This is the first Dio I've ever done and I think I may have bit too much off with this water, but we'll wad on though...

BTW: the Woodlands Scenes stuff STILL has not dried. 48 hours since test pour. 

  I just wanted to let you know, I gave up on most W/S products a long time ago! for many reasons, mostly the fact that I can manufacture, find in the plant life or any other product for the most part what they have available. Here are some ideas that again apply to any model project from military to railroads.

 1.)Trees, try the tested theory of using roots from weeds, dried out they work the best.

  2.) Water....well you seem to have that one down.

  3.) Matching military colors to craft paint,i.e. the one thing to remember, they all are matched to most military, RR or other model type. Someday I'll post a list of what I have found over the years to be a perfect match with little or no mixing of colors. For bulk painting such as landscape scenery, try buying latex paint in pint of qt. cans, it will save your craft paints ofr detail work and if you like airbrushing.

  4.) Feel free to read through the many threads I have posted on the forum here and Model Railroader, and all of the posts from all the readers are really helpful.

 Happy modeling

 johncpo

Had a GREAT test run with the Casting Resin

and I"m ready to get started first thing in the AM on the show nuff dio.

It really is looking super, Moon Puppy! Really realistic in my books!

The only thing I would have suggested early on would to not have put the jeep into the base so that it was parallel to the edges as you seem to have done; it's generally more visually pleasing to skew the angles a little and not look so "pre-planned", but I guess you're past the point of that being an option...something to maybe keep in mind for the next one...

That Jeep's looking very nice, Puppy! I really hope you get that clear resin problem fixed. Sorry I don't have any answers, just two crossed fingers for ya! I sure likes it so far!

the doog wrote:

It really is looking super, Moon Puppy! Really realistic in my books! The only thing I would have suggested early on would to not have put the jeep into the base so that it was parallel to the edges as you seem to have done; it's generally more visually pleasing to skew the angles a little and not look so "pre-planned", but I guess you're past the point of that being an option...something to maybe keep in mind for the next one...

I would have loved to have more of a base working this but it came down to trying to fit in a display case to keep little fingers off. Using one of these 1/24 car display that's only like 8" long and 3" wide (maybe wrong dimentions). But you're right about having more space to worki wiht, Next thing I do will be without the restictions. 

Moon Puppy,

Your diorama looks just like the picture of the jeep you showed us.  Great work and it is really coming out nicely.

Yall are kind,  I check curing process this AM, I'm thinking I'm good. the base is nicely incased in clear resin, almost like it is frozen, still a bit tacky but it was only 25degrees this AM and my garage is not that well isolated, heat is cranking. I'm still going to do some sanding of some of the rough spots and the orange peal effect is very prominent so I need to finish it off some how. I don't have to worry about sculpting waves but would love to get the ripples from the what ever it is hitting the water surface in the original photo.

Now I just have to get the sheild figured out! I know it's the polar bear emblem of the 7th INF. I believe I can come back after Christmas and do it, get Dad to pull the original 35mm slide and zoom in on it, print it and stick it. I'll post pictures tonight. 

I'll bet that Future would put a nice, high-gloss, super-smooth sheen on the top, and eliminate the orange peel, although I've never used it, but plenty of guys here swear by it.

I understand about the base now...good call on using a display case! A perfect way to display it!

That looks Like a light rain just starting to fall in the photo...I don't think you could simulate that with Future; from what i understand, that stuff is self-leveling.

However, you might try an experiment where you put some Future down on a flat piece of whatever--wood, plastic--and test its dry time. Right before it dries hard, you might place small different-diameter cylinders (sprue pieces, unsharpened pencils, wooden dowels?) standing on end on the surface of the Future, lightly indenting it and leaving them in place til it dried? Let it dry real hard then pull the pieces--it might indeed look like those raindrop ripples?

I would also try it with a thin coat of that same resin you used for the water, and see if that is more "predictable" in holding it's shape-- ifthe Future might self-level after you pull the pieces? 

Ha! Wouldn't that be typical, just washed the jeep and it starts to rain!

I tried what you're suggesting Doog with my test board and it looked like something was rubbed into the suface just before drying. If I had a punch and die I'd do a collar out of clear plastic and embed it under a layer of future. Future drys verly quickly, I've played with it on some aircraft and I love it. The Jeep has a dusting with future and some buff color mixed in though you can see it well in the pictures.

 I wasn't sure what is causing the ripples, I think you're right, it's rain. Gotta ponder on that one, but printers are blowingup at the salt mines so...

Hmmm...cool idea about the plastic discs, although I would imagine that they would look raised a bit under the Future; alternately, they might just disapppear in the goss of the Future?

I wonder if those ripples are bugs, like a "hatch" on--bugs touching down on the surface, ya know?

Well, in any case, I'm sure your Dad's gonna love it. The ripples would be such a smalll detail that they would be something you would only notice after you got through appraising the Willy and the coolness of the "water" and the rocks in it...good luck with the finishing! 

Moon Puppy wrote:

scratch the elmers glue idea....

Didn't go well, I'm assuming? 

Testing the ripples did not.

I have sanded the top of the creek and will go over it one more time with a tristick to get that really smooth surface, I'm really thinking of trying one more thin layer of resin. My test did not orange peal so I think it is a result of pouring in one slab as oppose to layers. The Sanding has been very therapeutic to me...just can't get up under the jeep. yeah the more I think if it I'm going with one more finishing coat of resin. May try the epoxy type, easier to mix. I still got some time for testing so I'm not real freaked out. I know if all else fails I can sand it down and polish it up and it's good to go. 

Next diorama is not going to nearly this much, an airplane sitting on tarmac for me! 

johncpo wrote:

Moon Puppy,   I 've been modeling military in 1/35 scale and right along with the same ideas for dioramas I have an HO layout that I have the same philosophy with, use home improvement products, all acrylic paints from the craft section of Hobby Lobby, Walmart, etc. Water is easy too, I use acrylic water sealer in the line from Minwax, a polycrylic finish is one step, quick drying and "water" clean up of tools.  1.) Pour over a painted surface 1/4 inch in depth or in my case a sandy-bottom river bed as found in the desert areas of the SW USA. The coating leaves a very convincing water look.  2.) Let each layer, about 1/4 inch deep set up, then pour on a second, third and let this dry over night, I even poured up to 1/2 inch and it dried very well. The set up time is only a couple of hours and there is no, mixing, heating or mess!  3.) Add white bath-tube sealer to the effect for rapids around rocks and logs and you will have a great look!   More later if you like.   johncpo

So, just so I understand this...if I use Minwax Polycrylic Wood Sealer (in the blue label can) and pour it in 1/4 - 1/2" layers and let dry, it will make easy and convincing water?  Can you tint this at all?  And do you have pictures of some of your work with this? I have been struggling to get a good result creating water in my dioramas. 

Damn, didn't notice this thread before. Great idea for a little dio, and I'm sure he'll appreciate the efford.

In any case, as for the Woodland scenics water, I've used it many times before, and it does work, but it takes FOREVER to dry, literally.

Glad you decided to go with the clear casting resin route, I've found this to be the best method, and one that people in the modelling world seem to have been using forever. I found that getting the correct ration of resin and hardener (typically 50/50) is critical, and even more so to really mix the two in very well. Starting about 10 minutes after the pour, and doing so for about half an hour to an hour, I will blow hot air on top of the surface to burst the bubbles and sort out any minor imperfections.

Anyways, can't wait to see this one finished off. Looks real nice.