# Wondering what to use to build a hillside.....



## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Question. Which is the better way to go to build a small hillside on my layout? Should I construct a skeleton out of cardboard and wire, then top it with plaster of paris? Should I create a large lump of drywall compund and shape it? Or......something else? I don't want to use foam on this one like some of my other constructs. If successful, I might replace a foam hillside as well.

Thoughts? Any advice would be lovely 

-J.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

To make a small hill
use a large crumpled mass of old newspaper
to form the base. Cover that with plaster
cloth.

For a larger hill you might need to insert
some cardboard for support.

Don


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I agree with what Don suggested. If you did a lump of drywall compound, it'd take forever for it to cure. I'm curious why you don't like the foam...please explain.


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## teejay99 (Nov 16, 2014)

I like the stratified rock look in smaller hills to add interest to an otherwise mostly green lump . You can get broken ceiling tiles free from the appropriate store , glue them together to form an interesting rock face and use a wire brush to shape them like you want .

T


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I don't get the foam thing either, maybe he really hates foam? Use foam as a base then cover with plaster, maybe an idea?


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Fire21 said:


> I agree with what Don suggested. If you did a lump of drywall compound, it'd take forever for it to cure. I'm curious why you don't like the foam...please explain.


I started to dislike foam for two reasons:

1) It's a pain to clean up after you are done cutting it and shaping it. You never get 100% of the foam, no matter what.

2) Because of the abovementioned problems, my cat found a piece that I would have never found one day after I was cutting some foam, and proceeded to eat it. My pet is very important to me, so foam is out for the time being.

-J.


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## teejay99 (Nov 16, 2014)

The least messy material would be plaster cloth I think . Form the base of the hill with wadded up newspaper , held together with masking tape , for the general look and shape . You don't necessarily have to cut the plaster cloth ...simply overlap it . There may be a bit of a mess transferring the wetted plaster cloth to the hillside , but a plastic dropcloth ( used for painting ) under the train table will look after that issue . This method won't be as strong as a plastered hill as mentioned in other posts , but it should be adequate . I used this method some years ago in a carpeted train room where mess could get me in trouble with my wife !

Train/hobby stores sell plaster cloth but I got mine cheaper at a medical supply store where it would be used for casts .


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

The dense foam makes less mess, ridged insulation. You can cut outside and then glue it to the layout and cover it with a coat of plaster or plastercloth. The cheaper stuff with the little white balls is messy!


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I used paper machete. Used scrap cardboard boxed to make strips for the skeleton and then recycled sales flyers and other papers for the hill. Only coast a few bottles of glue. I wanted something more durable since I have two young kids. It holds paint well and dries hard. Very light too. The inside of my hills are hollow for a tunnel and hidden yard.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Unless your layout is going to be around for only a few years in a climate controlled environment, newspaper may be a cheap means of creating the base support for your hill. If it's exposed to basement conditions, it can begin to mold and stink as it decomposes after a few years smelling like a dead mouse.
Extruded foam is a good base for mountains and hills. Easy to cut with a Cerf saw and shape with a cheese grater type tool.
I've been working on a mountain range on my empire and foam is the base. Screen then wall plaster over that. I secured the screen to the foam with brad nails pushed through the screen material and they hold in the extruded foam.
The wall plaster takes paint real easy.


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

The interwoven cardboard strips with plaster cloth works very well for larger gauges.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Check out Sean's EXCELLENT tutorial on how to easily build mountainsides out of metal window screen:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=6374

The crumpled window screen is very convincing for mountain topography.

TJ


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

I picked up some plaster cloth the other day, and I already have lots of masking tape and newspaper. I shall begin to create soon, and post some pics of how it looks! Thanks all for the advice!

-J.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

tjcruiser said:


> Check out Sean's EXCELLENT tutorial on how to easily build mountainsides out of metal window screen:
> 
> http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=6374
> 
> ...


TJ
Thanks for the link, the screen technique really looks great.


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Here's what I got so far:

















I must say, plaster wrap is so easy to work with. Once I got the paper taped down, the rest was easy. I'll have more updates soon. I'll start painting it tomorrow.

-J.


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## cosmos2002 (Jun 14, 2007)

Hi
I used expanded polysyrene. I find it so easy to use.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Before you paint, mix up some thin plaster and paint it over the plaster cloth. This will eliminate the grid pattern, with will look extremely unnatural if it shows through. Ypur drywall paste will work for this too.

Your basic forms look really good, though!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Mr.Buchholz said:


> Here's what I got so far:
> I must say, plaster wrap is so easy to work with. Once I got the paper taped down, the rest was easy. I'll have more updates soon. I'll start painting it tomorrow.
> 
> -J.


Like CTValleyRR said.
I also fill in the little holes you see on the plaster cloth as I go along with the premixed plaster wall repair. Or you can mix your own and add a light coat, it is better to add when the cloth is still a little wet. Grass or dirt added will hide the holes, as will paint.

Did you use newspaper underneath the plaster cloth to form it?
After it dries I take as much as I can of the newspaper out. 
Once it dries you don't need it anymore.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

D&J Railroad said:


> Unless your layout is going to be around for only a few years in a climate controlled environment, newspaper may be a cheap means of creating the base support for your hill. If it's exposed to basement conditions, it can begin to mold and stink as it decomposes after a few years smelling like a dead mouse.


.

I have not made my mountains, yet, but what using about packing paper as an alternative to newspaper? We have unpacked things left wrapped in this paper for over a decade and there is no musty smell at all. The paper is as good as the day we wrapped it.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MtRR75 said:


> .
> 
> I have not made my mountains, yet, but what using about packing paper as an alternative to newspaper? We have unpacked things left wrapped in this paper for over a decade and there is no musty smell at all. The paper is as good as the day we wrapped it.


The trouble with packing paper is that it is too stiff, so instead of going where you want it, has a mind of its own. It also creates very sharp creases which usually look unnatural (although I smooth out my contours by laying a wet sheet of newspaper over the top before laying plaster cloth.

I think the concern over newspaper is overblown. I have parts of my layout made using balled newspaper which have been there for 10+ years. No smell. The layout is in an unfinished, unheated basement which is about 55 degrees in winter and 65 in summer. I keep a dehumidifier running year round to keep the humidity under 60%. Any paper product, including cardboard strips, is going to grow mold and mildew if left in a humid environment. Even plaster will grow mold and rot if it is too damp. Keep the relative humidity under 65% and you will be fine (FWIW, my 10 qt unit needs to be emptied every 18 hours in summer and about once a week in winter).


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