# experimenting



## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

im experienting with some green felt stuff i bought at wally world. 
tell me what ya think about this for grass areas. im thinking about covering the whole table with it . i bought it for a car storage box so when i move i can transport all my stuff, but the took a piece of it an thought why not a grassy area . seems to look ok to me


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The felt would look nice and neat but doesn't really
look like grass. You really can't beat the WS grass...
I mix the dark with the light and it comes out looking
like a nicely mowed lawn.

Don


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

That is what I have used on my American Flyer layout. Although I bought mine at Lowes. Not scale looking but, of course, AF is not entirely true S Scale. I like it on my AF layout.


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

just had this so thought i would put feelers out there. i m not sure about it , but its neat an tidy looking. maybe ill slide a bigger oiece under the layout and get a better idea.


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

It's your layout, so what looks good to you is what matters.

Saying that, I think it all depends on where you are going with your scenery. You can go for a real life looking model or you can go with more toylike and whimsical.

You can spend a lot of $$ on landscaping materials. Doesn't mean it's going to magically look real. But it can be alot of fun trying if that's what you enjoy.

Main thing is to have fun and enjoy your layout.

Just my opinion!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cole is absolutely right. It's your layout, so you do what works for you.

If you do this with the felt, your layout will end up looking like a broken pool table rather than real terrain. If that's not a problem for you, then by all means use it.

If you want something that looks realistic you need to do several things.
1) Mark where your track and structures will be, and leave those areas flat.
2) Make the rest of your layout anything other than flat, by eiither carving the foam, adding plaster or Sculptamold over the foam, or some combination.
3) Paint it a base dirt color (try the mistints area at your local home center for a good source of cheap paint). 
4) Add "vegetation" with various commercial products -- Woodland Scenics, Scenic Express, etc. Grass mats also work -- new ones are very realistic looking and can be stretched and twisted to conform to the terrain.

If you want to use that felt, here's how you can make it look pretty good. First, take a wire brush and tease the surface so that there are a lot of fibers sticking up. Then, take a selection of green and tan spray paints (or with an airbrush) in more natural colors and mist the surface. You're not trying to cover it, just break up the unnatural uniformity and dull the unnaturally vivid green color. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle a little commercial grass product on it. This will look like long, unmaintained field grass.


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

i was just thinking about that stuff as i have it on hand and thought about the green. understood about what makes me happy. i was just hunting. its something to maybe play with and see weather or not it fits my fancy. im not prototypical in any way shape or form. (im not that talented ) i like ideas and such . more brains thinking is better than one most times. every body has there styles and sid realizes this fact but sid also takes some of those and gets his brain thinking more witch can be good or bad hahaha I do enjoy all the different perspectives. Thank You all.


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2018)

I like the felt, sid, but I'm not into scale realism.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Sid, I told my wife (she's a quilter and seamstress) about your idea. She said you need to realize that EVERYTHING sticks to felt...foam scraps, threads, bits and pieces of whatever you're using for scenery. She said she had a bunch of threads laying on the carpeted floor, and she used a piece of felt to wipe the floor. She said it was like a magnet, picked up all sorts of stuff.


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

Fire21 said:


> Sid, I told my wife (she's a quilter and seamstress) about your idea. She said you need to realize that EVERYTHING sticks to felt...foam scraps, threads, bits and pieces of whatever you're using for scenery. She said she had a bunch of threads laying on the carpeted floor, and she used a piece of felt to wipe the floor. She said it was like a magnet, picked up all sorts of stuff.


hahaha FIRE im finding that out real quick like. i dont think me will use the stuff for that any ways. hahahah it worked great in my train box i made to transport my locos and car when we move. i might just be reserving this stuff for gluing to the bottom of stuff that touches the tables tops as to not scatch them. maybe make the wife a puzzle table with the rest of it.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

What department did you find that at in Walmart?
Does it happen to come in other colors, as well?


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

fabric area has many colors ect. might use this for the head liner in my truck .


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