# the little mountain



## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

Here is a work in progress but you get the general idea...it's my first attempt, by the way it's gonna have a lake in the middle and there is a tunnel going through it


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

here is a video also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbgh-HwtWMs


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

FullMax,

First effort ?!?!? Excellent!!! Love the hills/lake. Really good contouring.

Key us in ... looks like plaster cloth on top of crumpled newspaper, or something like that? Or did you precarve the blue foam to all of the hill shapes?

Reckers -- are you seeing this? Quite similar to your soon-to-be theme.

Very nice ... PLEASE keep us posted on your progress!

TJ


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

this is for sure plaster cloth over crumbled up newspaper still need a little fill in where the box car is and paint and trees and fake water and some ducks and...well you know


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

full maxx said:


> Here is a work in progress but you get the general idea...it's my first attempt, by the way it's gonna have a lake in the middle and there is a tunnel going through it


Nice start, are you going to have a tunnel going through the lake?

Read your last sentence.


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

lol sorry "there is a tunnel under there" ... a little fast but you get the picture, the inside has been painted with this textured stone spray paint stuff, looks ok but maybe not great http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0HXbdQd3JI


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Ok then the tunnel will go under the lake?

It can't be classified as Great yet as your not done.

But to me it looks like a great start.:thumbsup:

Don't forget a speedboat out on the lake pulling a bikini clad woman.:thumbsup:

Cut out a river coming off the lower end and you can call it a reservoir instead. 
Good excuse to put a bridge in too.


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

already ahead of ya about the river/stream...didn't think about the bikini clad chic tho


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

OK I see now. I should have watched the video.

I like the Just messing around video. 

Man those car's haul ***!:thumbsup:

Valet parking......:laugh:


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

Glad you like em...still got the Losi, the Genesis is gone. the losi will do about 45 with a good tune


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

It caught my eye right away, TJ! Excellent work! What are you going to do for the water?


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

not sure about the water yet...seen something on woodland scenics about water... but this little spot kinda accidentally worked out to be a kinda cave


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Let me offer a suggestion---check this site out. It might give you some ideas for your lake. http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3681097934/m/339103553?r=419109553#419109553


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

suggestion accepted... I hope it turns out half as good as those


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

the pond/lake at the top is what I'm after...the look anyway but maybe some ripples from wind


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Look over those articles carefully and you'll see some guys who created that affect. Good luck on it---you're off to a great start and I love how it looks, so far.


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

thanks for the compliments ... and I read through that page three times , they look great, lots of inspiration


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

FullMax,

Re: your 45-sec video ... I'm glad you've got your own little 'boss' engineer to help run the show. Sounds like lots of smiles on that kid!

Reckers -- nice link to the water website. Some of those valley/creek models are really, really impressive. Hard to tell they're not real!

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

TJ,

THose guys are good, aren't they? As near as I can tell, their focus is mostly on model building---the trains, if any, are a sideline to justify the models. I plan to go with the glass and paint scenerio for making water...sounds right up my alley.


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

when you say glass do you mean something designed for modeling or are you talking about window glass


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

tj yeah he is great...another site I post on has seen a lot of my videos and they seem impressed by the way he runs the trains...they say their younger family members would just turn them full speed just to see how fast they go, but my little engineer was told in the beginning that the trains are very fragile and to run them slow to be more realistic, now he knows the switches better than me, if you look closely at the videos there are little pieces of paper by the switches numbering them...for me not him


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Awesome! Put the little guy on the payroll!


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

yea he is...he gets paid in M&M's lol


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

he really is great with the trains, he use to be scared to back up to couple the load but not anymore and when he throws a switch he also throws all corresponding switches on down the line...I made a couple of spurs that are insulated to "park" the two passenger trains on so the lights would not stay on...running dcc, and he can turn the headlights on and off like nobody's business. I had to put a blanket over the window so it would be dark in the play room cause he like running them with the lights on...here is a pic of the layout before the tunnel/mountain... the closest spur with the "bullet train: as he calls it has been moved closer to the double oval the second give an idea where the mountain is


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

ok here is a little more to the mountain...


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

full maxx said:


> when you say glass do you mean something designed for modeling or are you talking about window glass


Sorry not to have answered sooner---I moved recently and have had issues. *L* What looks best to me, at this point, is textured glass like you see in shower doors or similar. If you go to a local stained-glass dealer, they generally have an inventory of clear glass that is frosted or has a variety of textures. I plan to shop for one that has the texture of gently rolling water, like a lake with a light breeze. Texture side goes up, paint the other (flat) surface with your water color and lay it in place. Then, bring the lake shore down to the lake.


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

made my own portals, I did... now it just needs landscaping


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

Well total disaster today... I went and got some ground cover and paint and water kit and a big bottle of realistic water and put down the ground cover and painted the lake bed and put lighter around the edge and poured on the realistic water and low and behold it leaked out between the layers in the blue foam board and now the lake looks like it in a drought...oh well I hadn't thought of that


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## Pton46 (Mar 15, 2010)

I had that happen to me as well

Let it dry 48 hrs...then use clear Silicone seal the sides of the lake, you don't need much. Between the Dried Realistic Water (bottom and the silicone on the side where the foam meets the base wood, you should be able to start reapplying without it bleeding under your plaster.


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

funny how we find these things out the hard way


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## Too-Many-Hobbies (Mar 25, 2010)

full maxx said:


> this is for sure plaster cloth over crumbled up newspaper still need a little fill in where the box car is and paint and trees and fake water and some ducks and...well you know


Great work!!!! Im loving your layout!, just a question, is there a cheaper way to get plaster cloth then getting the expensive WS stuff? 

and i saw your you tube vid's! i will subscribe to you!!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

TooMany,

Not to interject here, but you can make your own plaster cloth pretty easily ... buy plaster powder at a craft store (or even a home center ... used for wallboard finishing), mix, and then use it to coat cheezecloth ... or even a strong paper-towel (like Bounty brand). Pretty much the same end result.

TJ


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

hey tj sounds like a good idea, I was kinda hesitant about the plaster cloth to start with but it just works so easy...just dip in water and put in place


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

now that I have had my coffee and am thinking a little clearer the best thing I can come up with is to cover the bottom and sides of the lake bed with saran wrap...that will keep it from leaking...or some kind of sealant paint...not to sure about the silly con


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## Too-Many-Hobbies (Mar 25, 2010)

full maxx said:


> now that I have had my coffee and am thinking a little clearer the best thing I can come up with is to cover the bottom and sides of the lake bed with saran wrap...that will keep it from leaking...or some kind of sealant paint...not to sure about the silly con


Hey full Max!, before you go to town with the saran wrap!! look at this link, i know it's WS's expensive stuff but it works and this way you can paint the bottom of the lake bed!

http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/video/PrepareWaterArea

They just cover the lake bed with plaster cloth then apply flex past. 
(And you really don't need to use there paints for the lake bed you can use your own, black looks good for depth!)

Good luck


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

great idea...but have already painted the lake area but I guess another coat will not hurt...I would post a pic but its too embarrassing


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

ok I have ordered flex paste and scenic cement so... more when it gets here


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

ok well here is what I have so far...still waiting on the flex paste to seal the lake so I can fill it again


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## Too-Many-Hobbies (Mar 25, 2010)

Hey full max, looking great!!! but I’m not 100% sure if you should leave your lake like that before applying the flex paste, you might want to cover the lake bed with plaster cloth then apply the flex paste, because im not to sure if the paste will take to the already realistic water soaked lakebed as apposed to a fresh coat of plaster cloth, though I might be wrong just in my opinion I would cover the lake bed with plaster cloth well I wait on the paste to arrive!

Best of luck!!


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Looks very good---please keep the pics coming.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Those mountains/hills really jump out with the paint shadows/highlights. Nice!

I assume you had to skim-coat with some more plaster to fill in the mesh-holes in the cloth, first?

TJ


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## full maxx (Nov 8, 2009)

naa it just didn't cover well...used my own mix of glue n water, I'm waiting for better supplies to come in the mail, then it will look better


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