# Using Real Dirt



## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

Can real dirt be used on foam? I wanna make a dio.Just standard ground soil.


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes just sift it to get the bigger stuff out, I use a grease separator screen from cooking, gets down to the really fine stuff. Pass a magnet over it to get any bits of metal that might be in it. Some say bake it in the oven to dry it and kill off any bugs and seeds. I haven't had any problems with just letting it air dry in the house for a few days. Then just apply it like normal.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

probably ...
might be a good idea to sift out the bugs,
and give it a good roast in the oven to kill insect eggs, stuff like that...
for me it was easier to get a bag of sand....clean..


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## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

How can I glue it down?


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

Just use the 50/50 elmers/water mixture


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Ditto on the above, I was in a hurry and ran the propane torch over my dirt a bit. It goes on like mud but dries nice!


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

My whole layout is dirt underlay. I baked it then had the kids put it through the sifter ..

I bought a gallon of Wal-mart reject paint for 1.00 and I mixed water and glue in it and then painted whatever heavy and thick while the kids poured dirt back though the sifter over the mix...

It worked out really good and when I added grass the landscape had realism to it.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Mine is sifted and demagnetized parking lot dirt--mixed with pencil sharpener shavings. The graphite dust gives a nice effect. I bond it all with the usual 50/50 mix....


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

shaygetz said:


> Mine is sifted and demagnetized parking lot dirt--mixed with pencil sharpener shavings. The graphite dust gives a nice effect. I bond it all with the usual 50/50 mix....


Great idea on the shavings.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

That is a good idea.


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

If you worry about bugs and other things in the dirt,microwaving is faster than baking.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

If you're going the baking route, I highly recommend putting it out on the grill rather than in your oven.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

shaygetz said:


> Mine is sifted and demagnetized parking lot dirt--mixed with pencil sharpener shavings. The graphite dust gives a nice effect. I bond it all with the usual 50/50 mix....


Shay,
Are you talking about the brownish/tan area between the tracks?
Those shavings must be pretty fine 'cause I can't really tell there's anything mixed in there.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Can someone tell me how hot and how long to bake it?


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Three hundred F for 20 minutes should do it. That's how long it takes cookies.  Not more than one tray at a time, say a standard cookie sheet and dirt no more than 0.5" thick.

I forget if I have already commented on this thread, but I used sifted garden soil on my second layout and didn't treat it at all. I did mix some plaster of Paris powder in it and sprayed it with a light glue mixture to try to make it more durable. Seemed to work okay. I never did experience any creepy-crawlies emerging from it and ask when's dinner.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

FWIW, the standard recommendation in horticulture for soil sterilization is 180 degrees for 30 minutes.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

prrfan said:


> FWIW, the standard recommendation in horticulture for soil sterilization is 180 degrees for 30 minutes.


That sounds more like it. Average soil bacteria isn't any more resistant to heat than we frail humans are. 

I would have said 200 degrees for 30 minutes. The key is to make a thin enough layer that the whole thing reaches that temp and stays there for at least 5-10 minutes.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

prrfan said:


> FWIW, the standard recommendation in horticulture for soil sterilization is 180 degrees for 30 minutes.


That seems to be at odds with the convention for sterilizing water to make it potable. In our municipality, boil advisories tell us to boil water vigorously for two full minutes. Maybe the lower temperature is eventually effective, but after a much longer exposure.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

mesenteria said:


> That seems to be at odds with the convention for sterilizing water to make it potable. In our municipality, boil advisories tell us to boil water vigorously for two full minutes. Maybe the lower temperature is eventually effective, but after a much longer exposure.


Not at all, really.

In the first place, these advisories take the "abundance of caution" approach. The advisory goes far beyond the minimum necessary. Actually, you can take really nasty water and run it through a filter composed of 3" of fine sand and 2 layers of cotton cloth, then place it in a clear plastic container and let it sit in full sun for 24 hours. The combination of heat (the water will reach approximately 150 degrees) and UV light will kill 99.9% of all pathogens.

The other thing to remember is that water can contain several rather nasty multicell parasites, especially cryptosporidia, which are somewhat more resistant than bacteria. You want to make REALLY sure you kill all of those before you drink it.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

That’s right. With water you are concerned with human pathogens. With soil you are only after plant pathogens. The “180 for 30” is drilled into every horticulture and agronomy student and is still the standard. 
After 40 years of working in the landscape industry with literally mountains of soil, I wouldn’t dream of bringing any inside, sterilized or not. 
Just a personal preference, but after being in it all day, I don’t want to be near it for any reason. Lol. My layouts are small enough that the ground foam products work well for me.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Thanks for the clarification. I'll file that away as good info.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Hahaha, WOW! this is good info to have. Thanks


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## JBrown (Dec 28, 2018)

If you are going to use on or around the track, Run a magnet thru it. You don't want any of it attracting to the magnets in your engines. Almost all soil has some iron particals in it.


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