# How to build stone wall



## Flash53

Modelling in HO scale & trying to build stone wall using plaster of paris.

As the title says - I'm trying to build a stone wall (not a brick wall) and having nothing but failures. Can someone direct me to a site, thread or give some instruction on how to do. I've tried carving rigid insulation, scruntching up tin foil, WS mould for field stones (stones too big).

I've attached a drawing of what I am hoping to achieve. The wall would look like rough field stone made into a wall. About the only thing I can now think of would be to make a mould from plastic stone wall structure, if such a thing exists.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Steve


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## sstlaure

Have you thought about using river rock? (Like small smooth pebbles)


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## OverTheHill

How big of a wall are we talking about?

Tom


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## xrunner

sstlaure said:


> Have you thought about using river rock? (Like small smooth pebbles)


Right. Go to Hobby Lobby and get some small stones suitable for your scale, I know they have stuff like that in the floral dept. I haven't built a HO or N stone wall of real stones but you might be able to fake it by gluing the stones to a backing of cardboard. Then maybe filling the gaps with "mortar" made from plaster with some gray coloring.


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## sstlaure

Actually what I was thinking about was Pea gravel. You can buy 1 bag of it at Home Depot/Lowes for maybe $5 and will have a lifetime supply.


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## NIMT

You can use pea gravel 1/4" or smaller and glue to a sheet of cardboard and coat with Plaster of Paris.


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## Flash53

Walls intended to be part of shed that would be 8' x8' x 6' high.

Pea gravel sounds like excellent idea, off to Home Hardware tomorrow morning.

I'm building an explosives shed for mining section of my layout. I have no idea whether there was such a thing or what it would look like. Didn't really have much luck when I googled. I just figured it should have stone walls. My era is somewhere 1880's - early 1900's.

Thanks for the suggestions

Steve


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## gunrunnerjohn

Actually, explosives sheds were made of wood back in the day. The idea was that if they had an explosion, they didn't want to send rocks out at high speed like cannon balls! The wood would splinter and not go far.


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## Flash53

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Actually, explosives sheds were made of wood back in the day. The idea was that if they had an explosion, they didn't want to send rocks out at high speed like cannon balls!  The wood would splinter and not go far.


OK - now I'm going to build a wooden explosives shed, just gotta think of something I can use the pea gravel for.


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## xrunner

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Actually, explosives sheds were made of wood back in the day. The idea was that if they had an explosion, they didn't want to send rocks out at high speed like cannon balls! The wood would splinter and not go far.


That wouldn't be suitable for Jimmy's layout though. He'd want one made of rocks. :laugh:


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## NIMT

They would make nice retaining walls or bridge abutments!


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## gunrunnerjohn

xrunner said:


> That wouldn't be suitable for Jimmy's layout though. He'd want one made of rocks. :laugh:


An excellent point, add to the carnage.


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## waltr

Google "Dupont gun power works" for ideas of what power sheds may look like.
Also try "Mining dynamite shed" and other terms. There are many photos and photo archives of the web so you should be able to find a few pictures from the era you are modeling.
Here is one shed pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/2556508081/
Another on a gold mine:http://www.goldvein.com/history.html


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## gunrunnerjohn

Yep, looks like what I remember around Wyoming.


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## Flash53

Perfect: google with 'dynamite shed' = lots of examples. Google with "explosives shed" = no examples.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I think I have found a great example photo from the Royal Flush mine.


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