# Aluminum Foil for creating landscapes on your layout!



## Artist Dave (Apr 4, 2013)

I have been learning the woodland scenics method of making a model train layout and have been applying it to my creation. The only difference with me is I don't use Woodland Scenics material. I use what ever I can find and do the same method. Well I am finding out that Aluminum foil works so much better than newspaper when creating a landscape because it blends well and you can sculpt it. It holds its shape that if sculpted right it can look like rock. It won't unravel on you and its light weight plus you can use a hot glue gun to connect it to your layout. I just stack wads of tin foil on top of each other using hot glue and then go over it with paper towels diped in joint compound. What do you think of using aluminum foil instead of news paper as a filler for mountains and landscapes?


----------



## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

That method works, here is another.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=6374


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I was wondering how you would adhere paint / scenery to it ... but I see you're covering it with plaster / paper towel, first. Method seems OK to me.

That said, the crumpled aluminum window screen method (per NIMT) yields amazing realistic rock / cliff facets and crannies, with such simple effort.

Cheers,

TJ


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I think newspaper is cheaper to use.

After the mountain drys thoroughly doesn't everyone take the newspaper out anyway?
I take most of it out? 
No need for it to be in there anymore as the mountain is formed and solid after it drys?

The screen has to stay that is part of the mountain, I guess your way with aluminum foil has to stay too?

You got any pictures of work in progress showing the aluminum foil way?


----------



## Artist Dave (Apr 4, 2013)

I will have some pictures soon, right now I just got finished with my cardboard risers and laying out where my tunnels will be. I need to do my profile boards and and flat areas where my town and buildings and roads will be. All made from cardboard. Then I will proceed with my Aluminum foil technique. Right now I am compiling photographs of each step of my process and I will post a topic with them later in hopes that I could teach some new people to this craft I call it the foil technique.


----------



## Artist Dave (Apr 4, 2013)

since I haven't got to the aluminum foil part of my layout I did take some pictures of small examples of what I am going to do later so you can get an idea. 

The first one is a picture of my layout as it stands right now with my cardboard risers.

the second, third, and forth picture demonstrates how I will proceed with the aluminum foil. First I create a crumbled up piece of foil which I am holding in my hand. Now in the case of my layout, it would be a bunch of crumbled up pieces of aluminum foil hot glued together to form a large piece which would cover a large area on my layout.

The third picture is Aluminum foil covered in several layers of joint compound to give it more of the rocky look, I would do the same with the layout, However I just kind of painted joint compound over the foil instead of using paper towels dipped in joint compound. For me depending on what kind of surface I want to achieve, smooth or rocky, I approach this step in three different ways. Those are, painting joint compound on aluminum foil directly to create a rough surface, Laying paper towels dipped in joint compound or plaster to create a more smoother surface, or I can skip the whole joint compound step all together and use clay like I did in the forth picture. I had a thought one day and I was thinking what if I used oven bake clay as a medium over aluminum foil to place on my train table? It works for sculpture and a thin layer of oven bake clay wrapped around aluminum foil and sculpted is fairly light weight when dry however for an eight foot long table that would require a lot of clay which might be impractical and expensive, however interesting thought though.

The forth picture is a piece of aluminum foil wrapped in a thin layer of oven bake clay that I sculpted to look like rock, I am not good with molds I tend to sculpt stuff out of random things. So I do hope this clears it up somewhat. I am basically experimenting here. I can't wait to see the end result when I am finished with my table. Its going to be interesting and amazing! I just like using aluminum foil because of its sculpting characteristics.
Cheers!


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Dave, do you use straight joint compound or mix it with some plaster for strength? The layout is coming along nicely. The bench work looks good. Can't wait to see what you do next!


----------



## Artist Dave (Apr 4, 2013)

I just use joint compound straight out of the bucket. I use it to paint on a thin layer. I know one thing it does get brittle when dry because its such a thin layer. However, I will try that and see how that works.


----------



## Artist Dave (Apr 4, 2013)

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that the track that is in a circle that is raised above the primary track is actually going to be a large massive mountain going almost all the way up to the ceiling of my attic. On one side it will be a town with a smaller mountain and short tunnel, and then on the other side it will be a waterfall going into a raging river with some villages and a small amusement park surrounding it. Also up the mountain there will be other inhabitants. Its just going to look cool when finished! It may be a small 8ft long table but thats all the room I have and well even if it is small its my creation and I am having fun with this. When finished it will be the wonder in my attic that I can show my friends and family, especially my three year old niece who loves trains about as much as I do.


----------



## MuhThugga (Apr 2, 2013)

Aluminum foil with some model snow sprinkled on top of it makes for a very effective frozen pond/river.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Are you planning on using all aluminum foil to build your entire mountain and all around the risers?


----------



## Artist Dave (Apr 4, 2013)

yes and No what I am going to do is make a profile of the mountain out of a sheet of cardboard and glue it across the center of the circle and then create sort of a cardboard mesh out of smaller pieces glued around the main mountain profile to add various different levels on the mountain side, then I will fill in the gaps with the aluminum foil which will cover the risers, Little bit at a time of coarse. The cardboard will give it strength and the aluminum foil will bulk it out and become the main body of the mountain. The cardboard is a frame work that holds its shape. Kind of like an armature on a sculpture. I am using thick cardboard too so I already know this will work. Why cardboard and not wood? Because it costs me absolutely nothing in terms of supply. My job provides me an endless supply of cardboard because I am a receiver and I get tons of boxes every day that get broken down and thrown out and recycled. I always take home some when I need supply. Plus its lightweight easy to cut down to desired shapes. Card board and aluminum foil are my two main building materials for model railroads and any model scenery or sculpture.


----------



## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

Foam sheet (about 12 bucks for 2'x8'x3" or thinner, piece) for the basic structure and foil used as moulding material for rock faces etc. which are then plastered on to the underlying foam structure. Strong and light and easily modified later if need be. The heavier more expensive foam sheets can be carved up to make all sorts of stuff. We use this method to make our gaming boards and they stand a lot of abuse.


----------



## Pfunmo (Feb 21, 2013)

Point to keep in mind is how much mud will shrink as it dries. I find it too much trouble going back to fill the cracks and go straight to patching plaster whcih shrinks far less.


----------

