# dying sawdust for grasses



## Box Car Steve

Has anyone dyed sawdust to use on their layouts? Ummm is this a good or bad idea? I have a large layout but want to cut costs when I can...... need some input! Home Depot said I can have as much sawdust as needed to do my layouts in which was cool.:thumbsup:


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## TapRoot

get it while you can, sift it for different grades....thicker stuff looks really bad...

you can use paints or food coloring in a zip lock bag, shake and mix until you get what you like....water paints down significantly do reduce clumping

It works well but really blends in with some woodland scenics grass to top off or add diff colors shapes and sizes..


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## NIMT

I have been doing it for years. I have stainless screens to sift it all to different sizes.
I use cheap house paint watered down a lot about 75 water 25 paint
doesn't mater if it's flat or gloss it all looks the same when it's done.
I sift out the saw dust, then put it in a 10 gallon Trash Can use a mud mixer and add water/paint mixture till all dyed. Spread it out on some surface and let dry, turning as drying. A batch in Arizona would dry in 4 hours a batch in Idaho took 3 days, drying time matters on temp and humidity.
When making colors paint always drys to a different color than wet so when you first start make small sample batches and dry completely then check color.
I have made up 25 stock colors blends that I mix to get different looks.


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## shaygetz

Sean's got you covered...one word of warning. Do not use Rit or other fabric dyes. They are salt based and can damaged track and wiring when installed with water/diluted glue bonding methods.


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## Box Car Steve

*dying sawdust*

Sean could you shoot me a e-mail of this screen? [email protected] and you said use latex paint? Seems like it would gum up.... I'll guess I'll have to try it but would like to see the screen.......! If I wash the dye out would that get the salt out? Would Acrylic paints work or water colors? Food coloring ok  thanks for all the help!:thumbsup:


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## penlu

I used to use spray paint! Cheapo Dollar store brand! Put the sawdust in a plastic margarine container, spray, put the lid on and shake....... course I lost my sense of smell 10 years ago. 

I just bought a case of tempera paint dry powder. I plan to munch up the pine shavings I get at the feed store, put em thru the food processor, then mix with the tempera powder, then lay down with watered down white glue. 

 there's a big ole pile of shavings out back here, already mixed browns, so that should give me some verigation in the color! Also plan to use plain ole dirt, sprayed down with white glue.... 

First I have to get my track layout planned.... and my buildings ......

First I have to get my taxes organized. I WANNA PLAY TRAINS!


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## trollolol

Why not just use real grass? I mean it would look better. Just gotta trim and paint it first!


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## gunrunnerjohn

You'd have to have a tiny mower to keep it neat.


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## trollolol

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You'd have to have a tiny mower to keep it neat.


Toys R Us Sell Them? haha


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## I Am Fasha

Ive read all this post and Im going to give this a try.


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## norgale

No matter what you use , a food processor or an electric mixer is your best bet for getting the consistency that you want. Pete


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## I Am Fasha

My wife would kill me Pete! But I did get my first batch done last night. Didn't sift it as much as I should have. But it looks good so far, especially if it dries the same color that it is now. Problem I'm having is getting it to dry. Put it into a big plastic lid that came off of a 24 count sheet of cupcakes with a news paper lining the bottom and left it on the deck today to dry out. The lid had 4 inch tall sides so it shouldn't blow away.


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## Big Ed

Are you using food coloring?
The food processor will cleanup with soap and water.

You have them on a cookie sheet?
You should have baked them dry. 

Do all this while the wife is out shopping.


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## I Am Fasha

LOL BigE!! I did consider it LOL! Yep used food coloring. Came home and they were dry from leaving outside all day. Interesting, the top layer was good and dark green and the rest was a liter green. Thinking that I will give them another dose of food coloring. 

For those wondering, I went to Home Depot and got a plastic grocery bag of saw dust and to Food Lion and got "green" food coloring. Grabbed a large glass mixing bowl so the food coloring would not stain the bowl. Boiled one gallon of water, added one table spoon of coloring, mixed it all together. Then using a Styrofoam coffee cup ( same one I used to scoop it into bag at HD) and slowly sprinkled the saw dust into the water, letting it settle to bottom before added more. After about the 6th cup, the water was about gone, so I used a mixing spoon and made a little open area so I could see the bottom and add more dust to that water. I guess it took about 2 more cups to get 95% of the water absorbed into the saw dust. 

I then scooped it out and onto a plastic lid that I had lined with news paper. I left it in the house over night and moved it outside this morning. I will say that it dried very little inside the house.


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## cv_acr

You can always try to pick up an old blender at a garage sale or secondhand store to use just for this purpose.


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## hoscale37

A very proven method going back to the early days of Model Railroading


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## I Am Fasha

True HO and correction to my post above. I didn't use a gallon of water, just four cups. I have my second batch and used same amount of water but two table spoons of food coloring. As soon as it dried I will compare the two to see if second batch is darker.


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