# type of paste for mountains/hills?



## HelmsRacing (Dec 28, 2012)

Sorry if its posted in the wrong place lol, I'm wondering what kind of paste or plaster do you guys use for building hills and mountains out of styrofoam? Id like to know what works best before I go out and buy some.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

I have used two products and both have worked very well. A foam glue made by Helmar that was purchased from Hobby Lobby. The other is a foamboard adhesive made by Loctite called PL300 FOAMBOARD.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

I used styrofoam cut in layers like a layer cake then covered the sides with homemade paper mache' to smooth out the edges. I painted with a texturized spray paint from Home Depot that mimics the look of granite. The grass was made from painted sawdust.
-Art


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Liquid Nails makes a foam-safe adhesive, too.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

I used LocTite brand PL 300 "Foamboard" construction adhesive. When it dries it remains very flexible. I got it at Home Depot. It will not "melt" the foam.
Product Description:
For indoor and outdoor use
Ideal for use on wood, concrete, brick, and drywall
Foamboard compatible
Water and weather resistant
Gap filling
A 1/4-inch bead extrudes approximately 85.8 feet
A 3/8-inch bead extrudes approximately 38.1 feet
Low VOC


-Art


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I think he wants to know more about the top coat for the mountain, then gluing the foam together. 

I use plaster cloth and quick drying patching plaster pre mixed, in thin coats over the plaster cloth.


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## N scale catastrophe (Nov 18, 2012)

I've used plaster of Paris and everything from paper towels to newspapers to coffee filters. Have recently found sculpt-a-mold and mold-a-scene which I love for their longer working time, gritty texture and (as the names suggests) mold ability.


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## Hold'ErNewt (Nov 27, 2012)

Probably the easiest, least messy product is Woodland Scenics Plaster Cloth. It's cloth impregnated with plaster, just cut into sheets, soak and lay over your styrofoam (or anything else... wadded up newspaper, etc). It's around $10 for 10 sq ft, which is a little pricey, but if you're only doing one mountain, one roll should be plenty.


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

plaster cloth all the way......gives great results....can be interesting to work with though....dont let it fold on you when its wet. print out the 40% coupon for hobby lobby.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I get my plaster cloth on e bay, I use the quick dry plaster patch over the top off the cloth while wet or when dry just a thin layer.


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

Read through this article, it shows how to do mountains with a foam base:
http://www.railwayeng.com/Newloop/index.htm


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I tried plaster and found it to be messy and not easy to mold to form. Then tried drywall mud and that I love. Put it on in thin coats until you get the texture you want. easy to mold and it won't run all over your track and other things on your layout. It does take time to dry where plaster dries faster but I liked the slow drying so i could make changes in the surface even after a few hours. A ten pound bucket in Home Depot costs about $10 and will last you a long time. When your finished working with the 'mud' you just put the top back on the pail good and tight and set it aside until you need it again. 
Pete


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## wingnut163 (Jan 3, 2013)

flower and water, easy and least expense. dip the paper strips in the mix, lay it on your forms.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

That's how we made glue for our projects in school. Good old flour and water. Works great on pigtails. Ha! Pete


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## Raptorman83 (Feb 8, 2013)

Heres a site that sells rolls of plaster cloth in bulk. Its the cheapest ive found.

http://www.aswexpress.com/discount-...deling/creative-mark-plaster-cloth-rolls.html


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