# Cheesecloth Anyone?



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

This morning I cut a piece of hardware cloth to roughly the size I need to fit on the RhB line between the front track and the rear track. It starts our flat with the front track and rises gently to a small knoll that hides the train coming around for another pass.

I still have to attach this to the sub-roadbed edges, but I've been thinking about what to cover this with as I do not want to use plaster cloth. I'd be there all afternoon cutting and dipping strips to cover this much area. Plus it's expensive.

My alternative was to use cheesecloth hot glued to the hardware cloth at the edges and stretch lightly over the hardware cloth securing it where needed to follow the slight dips and rolls in the hardware cloth.

I was then going to try a 50/50 mixture of plaster and brush this on with a 4" brush. I'll probably have to apply two or three coats for strength as the hardware cloth is unsupported underneath. The hardware cloth is extremely stiff and was difficult to work with, but I managed to get a pretty good fit between these tracks.

What do the scenery builders here think of the cheesecloth and plaster mix idea?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

It's essentially just "do it yourself" plaster cloth. It will work just fine.

My only argument would be that I don't think gluing down cheesecloth and then painting on several coats of plaster is going to be any kind of labor savings over spending "an entire afternoon dipping and laying plaster cloth". Give it a try and let us know.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I guess it depends upon how big the piece of cheesecloth is. I won't be gluing every square inch of the material, but enough to get it to follow the contour of the hardware cloth.

Might be another week or so.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

The hardware screen/cheesecloth/plaster mix will work, but it wouldn’t be my choice. My first mountain was made with wire mesh/newspaper/plaster cloth and it was “permanent”/difficult to remove when I replaced it. I also couldn't get good access under the mountain.

I would use rigid foam. And maybe structolite or similar for the final shape. Probably messier to install, but light weight, portable and easy to remove. You might wish you went this way if you ever need to access that track below the knoll.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I do have access to the first and second level of track under the hardware cloth. No problems there.

How was the rigidity with your first mountain? This will have a few structures placed upon it. Just a few rural homes. Maybe a farmhouse by itself.

I'll have to check on the Structolite. I've never heard of it. Thanks.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

The hardware screen/cheesecloth/plaster mix will work, but it wouldn’t be my choice. My first mountain was made with wire mesh/newspaper/plaster cloth and it was “permanent”/difficult to remove when I replaced it.

I would use rigid foam. And maybe structolite or similar for the final shape. Probably messier to install, but light weight and easy to remove. You might wish you went this way if you ever need to access that track below the knoll.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

This was fast and easy. I bought a piece of cheesecloth that was 3'x3' and after trimming I had the rest to do the far end to cover the hardware cloth.

After tacking this down along the track and the rest of the perimeter I mixed up a medium thin plaster slurry and applied it with a two inch brush. It started setting before I was finished so I added a little more water to finish up the first coat. It wnt on like a thick latex paint and coverage was very good. These photos show only the first (maybe only) coat. The weave is completely filled in unlike plaster cloth that has to be worked. The weave of the cheesecloth is finer than plaster cloth and will hold more of the plaster.

I'll let this dry a few hours and see about a second coat. Meanwhile I'll be running trains.

This area will have just a few structures, but will mostly be covered with spruce and fir trees. I'm thinking about 80-100 should cover most of the area except for the structures and a simple gravel road.


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## cfurnari (Aug 2, 2020)

interesting... I may have to keep this in mind..


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

It was much faster for this many square feet than individual plaster cloth strips and the mess that goes along with it.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I'll keep that technique in mind for the next time I consider using plaster cloth (I currently use extruded foam and Sculptamold).


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I'm going to apply another coat of plaster slurry in a while just to give it a bit more strength. The hardware cloth is very rigid and stiff, but it is unsupported except along the perimeter. 

Along with needing to fill in this area with scenery of some kind, I wanted to break up the roundy-round effect of this loop of RhB line. It appears that the trains are entering a tunnel so it hides the train for a short run. Except for the top of the pan's contact strip poking up above the ridge line.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

You had said you were going to add a coniferous forest. That should break up the "roundy" look nicely.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

It should hide the top of the pan with good effect.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Pray tell, what is hardware cloth?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)




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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Got it, thank you.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Wire screen like material. What Michael shows looks almost like Aluminum screen. I always called the stuff that had 1/4 grids "hardware cloth" and was made from some sort of galvanized wire. Used it to make Rabbit cages! For a layout its nice because it can be formed and hold its shape. Makes for a very secure base to slap plaster cloth on, or cheese cloth with plaster slurry.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

When I was a boy I used to make rabbit hutches too. I used the hardware cloth for the bottom but with larger openings. I forget the size, maybe 3/8" or 1/2" square. The stuff I used is 1/4" square and very stiff steel.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I made compost bins out of it. Lets lots of air in -- nice rich humus in just one season... but that's way off topic.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The second coat of plaster slurry really stiffened this up. I'll paint it green in a day or two. I'm going to hold off on any other landscaping until I purchase and build the structure kits I want to use. 

The surface will have to be leveled with Sculptimold for the structure to sit level. I'm also going to add some plaster rock facings down near the tracks I made a couple of years ago that I didn't use for their original purpose.


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