From: Laserlight <laserlight@q...>
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 11:49:22 -0400
Subject: [Terrain] Hairspray, felt
Reading a model railroading book (for the terrain ideas, of course), they suggested using cheap, unscented airspray to hold your turf/ground foam down. Of course, they're not usually worried about moving it around, moving figures over it, etc--anyone tried it? They also offered a suggestion for "Grows Like Grass" ground cover: a. Use beige felt to cover your hills etc. b. tease the felt fibers with a wire brush. c. use airbrush or spray pump to spray a 50/50 green paint/water mix (plus a drop of detergent) onto the felt, just enough for the teased strands--2/3 or more of the beige should still be showing. d. dry for 48hr e. sift real dirt (or, presumably, something else that's fine powder of the color you want) onto the felt & use wire brush to work it into the beige surface f. use fingernail scissors to trim the teased strands at 1/8 to 1/4" g. add rocks, pebbles, ground-foam bushes etc as desired h. spray with 5:1 water/artist's matte medium to bind it all to the surface. The book had an example with an HO figure standing on a hillside--I didn't realize it wasn't a "real" photo until I read the caption. Scenary for Model Railroads, Dioramas and Miniatures, Robert Schleicher, Krauuse Publications, ISBN 0-87341-709-7, listed at US$22.95. I don't know that I'd buy it but it'd be worth checking the