questions about what to use for my ground work

[Chris Kelm]

Hello,
I was just at a regional model show and after the judging was completed I decided to ask one of the judges that judged my category why I placed the way I did?
the main thing was my ground work. I told him that I used cell-u-clay and he said that was a mistake because it shrinks when it dries.
So my question(s) to you is this,
1. what then is the better material to use for ground work?
2. If cell-u-clay is so bad then why do modelers use it?
3. what are the alternatives for making a better ground work in your vignettes/dioramas?
Thank you
Chris

 

[megroot]

Most at the time I make my groundwork with Milliput.
In the past I did it with dirt from the garden and white glue.
Cell-u-clay does work also, specially when you need a great surface to cover.
Above that milliput.

Marc

 

[billyturnip]

I also use Miliput. When it's dry I cover it with a white glue and dirt mixture.

 

[Chris Kelm]

So it is true that cell-u-clay is not the way to go due to shrinkage and milliput will not shrink?
Chris

 

[Tecumsea]

Hi Chris, I've used Celluclay without any problem with shrinkage and I know that Steve Kirtley has used it in the past. It is particularly useful if you have a large area to cover (for example a 90mm mounted figure)

May I ask had the celluclay you used on your model actually cracked? that seems a very odd remark from a judge-did he point out the problem?

Keith

 

[DEL]

I use celluclay as the foundation for most of my groundwork. I find that it offers a better 'bed' for embeding rocks and the like. . Never had any problems with it, just make sure its fully dry before you prime it.
For more sculpted additions to natural groundwork I use Miliput.
Keith makes a good point, had it cracked? or was the judge simply expressing an opinion during a broader discussion on groundwork. Bottom line is most of us use all sorts of stuff, some work some dont, but the guiding line is if you see a flaw correct it because you can bet the judge will see it too.
Cheers
Derek

 

[fogie]

I turned to our railway modelling chums for help here. A variety of textures ( gravel, sand, scrub grass, coal, bricks, so forth ) comes in a number
of scales.- so 'G' gauge gravel becomes an 'N' gauge boulders. They are applied to a simple plaster mixture base and then sprayed with a thin PVA/
water mix which seals well and allows the modeller to tweak with paint. The real trick is to finish the ground work with as much care as the figure.

 

[Chris Kelm]

the odd thing was,no the cell-u-clay did not crack. what the judge was talking about as well as shrinkage was some of landscaping material looked like it was just placed on top of the ground and not actually embedded into the ground.
chris

 

[theBaron]

Hello,
I was just at a regional model show and after the judging was completed I decided to ask one of the judges that judged my category why I placed the way I did?
the main thing was my ground work. I told him that I used cell-u-clay and he said that was a mistake because it shrinks when it dries.
So my question(s) to you is this,
1. what then is the better material to use for ground work?
2. If cell-u-clay is so bad then why do modelers use it?
3. what are the alternatives for making a better ground work in your vignettes/dioramas?
Thank you
Chris

There's nothing wrong with Celluclay, but cracking, shrinking, and curling can be issues. I mix a little white glue in my Celluclay, to help prevent these things. Another thing I learned, through trial and error, is not to spread it in too thin a layer, especially at the edges. Thinner areas will dry faster than thicker areas, which can lead to cracking, shrinking or curling. Look at a dried-up river bed or lake bed-it's the same process.

I agree with Roger about using 2-part epoxies, particularly for a small base, like a base for a single 54mm figure.

But I also use styrofoam insulation for larger pieces of ground work, covered with wood putty. Paul Keefe gave me that tip. I use Elmer's Wood Putty. It can be used as is, or it can be thinned, it can be tinted, you can mix things into it, eg, model railroad ballast, for a look of stony ground. It can be used to replicate spackle or stucco. I use a putty knife to apply it, and tools like a plastic butter knife or dental picks and spatulas to shape and texture it.

Here's a base I made for a Maschinen Krieger subject, a couple years back, using styrofoam and wood putty for the base:





Hope that helps, prosit!
Brad