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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 4, 2024 19:50:32 GMT
I'm doing a scratch build of the bascule bridge over Cambridge Creek for the RFC train garden, and I've reached the point of fabricating the base plate that will locate and support the spans and eventually be covered with resin or other water simulation. The body of water being simulated is a brackish-to-salty tidal estuary off the Choptank River (itself an estuary of the Chesapeake Bay). To my eye, the water appears a rather cloudy greenish-brown, with lots of organic particulates:   My immediate question is, what is the best color for me to use for the base coat over the one-eighth inch thick hardboard base I'm fitting under the span sections? And for that matter, what type of water simulation media would you recommend for a project like this (possibly several square yards in total), and what colorants would work best to simulate the cloudy colors of the prototype creek? My plan is to drop the plate in place, then pour the resin over and around the base and fill the rest of the creek representation to a depth of a quarter inch or so max -- likely requiring several gallons of media. So, something economical would be preferred, as well as something that can be done in sections, or at least able to tolerate long pour times start to finish. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice you may be able to offer, and any pics would be helpful! |
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Post by runamuckchuck on Sept 4, 2024 20:58:06 GMT
Are you able to do some beta testing/dry runs (so to speak) on the undercoating? The water color with which I am familiar being north west of you strikes me as sort of darker shade of pea soup green. You won't know the true color unless you let it dry/cure a bit. However the resin should arrest further color shift once applied.
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 4, 2024 22:27:30 GMT
Are you able to do some beta testing/dry runs (so to speak) on the undercoating? The water color with which I am familiar being north west of you strikes me as sort of darker shade of pea soup green. You won't know the true color unless you let it dry/cure a bit. However the resin should arrest further color shift once applied. Well, yes, I could cut out some samples and experiment, but I'd have to cover them in resin to see the final result, and there are endless options to color the resin. I was hoping to coattail on the experience of anyone who'd been down the same stream, so to speak! 
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jim
New Member
I am again reminded of my place and it not here.
Posts: 41
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Post by jim on Sept 5, 2024 14:26:26 GMT
Steve, I would suggest you visit the Woodland Scenic website. They offer a number of videos on water. I would also say that some of their water products may do what you want, while some others are overpriced for the amount of area you want to cover. I will send you a few pics of some of their stuff I have used + some epoxy mix I used to make a river. I will tell this, you need to make damn sure you do NOT have any openings, at all, when you pour!!!!!! If you have even a tiny opening, whatever is under the pour area will have a nice coat of whatever you poured-quick, fast & in a hurry!
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Post by Country Joe on Sept 5, 2024 14:31:28 GMT
I made this video many years ago showing how I was doing a river on my layout. Since many rivers in upstate New York are quite shallow I used ground foam to create a bottom that looked like what I saw when I looked at rivers. For deep water I would just paint the bottom dark green mixed with a little black or brown to create a murky look.
This video shows how I stippled on the top coats after pouring the first layer. It created swells that looked like moving water. I was very pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully it will be of some help to you.
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 5, 2024 15:02:22 GMT
Steve, I would suggest you visit the Woodland Scenic website. They offer a number of videos on water. I would also say that some of their water products may do what you want, while some others are overpriced for the amount of area you want to cover. I will send you a few pics of some of their stuff I have used + some epoxy mix I used to make a river. I will tell this, you need to make damn sure you do NOT have any openings, at all, when you pour!!!!!! If you have even a tiny opening, whatever is under the pour area will have a nice coat of whatever you poured-quick, fast & in a hurry! Thanks, Jim. Yeah, there are a lot of videos out there offering advice, but I was hoping to tap into the actual experience of forum members as well. As Country Joe suggested, I'm now leaning more toward the dab-on-over-painted-bottom techniques, rather than the poured resin method, in part because of your caution, and in further part because this project is of necessity going to be somewhat modular, and a single massive pour might be difficult to arrange. IOW, I can build and add 'water' on multiple plates, and then just dab some Mod Podge over the joins.
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 5, 2024 15:31:40 GMT
I made this video many years ago showing how I was doing a river on my layout. Since many rivers in upstate New York are quite shallow I used ground foam to create a bottom that looked like what I saw when I looked at rivers. For deep water I would just paint the bottom dark green mixed with a little black or brown to create a murky look.
This video shows how I stippled on the top coats after pouring the first layer. It created swells that looked like moving water. I was very pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully it will be of some help to you.
Thanks, Joe. Yes, very helpful -- I had originally been contemplating a resin pour, but your video (and others) have convinced me the dab-on method may work best for me, in part because of the modular nature of my project. As envisioned, there will eventually be six distinct modules: a pair of animated draw spans ( almost completed), a traffic control module (traffic gates, lights, etc.) on each bank, and two non-animated spans connecting each bank to the center span. The two center span modules will share a base plate (to assure proper alignment), while each of the other four modules will have its own separate base. All modules will need 'water' to cover at least part of their bases, and at some point I'll have to disguise the joins unless I can arrange a single seamless pour (difficult, if possible at all). ISTM the dab-on method would be more practical, allowing me to add 'water' to each module, making it a lot easier to disguise the joins between modules, and facilitate any subsequent reconfiguration or additions. Thanks again!
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Post by healey36 on Sept 7, 2024 14:03:01 GMT
Country Joe, thanks for the video...that is tremendously helpful. I'm still a ways off from trying this, but it helps to get an idea what's required.
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Post by atsda on Sept 8, 2024 1:28:07 GMT
Steve (steveoncattailcreek ), very interesting and ambitious project. I have nothing to add, as others have given great advice; except, when you are all done, you need to have a fisherman in a pontoon boat going for croakers. Alfred
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 8, 2024 3:38:18 GMT
Steve (steveoncattailcreek ), very interesting and ambitious project. I have nothing to add, as others have given great advice; except, when you are all done, you need to have a fisherman in a pontoon boat going for croakers. Alfred Thanks, Alfred. Actually, I'd like to have a few Bay built workboats:  Or, if this ends up a historic scene, perhaps even a skipjack or two: 
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 12, 2024 20:10:24 GMT
So, here's the final result, on the base plate for the animated center span sections:  It took two attempts to get the base water color close, but I'm happy with the way it came out in the end. Thanks for the consult!  š |
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Post by Country Joe on Sept 13, 2024 2:15:50 GMT
The water scene looks fantastic, Steve! Great job. š
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 13, 2024 2:20:56 GMT
The water scene looks fantastic, Steve! Great job. š Thanks, CJ -- it has been a lot of fun so far!
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Post by healey36 on Sept 13, 2024 9:51:24 GMT
Looks terrific Steve. Iām looking forward to giving this a try.
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 13, 2024 12:14:09 GMT
Looks terrific Steve. Iām looking forward to giving this a try. Thanks! Yeah, the Mod Podge-over-paint method not only produced a good result, it also turned out to be very easy and forgiving. When my first attempt at a base coat turned out to be a bit too blue, I went ahead and covered a small portion of the base with a couple of Mod Podge coats anyway to see if that would moderate the color, before deciding it really needed to be redone. So, I recoated the base with the second color, including just painting over the Mod Podge'd portion, and then added more Mod Podge on top. In the final result, you really can't tell where I'd experimented. For the base plate joins, my current thought is to use Mod Podge to fill any gaps, then feather the new plate paint over the joint to blend the colors, and finish with two or three coats of (you guessed it!) Mod Podge.
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