Hi, thanks so much for putting me on to this really neat technique. I’ve reserected my old train set from 40 years ago and for sure I’m going to try it.
Kevin, Came back to report on poly fiber batting after many months of construction a museum grade N scale layout, depicting the Cuyahoga Valley and the Scenic Railway that runs for 26 miles thru it. I saw your video on poly fiber and decided to implement it in this project. It turned out amazing and nothing but compliments. We began with terra forming with foam off cuts and slabs to depict the terrain and hills of this Nation Park that dates back to 1870 when the rails came in. We held to exacting standards with historic buildings scratch built and a actual Cuyahoga Alco Pa1 that pulls a California Zephyr consist. The terrain is so life like that I had to just stand there and take it all in. 3D mountains and hillsides are blenedd and painted into the backdrop and disappear into the scene and horizon with forced perspective. The depth of illusion is tremendous. It will be automated to a push button pressed by visiting children to the museum. Seasoned modelers can not believe we did all this with poly foam low loft batting, a technique no one had ever heard of or used before. Thanks for the great idea. I just had to come back and look you up to give you this report. Bob Schworm- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad volunteer - N scale Museum Project
Thank you so much for sharing this neat video. I’m a beginner and I have been over thinking on a tight budget. I don’t have anybody that’s in this hobby so I’m flying sole on this adventure. I’m more into the landscaping but in all fairness my little people will need town to to live in.
This was awesome. My three year old is train crazy, and the idea of trying to make something like this for him was so overwhelming- but this looks much easier than I expected! Thank you kindly for sharing your tips!!!
The fine painting you did with it really made it happen. I used to model Texas, back when I had an N-scale layout, for the specific reason of avoiding mountain building, lol. I had no faith in my ability to construct hills and mountain scenery.
Thank you for sharing this!! I used the "snow mats" available around Christmas and glued them over my foam boards, but never thought of quilt batting as I DO have a lot of that!! Thank you SO much for sharing!!!
holy crap Kevin! I did this for my Christmas layouts but used some foam and screen and put the batting down for snow. never thought it would come out looking that good. great work!
+model railer Sometimes it's not about finding new products, it's about using readily available products in a new way. Glad to hear you think it looks good. Look forward to seeing this on your layout sometime. Cheers, Kevin
Nice video. You may also want to checkout the review of Model Train Layouts on my blog at *noahreviews. com/model-train-layouts-review/* Thanks. Ddt Ferdinand.
hey ,if anyone else needs to find out about how to build a model railroad layout plans try Pycanta Model Railroaders Protocol (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some super things about it and my brother in law got amazing results with it.
I have not yet started my miniature train set, but i've been watching a lot of videos in the past month and i think, so far, you have the best way to do the terrain. The quilt material really does an amazing job to look like dirt once painted, it could almost be left naked and still look good. I'm taking notes of this for when i start my own.
+David Cullinane David, you're welcome. Completely agree that you can cover a lot of area very quickly and inexpensively. Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers, Kevin
You have a gift and you helped me understand. I think I can get it right the first time. Thank you so much. I hope my grand daughter will be excited when see comes over and sees what grand pops train garden looks like this Christmas. Thanks again. Waiting for the batman train set to be delivered, should be a show stopper. Thanks again.
Don, thanks for the feedback and compliments on the video and technique. Glad to hear you're going to try this method out. Let me know how your mountain turns out. Cheers, Kevin
I have been watching this video over and over along with the one showing the addition of the scenery following. I have been to Colorado many times as well as Wyoming, Southern Idaho, and Utah. In my home State of Nevada this terrain simulation of yours looks so much like the area around Reno and Virginia City areas. great job. We took a drive south just to compare and I have to admit it is just about a perfect vision of the High Desert type of plains areas... Grasses, sagebrush, etc are all the textures and colors shown on your video at this time of year! Awesome job thinking outside the box! Going to try it soon on a Diorama that I am making with my son and wife. This video inspired them to get involved and they will be creating their own Diorama's as a practice run before starting the new layout! thanks for the idea... :)
D, wow! Thanks for the great story of how this video and method is helping get your family involved. Also, thanks for the kind words on how my model scenery matches the actual scenery in the high plains. Quite a compliment from someone who lives there. Good luck with the dioramas. Let me know how they turn out. Cheers, Kevin
Just wanted to say thanks very much... I have tried this method and love it... Also wanted to share an idea I just combined with your batting technique that worked really good. on a Coal Mine module I am building this weekend, I decided to support the mountain with 1/4 inch metal screen, then sprayed the expanding foam on top of the screen and laid the Low Loft batting right into the wet expanding foam... Its really cool, because the foam doesn't come through the batting, but it definitely bonded to the screen wire and the low loft batting and was really easy to shape while it was expanding.... In less than 4 hours, it was ready for painting, grasses, earth, clump foliage etc.
CJ, thanks for the feedback on this technique. Sounds like its working out well for you. Neat idea on the screen wire and expanding foam. Cheers, Kevin
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I was looking for a lightweight solution to create hills on our portable railroad layout. This must be THE solution I'm going to use. So easy, thank you!
What a great alternative to plaster covered Styrofoam. I am going to try this on my mountain! It's always great to see another take on how to do something.
Great idea! I work for a couple of years in the upholstery business I use that on Christmas land forms but never would've thought of using it on my layout. It looks very realistic! The scene came out great. Thanks a lot for sharing. RT
Awesome idea of using the batting, never thought of that and my mother used to have it everywhere as she was making quilts. I'm going to give that a try as I love your results on your layout. Thanks for sharing it with us!
+David Durbin David, you're welcome. Glad to hear you're going to give this technique a try. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for the compliments on my layout too. Cheers, Kevin
Great idea! Looks great. I like the idea of it not being messy like plaster can be. Also the texture looks great. Thanks for sharing this with us! I will be giving this a try on my N scale layout. Randy
+Randy Piasecki Randy, thanks. I like the fact that it isn't as messy as plaster as well. Glad to hear you'll be trying out this technique on your N scale layout. Let me know how it turns out. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin, update on quilted batting - I wote before and the project turned out excellent., just a note - - I determined the area or setion to have the batting. I laid out the batting and pinned it down, and with a sharpie, connected the bots around the cirucmverence. Removed the batting and cut it out. Pinned the batting down on the FAR side to hold it into positin and so it would not move around. Working forward slowly, painted the glue on the land forms and slowl brought the battin forward and shaped into tall the nooks and valleys. At the leading edge, pinned that down too. checked the entire perimiter was in place pained it all with brown latex foam which soaked into the batting and mixed with the pva and boned it all down While wet - sprinkled on the first layer of brown ground foam as a base Next day installed the secnery, working with the element shortest in height and then the rest going up in height along the way. Absolutely excellent with many comments by seansoned modelers who had never done this. Shahved hundreds of pounds off the layout and cheap as chips too. Bob S - cleveland
Neat, I like it. I'm near to building a tunnel section and wasn't really looking forward to using plaster. I'll certainly give it a try. As a side issue have a look at Bolder Creek Railroad, the stuff that this guy puts out is unbelievable and he makes it look so simple, rest assured, it ain't I've tried.
amazing that looks fantastic way better than than Messy paper mache from years ago what a good upgrade. I love how marlar's upgrade things all the time too realistic looks,without the Big Damn mess. thanks for the great video
Good technique.. I use the used dryer sheets ( bounce or whatever brand ) for the smaller areas that don't need a whole lot of attention and mostly on the river banks or cut areas of a creek. They work well and its a good way to recycle I guess. Two birds with one stone. Keep the videos coming. Good Stuff.
Awesome. I've been using plaster cloth, but your technique seems so much easier and effective. I am going to get some batting and try it out. Thank you for sharing.
Ismail, glad to hear you'll be trying this technique. Plaster cloth was my primary scenery method before switching to this. Let me know how it works out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Scale Model Trains & Colorado's Joint Line You bet I will. I had been trying out N Scale trains but when it came to scratch building, my eyes had difficulty adjusting. Now I think I have found my niche. Currently working on slot cars, HO scale, but I love working and experimenting on sceneries.
Loved the way you did the mountains with the bedding batting and thought I would try taking it a step further and dye the batting brown first so you didn't need to go too crazy applying paing. Just thought I'd relay the results to you and your subscribers whom may have thought about this but have not tried it. I doesn't work because the batting does not absorb the dye. Keep up the great work!
Love this technique!! I'm working on a "tin scale" O gauge layout in my basement, and need a fast, cheap way to rough out a few hills. A lot of other methods are just too involved and tedious for the kind of toy-like prewar stuff I run. This way looks easy, fast, and could easily go either photo-realistic, or old school with sawdust and stuff. For reference, my track design is based on the mid 50s D-190 Lionel display, but with a mountain for the grade instead of trestles.
Great technique...I like it. Getting ready to start my scenery and this is the method I will use. I hate plaster...used that in the 70's for my first layout and it was a mess ...used metal screen and plaster and it looked good when done but added a ton of weight to the layout required a lot more work to make it look natural like this technique does with a lot less work. Thank you for sharing!
+Scott Downey Scott, thanks. Agree completely on saving time and mess. I used plaster for years and then for about the past 15 I was using plaster cloth over foam for the top surface of my layout. Stiff a bit messy and I found i didn't need the strength of the plaster because the foam supported everything. So I went looking for a new technique and developed this one after trying a few different cloth alternatives. Cheers, Kevin
+Peter CPRail8748 Peter, thanks again. I find this to produce the best basic land forms of all the techniques I've tried over the years. While you'll still need to employ some other techniques for specific scenery features, like rock outcroppings, this should give you a great base to start from. Cheers, Kevin
Wow, thank you. You make it look so easy! If mine turns out half as good as yours I will be thrilled. I just bought the stuff to try this out on my layout. I was wondering how I was going to make my carved foam look good.
Kevin this is a great video. I do a very small layout in HO scale in India where this hobby is not very popular. I usualy use stryrofoam, then apply plaster on top and then slowly spray real mud to get the earthy layer. Then i apply grass and things like that. But this quilt batting is cool and I think this gives a better texture to the grassy mountain. Will try in my new 8'x2' extension soon. Thank you
Possibly, but I haven't tried that. It might take quite a bit of spray paint to ensure you get all of the white batting covered. Also, spray paint dries quicker than the brush on latex paint I use so you might want to use an additional adhesive (scenic cement) before adding the first layer of scenery. Cheers, Kevin.
Very nice...I have been using the filter material out of furnace filters it's like the batting you are using but has that light gauge wire in it to help really hold a shape if you need it.
Awesome! Innovative and inexpensive! I will definitely be using this when I build my final O Scale Joint line layout! Thank you very much for doing this video and explaining the process. Rick Trinkle, Trinkle-Trains.
Spraying water on the batting will not absorb that much of paint, but it will give same effect. However, it may take little longer to dry. Economical ! Worth giving s trial !!
Can anyone answer please. I am just getting started mostly for my grandchildren. I plan on using a 4x8 sheet of plywood then foam board on top. I. Thinking of making it longer so 2 -4x8 sheets of plywood...but when I put foam board on top it will require 2 sheets...not sure what to do with the seam....tape it?
You probably won't need to seam tape the gap between the two pieces of foam. If you covering the foam with some material a small 1/8 or 1/16 gap won't matter. Just butt the two pieces together and cover with your scenery material. Hope this helps. Cheers, Kevin
I’m not content with the mess plaster causes, so I’m going to give this a try. Went to Wally World today and picked up the wrong stuff. I got the batting that’s more like cotton than the fiber you recommend. Have you ever tried this type?
No, I haven't tried that type of batting so I can't say whether it would work as well, or even better, as the batting I've been using. Good luck with this technique. Cheers, Kevin.
Hi very nice work!. Why do you put the white cover over the xps. Havent you tried to just leave the xps uncovered and form the shape with a sharp cutter and then paint. It consumes less paint. But your job is very nice ad well!!
Kevin, I tried coloring the batting by dipping it in diluted brown paint. While it was fast, I think it is not the same as brushing on full strength paint. When held up, you can see thru the batting as it has thick and thin areas in the cloth. So I will try a hill and paint it, will let you know how it goes, Bob
wow that came out really good. I build 1:24, 25 scale car dioramas, im gonna give that a try. it really looks like grass. would a snow blanket for a nativity scene work?
I want to start making small to med size dioramas so that I can take photos with my engines, what would you say are the main items that I will need as far as scenery stuff to make them.
That really depends on what type of scenery you are trying to replicate. If you watch my video on How to Make Realistic Scenery you can see all the materials I used to make one of my scenes. The scene started in this video as one of the hills I covered in batting. Hope this helps. Cheers, Kevin
+Fred Fadungy Fred, congrats on starting a new layout. I think starting a new layout is one of the most exciting points in the hobby. Glad you think this tips will help you out. I've got several other videos you might like too. Also in my "Layout Updates" series of videos I pass on some thoughts on what has either worked or not worked for me that you might find useful. Cheers, Kevin
Nothing wrong with trying a new technique and then if you don't like it go back to plaster cloth. I used to use plaster cloth but find this technique much better for most applications. Cheers, Kevin
You should try to match the ground, dirt, or soil color for the area your modeling. For a lot of the country the color brown I used wouldn't look right. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin, I'm blown away with this technique and your results! A basic question I have is how do you carve your foam for your layout and what type of foam do you use?
Thanks for the nice compliment. I use mostly extruded stryofoam insulation. It is available in 4x8 sheets from hardware stores in various thicknesses (usually in blue or pink). I've also got some regular white bean stryofaom on the layout that I've used for some of the hills (but not for the layout tops). Both work about the same for building up hills but the extruded stryofoam is a bit stronger. I use a hot wire cutting tool from Woodland Scenics to cut the foam to the shape I want. Cheers, Kevin
cool video. Anyone have links to where I can learn the first part of terrain building? Like how this was first presented at the start of the video before applying the batting. Cheers.
David, thanks for the compliment on the video. I cut my landforms out of Styrofoam with a hot wire cutting tool and shaped them until the looked right to me. There are other techniques of building up your scenery base using everything from screen wire, cardboard strips, rolled newspaper, and many more. I have done any videos on these but I sure there are some out there. I use foam because I find it works the best for me. Cheers, Kevin
This was definitely a keeper - added it to my MRR folder. Very well done, clearly explained and like that you mentioned what supplies you were using. One thing I didn't catch was the brown paint in the gallon can. Just ordinary flat brown or something special? Cheers, Bob
Bob, the brown paint I used was "Cliff Rock" by Behr but any flat acrylic paint that looks like the right color to you should work fine. Cheers, Kevin.
Yes. The batting just needs some type of support structure underneath, foam, plaster, etc, since it is not self supporting. You may want to dampen your plaster first before applying glue to it as dry plaster sucks the moisture out of everything and it might affect how well the glues holds the batting down. From there, just paint the batting and start applying your scenery materials. Cheers, Kevin
Great video! Wish I'd found it before I built my last layout (was satisfied with it but I used WAY too much plaster and plaster cloth). Definitely using this approach next time. Liked and subbed!
Thanks for helping a mom who is NOT a craft person. :)
Hi, thanks so much for putting me on to this really neat technique. I’ve reserected my old train set from 40 years ago and for sure I’m going to try it.
Errol, glad to hear that. Hope you enjoy the train set. Cheers, Kevin.
I've never seen a better idea than this, it's totally brilliant!
+David Moody Dave, thanks for the nice compliment. Hope this technique works out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin,
Came back to report on poly fiber batting after many months of construction a museum grade N scale layout, depicting the Cuyahoga Valley and the Scenic Railway that runs for 26 miles thru it. I saw your video on poly fiber and decided to implement it in this project. It turned out amazing and nothing but compliments.
We began with terra forming with foam off cuts and slabs to depict the terrain and hills of this Nation Park that dates back to 1870 when the rails came in. We held to exacting standards with historic buildings scratch built and a actual Cuyahoga Alco Pa1 that pulls a California Zephyr consist. The terrain is so life like that I had to just stand there and take it all in. 3D mountains and hillsides are blenedd and painted into the backdrop and disappear into the scene and horizon with forced perspective. The depth of illusion is tremendous.
It will be automated to a push button pressed by visiting children to the museum. Seasoned modelers can not believe we did all this with poly foam low loft batting, a technique no one had ever heard of or used before.
Thanks for the great idea. I just had to come back and look you up to give you this report.
Bob Schworm- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad volunteer - N scale Museum Project
Bob, thank you so much for the feedback. I'm really glad to hear my technique worked out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Thank you so much for sharing this neat video. I’m a beginner and I have been over thinking on a tight budget. I don’t have anybody that’s in this hobby so I’m flying sole on this adventure. I’m more into the landscaping but in all fairness my little people will need town to to live in.
This was awesome. My three year old is train crazy, and the idea of trying to make something like this for him was so overwhelming- but this looks much easier than I expected! Thank you kindly for sharing your tips!!!
Amanda, thank you for the feedback. I hope you and your 3-year old enjoy trying out this technique and playing with your trains. Cheers, Kevin.
The fine painting you did with it really made it happen. I used to model Texas, back when I had an N-scale layout, for the specific reason of avoiding mountain building, lol. I had no faith in my ability to construct hills and mountain scenery.
Wow, the texture of the batting as soon as it’s painted, is excellent. Much more realistic than plaster.
Thank you for the nice compliment. Cheers, Kevin
Thank you for sharing this!! I used the "snow mats" available around Christmas and glued them over my foam boards, but never thought of quilt batting as I DO have a lot of that!! Thank you SO much for sharing!!!
You're welcome. I'm glad you found the video useful. Cheers, Kevin
Hey, I was a bit skeptical, wondering what kind of texture it would lay down, but I love it. What a perfect base to add to. Thanks again.
holy crap Kevin! I did this for my Christmas layouts but used some foam and screen and put the batting down for snow. never thought it would come out looking that good. great work!
+model railer Sometimes it's not about finding new products, it's about using readily available products in a new way. Glad to hear you think it looks good. Look forward to seeing this on your layout sometime. Cheers, Kevin
Very realistic looking terrain,I like it,I'll have to try it when I start up another layout.
Thank you for the compliment on my terrain. Cheers, Kevin
I watched this video about a year ago. And I have found that this is the best way to do terrain. Thanks you help me make a master piece.
John, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad to hear my technique worked out for you. Cheers, Kevin.
That looks incredible. Such a simple idea, but with amazing results.
Thanks for the compliment. Cheers, Kevin
(I read these and the reasons they work on Jareks Hobby Club website )
Nice video. You may also want to checkout the review of Model Train Layouts on my blog at *noahreviews. com/model-train-layouts-review/* Thanks. Ddt Ferdinand.
hey ,if anyone else needs to find out about how to build a model railroad layout plans try Pycanta Model Railroaders Protocol (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some super things about it and my brother in law got amazing results with it.
Excellent idea
and it looks great!
Thanks for sharing.
I have not yet started my miniature train set, but i've been watching a lot of videos in the past month and i think, so far, you have the best way to do the terrain. The quilt material really does an amazing job to look like dirt once painted, it could almost be left naked and still look good.
I'm taking notes of this for when i start my own.
Thanks for the compliment. Hope you're able to use this technique on your layout sometime soon. Cheers, Kevin
I’m trying my first diorama and came across this. It’s perfect!
This looks like a really good way to cover a lot of terrain in a quick amount of time. Definitely going to try it. Thanks
+David Cullinane David, you're welcome. Completely agree that you can cover a lot of area very quickly and inexpensively. Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers, Kevin
You have a gift and you helped me understand. I think I can get it right the first time. Thank you so much. I hope my grand daughter will be excited when see comes over and sees what grand pops train garden looks like this Christmas. Thanks again. Waiting for the batman train set to be delivered, should be a show stopper. Thanks again.
Don, thanks for the feedback and compliments on the video and technique. Glad to hear you're going to try this method out. Let me know how your mountain turns out. Cheers, Kevin
Thanks for sharing. Pretty sweet idea using that batting versus plaster of paris, which is I totally agree is extremely messy. Yuk, Awesomeness
David, thanks for the nice compliments on this technique. Cheers, Kevin
I have been watching this video over and over along with the one showing the addition of the scenery following. I have been to Colorado many times as well as Wyoming, Southern Idaho, and Utah. In my home State of Nevada this terrain simulation of yours looks so much like the area around Reno and Virginia City areas. great job. We took a drive south just to compare and I have to admit it is just about a perfect vision of the High Desert type of plains areas... Grasses, sagebrush, etc are all the textures and colors shown on your video at this time of year! Awesome job thinking outside the box! Going to try it soon on a Diorama that I am making with my son and wife. This video inspired them to get involved and they will be creating their own Diorama's as a practice run before starting the new layout! thanks for the idea... :)
D, wow! Thanks for the great story of how this video and method is helping get your family involved. Also, thanks for the kind words on how my model scenery matches the actual scenery in the high plains. Quite a compliment from someone who lives there. Good luck with the dioramas. Let me know how they turn out. Cheers, Kevin
Really cool, honestly after the touch up and paint, it looks like a real hillside / mountainside! thanks!
Just wanted to say thanks very much... I have tried this method and love it... Also wanted to share an idea I just combined with your batting technique that worked really good. on a Coal Mine module I am building this weekend, I decided to support the mountain with 1/4 inch metal screen, then sprayed the expanding foam on top of the screen and laid the Low Loft batting right into the wet expanding foam... Its really cool, because the foam doesn't come through the batting, but it definitely bonded to the screen wire and the low loft batting and was really easy to shape while it was expanding.... In less than 4 hours, it was ready for painting, grasses, earth, clump foliage etc.
CJ, thanks for the feedback on this technique. Sounds like its working out well for you. Neat idea on the screen wire and expanding foam. Cheers, Kevin
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I was looking for a lightweight solution to create hills on our portable railroad layout. This must be THE solution I'm going to use. So easy, thank you!
Patrick, thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear you like this technique. Cheers, Kevin
Excellent! Thank you for making & posting this! This is one of the best methods I think I've ever seen.
Thank you for the nice compliments. Cheers, Kevin
What a great alternative to plaster covered Styrofoam. I am going to try this on my mountain! It's always great to see another take on how to do something.
+mrlionel1965 Thanks. Let me know how this turns out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Excellent technique. The best I have seen! Just starting out so this is the way I will go. Thanks so much!!
David, thank you for the nice compliment. Hopefully this will help you out some. Cheers, Kevin
Great idea! I work for a couple of years in the upholstery business I use that on Christmas land forms but never would've thought of using it on my layout. It looks very realistic! The scene came out great. Thanks a lot for sharing. RT
+retrainrun RT, thanks for the nice feedback. Glad to hear you think the scene turned out nice. Cheers, Kevin
Thank you. Great techniques, super narration. Quick, practical and easy to follow.
Mike, thanks for the nice compliments. Cheers, Kevin
I remember seeing this video a while back. I may recommend this for our layout. Thanks!
Let me know how it works out for you. Cheers, Kevin.
Love the ingenuity of your method. Looking great.
Awesome idea of using the batting, never thought of that and my mother used to have it everywhere as she was making quilts. I'm going to give that a try as I love your results on your layout. Thanks for sharing it with us!
+David Durbin David, you're welcome. Glad to hear you're going to give this technique a try. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for the compliments on my layout too. Cheers, Kevin
I tried this technique, and it turned out amazing! Thanks for all the great tips!!
Thanks for the feedback. Glad this technique worked out for you. Cheers, Kevin
sweet. I have been in search for something light in my diorama ... Thanks for the tip
+Brad Chism Brad, you're welcome. Hope this works out well for your diorama. Cheers, Kevin
I tried this...it worked incredibly, so easy and so little mess compared to traditional methods
Thank you for the feedback on my method. Glad to hear it worked out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Great idea! Looks great. I like the idea of it not being messy like plaster can be. Also the texture looks great. Thanks for sharing this with us! I will be giving this a try on my N scale layout.
Randy
+Randy Piasecki Randy, thanks. I like the fact that it isn't as messy as plaster as well. Glad to hear you'll be trying out this technique on your N scale layout. Let me know how it turns out. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin, update on quilted batting -
I wote before and the project turned out excellent., just a note - -
I determined the area or setion to have the batting.
I laid out the batting and pinned it down, and with a sharpie, connected the bots around the cirucmverence.
Removed the batting and cut it out.
Pinned the batting down on the FAR side to hold it into positin and so it would not move around.
Working forward slowly, painted the glue on the land forms and slowl brought the battin forward and shaped
into tall the nooks and valleys. At the leading edge, pinned that down too.
checked the entire perimiter was in place
pained it all with brown latex foam which soaked into the batting and mixed with the pva and boned it all down
While wet - sprinkled on the first layer of brown ground foam as a base
Next day installed the secnery, working with the element shortest in height and then the rest going up in height along the way. Absolutely excellent with many comments by seansoned modelers who had never done this.
Shahved hundreds of pounds off the layout and cheap as chips too.
Bob S - cleveland
Dave, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad to hear this method worked out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Neat, I like it. I'm near to building a tunnel section and wasn't really looking forward to using plaster. I'll certainly give it a try. As a side issue have a look at Bolder Creek Railroad, the stuff that this guy puts out is unbelievable and he makes it look so simple, rest assured, it ain't I've tried.
amazing that looks fantastic way better than than Messy paper mache from years ago what a good upgrade. I love how marlar's upgrade things all the time too realistic looks,without the Big Damn mess. thanks for the great video
Bob, you're welcome and thanks for the nice compliments. Cheers, Kevin.
excellent ideas. we were going to use drywall mud and now were going to copy these ideas
Good technique.. I use the used dryer sheets ( bounce or whatever brand ) for the smaller areas that don't need a whole lot of attention and mostly on the river banks or cut areas of a creek. They work well and its a good way to recycle I guess. Two birds with one stone. Keep the videos coming. Good Stuff.
+J “jwcomair297” White Thanks for the feedback on the technique. Cheers, Kevin
Excellent video... took a bunch of screen shots because I plan on using this method now for my terrain.
Gio, glad to hear you found this video useful. Cheers, Kevin.
Great tip! Thanks, I really like that it will help hide the seam between the layers of foam.
Now, on to your next video
+MWRR R You're welcome. Glad you liked this method. Cheers, Kevin
Awesome. I've been using plaster cloth, but your technique seems so much easier and effective. I am going to get some batting and try it out. Thank you for sharing.
Ismail, glad to hear you'll be trying this technique. Plaster cloth was my primary scenery method before switching to this. Let me know how it works out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Scale Model Trains & Colorado's Joint Line You bet I will. I had been trying out N Scale trains but when it came to scratch building, my eyes had difficulty adjusting. Now I think I have found my niche. Currently working on slot cars, HO scale, but I love working and experimenting on sceneries.
Loved the way you did the mountains with the bedding batting and thought I would try taking it a step further and dye the batting brown first so you didn't need to go too crazy applying paing. Just thought I'd relay the results to you and your subscribers whom may have thought about this but have not tried it. I doesn't work because the batting does not absorb the dye. Keep up the great work!
Damian, thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Kevin
Love this technique!! I'm working on a "tin scale" O gauge layout in my basement, and need a fast, cheap way to rough out a few hills. A lot of other methods are just too involved and tedious for the kind of toy-like prewar stuff I run. This way looks easy, fast, and could easily go either photo-realistic, or old school with sawdust and stuff. For reference, my track design is based on the mid 50s D-190 Lionel display, but with a mountain for the grade instead of trestles.
Glad to hear you liked this technique. You're layout plan sounds pretty cool. Cheers, Kevin.
Great technique , we will have to try this. Thank you Mr. Smith.
+Joe Saurina Joe, thanks. Let me know how it works out for you. Cheers, Kevin
Nice job with the batting. I'm going to try this on some low hill areas of a layout I just started. Thanks for the idea.
You're welcome and thanks for the feedback. Let me know how your hills turn out. Cheers, Kevin
Great technique...I like it. Getting ready to start my scenery and this is the method I will use. I hate plaster...used that in the 70's for my first layout and it was a mess ...used metal screen and plaster and it looked good when done but added a ton of weight to the layout required a lot more work to make it look natural like this technique does with a lot less work. Thank you for sharing!
You're welcome. Glad to hear you liked this technique. Hope it works out for you as well. Cheers, Kevin
Damn! Very, very clever with a terrific outcome.
David, thanks. Glad you liked how this technique turned out. Cheers, Kevin
amazing.
.....i am indian and nice to see ur this beautiful technique
Thanks for the nice compliment. Cheers, Kevin
Great work Kevin - that's a really different approach to scenery.
+Phillip Clift Phillip, thanks. Hopefully some folks find this useful and can try it out on their own layouts. Cheers, Kevin
i'm defiantly gonna try that on my layout great tip looks good too thanks mate.
Great idea. Sure does save time and mess. Looks goo too.Scott
+Scott Downey Scott, thanks. Agree completely on saving time and mess. I used plaster for years and then for about the past 15 I was using plaster cloth over foam for the top surface of my layout. Stiff a bit messy and I found i didn't need the strength of the plaster because the foam supported everything. So I went looking for a new technique and developed this one after trying a few different cloth alternatives. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin great how to. Love the outcome. Great idea for fast land forms.
+Peter CPRail8748 Peter, thanks again. I find this to produce the best basic land forms of all the techniques I've tried over the years. While you'll still need to employ some other techniques for specific scenery features, like rock outcroppings, this should give you a great base to start from. Cheers, Kevin
Incredible results!!! Great idea
Thanks. Glad you like this idea. Cheers, Kevin
Wow, thank you. You make it look so easy! If mine turns out half as good as yours I will be thrilled. I just bought the stuff to try this out on my layout. I was wondering how I was going to make my carved foam look good.
Jeff, thanks for the nice compliment. I'm sure you can make yours look just as good as mine--if not better. Cheers, Kevin.
This is a great technique Kevin! I will have to give this a try for sure. Thanks so much for sharing,
Ethan
+efitter7 Ethan, thanks for the compliment. Hope you get a chance to try it out on your layout. If you do, let me know how it turns. Cheers, Kevin
Will do! Cheers
Really like the look and texture of this!! Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin this is a great video. I do a very small layout in HO scale in India where this hobby is not very popular. I usualy use stryrofoam, then apply plaster on top and then slowly spray real mud to get the earthy layer. Then i apply grass and things like that. But this quilt batting is cool and I think this gives a better texture to the grassy mountain. Will try in my new 8'x2' extension soon. Thank you
Thank you for the feedback and nice compliment on this technique. Cheers, Kevin
Wow, I need to try that method - looks fantastic..!!
Chris, thanks for the compliment. Yes, you should try it out too. Cheers, Kevin
Great technique! Could you spray paint the batting? Maybe before glueing it down??
Possibly, but I haven't tried that. It might take quite a bit of spray paint to ensure you get all of the white batting covered. Also, spray paint dries quicker than the brush on latex paint I use so you might want to use an additional adhesive (scenic cement) before adding the first layer of scenery. Cheers, Kevin.
Very nice...I have been using the filter material out of furnace filters it's like the batting you are using but has that light gauge wire in it to help really hold a shape if you need it.
+Brad Beining Thanks for the feedback and compliment. Cheers, Kevin
Awesome! Innovative and inexpensive! I will definitely be using this when I build my final O Scale Joint line layout! Thank you very much for doing this video and explaining the process. Rick Trinkle, Trinkle-Trains.
+Rick Trinkle Thanks Rick. Glad you liked the video. Cheers, Kevin
I noticed your layout is HO scale. Do you think this will be effective in N Scale?
Yes my layout is HO and yes I believe this will be effective in N scale. You'll just need to use N scale sized bushes and trees. Cheers, Kevin
Looks really good. Using static grass on top should give a great natural, uneven look to it.
Thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Kevin
its so realistic at the start i really thought it was a real train and real mountains :D
Thank you very much for the nice compliment. Cheers, Kevin
wow that's beautiful. I really like the texture of the cloth it looks real.
Paul, thanks for the nice compliment. Cheers, Kevin
How do you make the grass dust stuff to stick to the Quilt Batting?
Spraying water on the batting will not absorb that much of paint, but it will give same effect. However, it may take little longer to dry. Economical !
Worth giving s trial !!
Sarla, thanks for the idea, I hadn't thought of that. I just might give it a try. Cheers, Kevin.
Can anyone answer please. I am just getting started mostly for my grandchildren.
I plan on using a 4x8 sheet of plywood then foam board on top. I. Thinking of making it longer so 2 -4x8 sheets of plywood...but when I put foam board on top it will require 2 sheets...not sure what to do with the seam....tape it?
You probably won't need to seam tape the gap between the two pieces of foam. If you covering the foam with some material a small 1/8 or 1/16 gap won't matter. Just butt the two pieces together and cover with your scenery material. Hope this helps. Cheers, Kevin
Excellent! Thank you sir for the video!
I’m not content with the mess plaster causes, so I’m going to give this a try. Went to Wally World today and picked up the wrong stuff. I got the batting that’s more like cotton than the fiber you recommend. Have you ever tried this type?
No, I haven't tried that type of batting so I can't say whether it would work as well, or even better, as the batting I've been using. Good luck with this technique. Cheers, Kevin.
Hi very nice work!. Why do you put the white cover over the xps. Havent you tried to just leave the xps uncovered and form the shape with a sharp cutter and then paint. It consumes less paint. But your job is very nice ad well!!
Yes, carved foam was the technique I mostly used before this. Cheers, Kevin.
What is the brown you use called ?
Kevin, I tried coloring the batting by dipping it in diluted brown paint. While it was fast, I think it is not the same as brushing on full strength paint. When held up, you can see thru the batting as it has thick and thin areas in the cloth. So I will try a hill and paint it, will let you know how it goes, Bob
Bob, thanks for the information. Cheers, Kevin
how thick is the batting and is it polyester ? thanks
What foam do you use?
wow that came out really good. I build 1:24, 25 scale car dioramas, im gonna give that a try. it really looks like grass. would a snow blanket for a nativity scene work?
Looks pretty good, I will have to try this for my first piece of scenery.
What scale is this for? I’m presuming it’s HO? Do you change anything scale wise for ON30?
Cathie, yes this was done for HO. I wouldn't change anything with the technique for ON30. Cheers, Kevin.
Great ideas and well executed in the video. Thanks!!
WOW...great looking rocks.
Thanks. Cheers, Kevin
That is incredible has given me many ideas..thanks for posting
David, thank you for the nice compliment. I'm glad to hear you found the video useful. Cheers, Kevin
I want to start making small to med size dioramas so that I can take photos with my engines, what would you say are the main items that I will need as far as scenery stuff to make them.
That really depends on what type of scenery you are trying to replicate. If you watch my video on How to Make Realistic Scenery you can see all the materials I used to make one of my scenes. The scene started in this video as one of the hills I covered in batting. Hope this helps. Cheers, Kevin
I want to make layout in India please tell where I get all material
Great demo.. .. im just starting a new layout in my new home so all the Tips i can get are going to be used :D
+Fred Fadungy Fred, congrats on starting a new layout. I think starting a new layout is one of the most exciting points in the hobby. Glad you think this tips will help you out. I've got several other videos you might like too. Also in my "Layout Updates" series of videos I pass on some thoughts on what has either worked or not worked for me that you might find useful. Cheers, Kevin
What color of paint are you using. Any brown? Or a specific color/brand?
Really turn out great well done and thanks for the tip cheers Robert
+csxmad Robert, thanks for the nice compliment. Stay tuned for my next video on taking the painted hills to a fully sceniced scene. Cheers, Kevin
I like the look of the batting, but I've always used plaster cloth. Which one should I choose for my next diorama?
Nothing wrong with trying a new technique and then if you don't like it go back to plaster cloth. I used to use plaster cloth but find this technique much better for most applications. Cheers, Kevin
Beautiful quilt you made there Sir.
+dinaatjuh Why--thank you. Its not a plush as some others, but it does the job. Cheers, Kevin
If I were to do this would I be better off with a dark or light brown
You should try to match the ground, dirt, or soil color for the area your modeling. For a lot of the country the color brown I used wouldn't look right. Cheers, Kevin
What color did you use to paint the batting?
Terry, it was called Cliff Rock by Behr. But any brown that matches the ground for the area you are trying to portray will work. Cheers, Kevin
Fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Dan
+TheMisterdan01 Thanks. Hopefully this technique will work out well for you too. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin, I'm blown away with this technique and your results! A basic question I have is how do you carve your foam for your layout and what type of foam do you use?
Thanks for the nice compliment. I use mostly extruded stryofoam insulation. It is available in 4x8 sheets from hardware stores in various thicknesses (usually in blue or pink). I've also got some regular white bean stryofaom on the layout that I've used for some of the hills (but not for the layout tops). Both work about the same for building up hills but the extruded stryofoam is a bit stronger. I use a hot wire cutting tool from Woodland Scenics to cut the foam to the shape I want. Cheers, Kevin
cool video. Anyone have links to where I can learn the first part of terrain building? Like how this was first presented at the start of the video before applying the batting. Cheers.
David, thanks for the compliment on the video. I cut my landforms out of Styrofoam with a hot wire cutting tool and shaped them until the looked right to me. There are other techniques of building up your scenery base using everything from screen wire, cardboard strips, rolled newspaper, and many more. I have done any videos on these but I sure there are some out there. I use foam because I find it works the best for me. Cheers, Kevin
thanks for the post. I will try it as shaper sheet would be way too expensive and I like your technique better. Thumbs up
Mark, thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Kevin
Wow-very nice method,looks great!
+dismaldog Thanks. Glad to hear you think it looks good. The follow up video on scenery techniques should be posted in a couple days. Cheers, Kevin
This was definitely a keeper - added it to my MRR folder. Very well done, clearly explained and like that you mentioned what supplies you were using. One thing I didn't catch was the brown paint in the gallon can. Just ordinary flat brown or something special? Cheers, Bob
Bob, the brown paint I used was "Cliff Rock" by Behr but any flat acrylic paint that looks like the right color to you should work fine. Cheers, Kevin.
@@Modeltrains Thanks, Kevin. Good stuff!
so even if i already put plaster cloth down can i still put this quilted batting over top of the plaster cloth and it'll still work out ok right?
Yes. The batting just needs some type of support structure underneath, foam, plaster, etc, since it is not self supporting. You may want to dampen your plaster first before applying glue to it as dry plaster sucks the moisture out of everything and it might affect how well the glues holds the batting down. From there, just paint the batting and start applying your scenery materials. Cheers, Kevin
Great video! Wish I'd found it before I built my last layout (was satisfied with it but I used WAY too much plaster and plaster cloth). Definitely using this approach next time.
Liked and subbed!