So I dabbled in the world of plaster today. I still was undecided on which kind to use over the cardboard support work so I tried both.
Plaster of Paris with paper towels and some "buff" concrete color added to try and get a natural base....
Woodland scenics plaster cloth...
So far the pros and cons...
Paster of Paris.....
Price $30 for bucket, gloves, plaster, paper towels, dye and masking tape
Pros:
- light weight
- easy to mix a batch
- cheaper in the long run or for large areas
- can color when mixing
Cons:
- very messy and difficult to work with
- drys too fast, I wasted half of my 2 pounds mixed as it dried in the bucket
- gets heavier as it drys and will tear paper towels during dipping process
- doesn't look as good when dry (IMO)
Woodland scenics plaster cloth....
Price $9.99 for a 10 ft roll and $5 for tape
Pros:
- cut to size roll
- easy to work with
- less mess
- just add water
- drys and hardens fast
- fairly inexpensive for small areas/small layouts
- no gloves needed
Cons:
- sometimes folds over on itself and hard to unfold
- probably still need to cover with a natural or carved looking earth (scultpamold etc)
- could be costly for a large layout
So I think for the rest of my layout I am going to work with the woodland scenics and then coat with scultpamold instead of the plaster of Paris. Have to at least try them both and I think I'll go with the one that's easier to use and less mess. Unless I dislike the cure results tomorrow.
Paris mess and removed portion that dried before I could use....
Hope this helps.
Steve
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