Filler for paper sourced mountain


illyad2

New Member
I am working on building a mountain with paper sourced from shredder. Would like to know some ideas for filler material to make the structure look more realistic and less jerky.
 
You might keep in mind, paper will begin to rot after a few years. The smell will get everywhere.
You might consider using foam board with screen overlay to hold wall plaster.

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mountain 7.jpg
 
You might keep in mind, paper will begin to rot after a few years. The smell will get everywhere.
You might consider using foam board with screen overlay to hold wall plaster.

View attachment 128793

View attachment 128794
Screen overlay? What is that ? Specific name or brand? Where can it be found?
If I sealed the entire mountain in paris plaster or the mesh would it effect possible smells due to rotting paper? Could I use a screen that is for a door or is there a specific brand or type?
 
Just any kind of screen material. I stopped by a window repair shop and picked up as much used screen as I wanted, steel and aluminium. Just secure it to the foam board with nails. You just need to push the nail through the screen and into the foam to hold it in place till the wall plaster dries. Ring nails work best.
As for sealing the mountain to keep the smell in, I doubt that could be done.
 
I have, for years, on four or more layouts, either set up wood forms, used crumple up newspaper TEMPORARILY on the latter, or interwoven strips of corrigated cardboard, then used metal screenwire (any kind will do...check your local hardware store), over which I either lay plaster impregnated cloth (hobby store stuff is cheaper than medical plaster cloth, but works), followed by a coating of Plaster if Paris or other similar products. If you can find an artist supply store that handles powdered Tempra paints, you can mix it in with the plaster to color the hardened stuff clear through. Just do NOT use RIT dye, it will cause the plaster to NOT HARDEN! Oh, and, if you use crumpled newspaper to form the screen wire, pull the paper out from underneath. Plaster-over-screen-wire, especially with some wooden formers underneath and enough plaster, can be strong enough to walk on!
 
As for the type of plaster, the 5 gallon cans of wall plaster is a lot easier to use than the bag of powder that ya mix with water. The blue lid light plaster is just as good as the green lid plaster.
Some folks just swear by the powder that has to be mixed with water. Ya get the powder dust all over everything, ya have to spread it within a few minutes before it begins to harden, ya have to get the right ratio of water or it turns chunky or ya have to add more powder, etc. The tub of wall plaster lasts for years and ya just have to pop the top and scoop out what ya need at the time. Close it back up and store it under the layout till next time.
 
There are several ways to do this. Cost varies, so spend 20 minutes and google each to get a guesstimate as to cost. Also, ease of use, which you might get a handle on intuitively, if not in practice, will vary:

Window screen is available the same place they sell ropes and cables at your large box stores;

Plaster cloth to cover the screen material. Go to medical supplies etailers to order several tens of feet of the stuff in a roll;

Sculptamold can be acquired through Walthers or maybe even modeltrainstuff;

You can mix a slurry of 3 parts Plaster of Paris, one part Portland Cement, 4 parts fine vermiculite, plus some powdered masonry dye (all found at your hardware store, big box, building supplies, etc.) Maybe not the vermiculite, but your local plant nursery place may have some bags, or order some.

Back to the window screen. You'll want scissors, patience, hot glue and a gun. Carefully measure, and begin to hot glue it to something that can stand the heat. If the foam can't, maybe use PL300. You shouldn't use large gobs of it, just a thin layer that the screen can embed itself into, and you might need push pins to hold it in the foam until the PL300 sets up, at least 12 hours.
 



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