Coffee grounds and sawdust?

[gator do 65]

I'm looking for detailed techniques and uses of these two items on an ho layout?

 

[wombat457]

When I first looked at ground cover (the do it yourself variety) I tried saw dust but found it tended to "clump up" too much and was way out of scale, even in appearance. With that being said, I suppose it depends on what you want to use the saw dust for.

As for coffee grounds, interesting idea but feel that the results maybe the same as with saw dust. It also wouldn't be able to be "colored" but again, depends on what use you have in mind for it.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Back in the 50's and 60's in the days before ground foam, static grass and all the other products we have today, the typical way to scenic a layout was using dyed sawdust. Either fine sawdust or "sifted" coarse sawdust was dyed with paint thinned with turpentine, then spread out on newspapers to dry. The sawdust was then glued to layouts to simulate grass, bare ground, dirt roads etc.. Several manufacturers sold boxes of the dyed sawdust in shades of green and brown,. But in the end it still looked like sawdust.

 

[DairyStateDad]

I would be worried about coffee grounds attracting vermin... but perhaps treating them in some manner would prevent that?

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Right now, due to XP crash, I cannot get to my pic.
Long story short ...
I have sifted several grades of sawdust .. The Finest being almost powder.
I have made ballast by bleaching and sifting used coffee grounds- then painting via method above.

Both look very good .. But labor intensive to make.
Ballast is a little hard to put down .. It wants to float.

 

[Iron Horseman]

I have made ballast by bleaching and sifting used coffee grounds-

Are there any coffee smell issues? That would be my first "concern".

 

[gator do 65]

Ok, now we're getting somewhere! Please keep the idea's coming!!

My goal has been to spend money only on Locos(4), rolling stock(13) and track(28') the rest has been re-purposed items (lucky I have access to lot's of weird stuff) or scrap construction debris. So far I've got less than $160.00 invested in my 12 x 7 dc layout, I hope to keep it right about $300.00 when done with the next phase which will include Dcc and another expansion to 16 x 7 only time will tell.

Thanks

 

[logandsawman]

Your coffee grounds make a nice brown dye. I needed to put some ground cover down and found that coffee brushed on to plaster or other porous substance made a light brown dye. I made some trees from plumbers putty and to make the bark I painted on the coffee and then dabbed on some fine ground cover, could use your fine sawdust. May wish to seal later with a water/glue mixture.

Here is the picture:



lasm

 

[Sirfoldalot]

An old timer from 40 years ago used very, very, very strong coffee and cigaret ashes to weather balsa and basswood buildings. He had a knack of making something from nothing.

I washed the used coffee grounds in bleach .. After drying, The paint wash masked any lingering smell.

 

[gator do 65]

This is what I like about this forum, ask one question and get even more techniques thanks LASM plumbers putty got plenty of that!
Sirfoldalot, I sure would like to see the pics if possible. Never thought of bleaching! thanks!!
Here's one, partially used briquet's or raw coal give's both ash and grimy black the use's range from weathering to loads

 

[IowaFarmBoy]

Sawdust can be all different sizes. Sifted sawdust depends on the size of the screen. If it looks too coarse then get a finer screen. I have a sieve from Walmart that gives me the equivalent of sander dust. That is about as fine as white flour and finer that Woodland Scenics Fine Turf.

 

[PapaShep]

I saw a guy on you tube - he ran dried leaves through a blender - sifted & such afterwards


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sirfoldalot]

A quick and dirty look at my coffee grounds ballast.
This afternoon I nailed a section of snap track to the first scrap of lumber I picked up .. Spread a little ballast and wet it with diluted glue. Not a very good job, but maybe it gives the general idea.
These grounds were colored using a thinned mixture of white latex primer and water. Dumped the mixture onto newspaper and then smashed the clumps after it dried.

 

[DairyStateDad]

Sherrel, is the wood painted white, or does it just look that way from the camera flash?

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Sherrel, is the wood painted white, or does it just look that way from the camera flash?

Wood was already painted white .. Cutoff of a fence picket.