HeatonLodge40

In all honesty although hairspray might work to 'seal' everything in I don't think it has the strength to hold different layers of static grass. Plus I suspect some brands might give an unwanted shine to the result. So to answer your question I'm just sticking to what I know works. And it is cheaper than various 'layering sprays' which I think are probably just matt varnish with a different label

After coating the postiche with earth blend flock (woodland scenic) I give it another light spray to seal it all in. So to recap : First mixed blend static grass goes on to the PVA followed by sprinkled sieved earth. Then sprayed random sections with matt varnish and used the applicator to apply a shorter more beige layer to replicate different lengths. More sieved earth After which Postiche laid down here and there, liberally sprayed with matt varnish before woodland scenic earth blend sprinkled to mimic weeds Finally yet more matt varnish to seal the whole lot in. Hope that helps Simon

I then spray parts of the embankment with matt varnish before once again using the static grass applicator to apply shorter 4mm beige grass to these sections before lightly sprinkling this with sieved earth too. Finally I use Postiche (available from Greenscene etc usual disclaimers) which I pull apart and lay on the grass before using a whole lot more matt spray varnish to coat it. I then use earth blend flock sprinkled lightly on this to give the appearance of weeds. (Used a bit too much here cos I wanted to watch the news).

On with the mixed grass.. Next 3 pics show the grass going on followed by a vac to pick up loose strands. Don't worry if the odd clod gets sucked up - you can fill this in with sieved earth later. Sprinkle on the sieved earth liberally - note the difference immediately in the finished result. Not quite finished yet though..

Flattered to have had a few messages asking if I could go through the different stages of applying static grass in layers which makes up a huge amount of the scenery on Heaton Lodge. So here goes. On the embankments I'm using right now a 50/50 mix of MiniNatur 6.5mm late fall and Noch 12mm wildegras. I mix these in a blender for about 30 seconds to make them easier to apply through the static grass applicator. (Pic 1 & 2) Pic 3/4 shows plain old PVA being painted on. The path is made with sieved dried earth (more on this later)

Not much to show really for a good few days work on these latest two boards. However with just the static grass to apply in various mixes/lengths and the 'water' in the culvert (on the first board) I'll be able to put these two to bed and move on soon. I've not bothered in the past painting the (B&Q) skimming plaster - just applied static grass over the white surface on top of plain gooey PVA, then sprinkled sieved earth on top. However I've noticed in previous completed boards bits of plaster showing through, so from now on I'll adopt the following techniques for all the winter grass embankments. 1) Glue in the polysterene tiles 2) carve with a hot knife to shape (I use one from Hilltop tools about 18'' long) 3) apply B&Q plaster skim 4) push pebbles from the drive into the whole lot - these represent the tufts of wild grass often seen on railway embankments (I've even used rabbit pellets but they go soft unfortunately) 5) when dry paint with B&Q earth coloured emulsion 6) when dry paint on the PVA 7) apply static grass in various mixes and lengths then apply sieved earth. 8) spray matt varnish onto various sections of newly 'laid' grass then reapply static grass in slightly different shades on top 9) spray more matt varnish over the whole lot once again (don't need all these legal high drugs to get high in my garage) 10) Go and get a cup of tea I'll update once steps 6-10 have been completed..

Can't wait to see the video. One of the best portrayals of lineside scrub I've seen.

Another view..

Here is the culvert wall/mouth with added detail such as slivers of polythene wrapped round the culvert bars. The stuff gets everywhere even in trees and bushes. The bars are simply brass rod cut to size and painted a rust colour before being drilled into the culvert mouth. Although you can see I've prepared the stream bed to a point I've decided to use woodland scenics realistic water tinted with acrylic paint to mimic the muddy green water. I'm going to pour this to about 1cm depth - hopefully it will be transclucent letting the stream bed detail be seen.. Lots of junk - tyres, bricks etc this side of the line. I couldn't access the real place without risking life and limb so had my mate with a drone fly it over and take some close ups from 100ft or so. What would we do without technology

I've been itching to crack on with these 2 boards & thankfully I've a week off now to finish them.. So, I've ditched the previous posts attempt at modifying a precast wall - wasn't happy with it so cut the rough shape from plywood and covered the lot in a thin layer of DAS on top of a coat of PVA. Once dry I carved with the basic rough stones with the end of a screwdriver. Then painstakingly added a blob of DAS to each larger stone to replicate the jutting out pieces of really rough stone before leaving another night to dry. Next day I've filed these 'blobs' then covered the whole wall with a wash of watercolours in neutral greys. The capping stones are plastikard cut to shape and covered with DAS then filed to shape. To detail I used model mates moss green and dribbled some Tamiya gloss acrylic varnish down the stones..

C'mon Allan I'm waiting in anticipation! Cheers, Simon

I'm amazed by the fact this isn't static grass, I will await your 'How to' with great interest! Thanks Simon

Seconded. I would love a step by step on which brands of static grass and what layers first. Cheers. Simon

Work continues on the structures and setting them into the layout on the two junction boards.. The latest is the culvert on the North side which has a vertical retaining wall and a small tunnel type outlet where the stream emerges from the opposite embankment having been carried under the four tracks. I found a slab of stone wall from 10 Commandments in the materials box and thought I'd give it a crack forming the tunnel/culvert mouth from this. Found out its difficult to cut a shape in the plaster retaining wall and I've have had to smooth out the mouth with DAS. When its dry I'll have a go scribing the stones around the mouth - if it doesn't work I'll remake the whole wall from plywood covered in DAS and scribe the stones into it.. For the stream itself I want to show some real depth as on the prototype its about a foot deep on this side. I've tried a few methods including the PVA method but settled on Magic Water which seems to be a clear resin a bit like Woodland Scenic's realistic water. With magic water you can colour it with thinned enamel paints which looked really good when I experimented with it recently. The actual stream is only about an inch wide on the model but I've cut a Perspex sheet much wider to give me plenty of room to form the banks. This Perspex is sprayed on one side with a greeny/brown colour first with this side down. For shallow water I'd paint on thin layers of Tamiya gloss varnish (as on the culvert on the opposite bank). This side I'm going to use silicone sealant and plywood to create the stream and pour in the resin in layers to about 1cm deep. There will be all sorts of rubbish planted in here, the odd oil barrel, some bricks and an old bike. I'll update when it all goes to plan (or not)

Thank you & so do I! September this year I'm reliably informed so plenty of time.!

Wouldn't go as far as that Allan! Hope you're well? Just been trial fitting the relay box steps, relay boxes themselves and the concrete 'rest' section half way up. I made the steps previously from modified signal box steps cast in whitemetal - the relay boxes are from 10 commandments and the handrails from brass wire superglued into predrilled holes. These were painted 'a steel' colour, the relay boxes a light grey and heavily weathered with precision paints rust and dirty black. Bit of AK pigments on there too.. When the DAS hardens I'll secure everything in. Ironically an ex BR engineer I bumped into recently told me the relay boxes and steps only went in about 1995 10 years after the period I'm modelling. I thought about scrapping them but since I'd constructed them they are going in under modellers license.

Well today all I can say is thank goodness for DAS. Been a lot of civil engineering going on much of the day, the main job was to set into the embankment the storm water culvert and the retaining walls surrounding the bottom of the signal gantry. The only downside with using a hot knife is if you cut away too much polysterene as I have done, its a right old job getting things back on track. That said...never would I ever consider anything but polysterene for terrain as anything can be set in it - trees, structures you name it.. Real thing first then my handiwork..should get this board finished within the week

Just realised those particular trees/sapling were made by Paul Bambrick. I know they are twisted wire with a bark covering but what of I'm not sure. Perhaps he'll come on and comment.

Yep just twisted wire and sprayed with Model Mates Moss green & muddy brown. Bit of AK Interactive's slimy green on there too..

I've been experimenting with a few products wargamers seem to use in abundance. Reference the earlier posts about brick courses its possible I've discovered to buy individual packs of bricks and breeze blocks in 7mm & 4mm which are going to come in very useful. On another note for puddles (of which there are many on HL) I've previously used scientific slides for microscopes painted a muddy green and laid in DAS clay before a touch of Tamiya acrylic varnish is lightly painted on. This is described in detail in Gordon Gravett's brilliant book. However I've now come across AK Interactive aptly named 'puddles' which works as well if not better and more durable.. drys in a couple hours and is a pre coloured liquid resin. Here's some pics..

A busy couple weeks at work has meant not as much time as I'd have liked working on HL. However, the polysterene banks are now being carved with a hot knife on the 2 newest boards complete with the first junction. A schoolboy error had me cut two big a slot in the poly for the culvert (see previous threads) to sit into which has meant a load of messing about. Should have the culvert in place and two flights of wooden stairs to a couple of relay boxes done by early next week..

They were designed by White Rose modelworks and can be adjusted in height at the top via two large plastic wheels. Think they intend to retail them going forward.

Busy workshop right now!

Another angle

Yesterday I called up to White Rose modelworks who have wired the cassettes and screwed them into the frames. Now back in the workshop I've got my work cut out for a month or so cutting down the wooden formers, adding the basic embankments and other detail such as relay box alcoves, water culvert and a host of other detail.