Das Clay - some advice needed please

[johna]

I am about to enter the magical mysterious world of using Das Clay for my industrial set layout. Basically I am covering the tracks and surrounding area with Clay so has anyone any tips or advice to make sure it sticks to the board and how do you get an overall flat finish?

 

Thanks

Johna

[Ray H]

Don't forget to keep the flangeway clear, it'll be a b*gger to clear it once the DAS has dried.

[jazzer]

4 hours ago, 21C1 said:

Put it onto a layer of PVA Glue , or thats what Model Rail advise, let it go sticky first. To flatten use a rolling pin.

Does that advice also apply to sticking DAS to plasticard

[Les Bird]

I have some Das clay which has been around for a long time and, although still sealed in the packet, it feels quite hard. Can anything be done to soften it or is it only fit for the bin?

[Modelling Martin]

Adding a little water to it should soften it quite nicely. For my layout I prefer to apply it by hand so it is not perfectly flat (I used it for general ash/oil build up in a shed). Once I'm happy with the general surface I find stippling using an old paintbrush works well to smooth everything together and obviously afterwards remove the clay around the inner track face for the flanges, I used an old set of wheels.

[Jonboy]

For most clays if they have gone solid you can wrap them in cotton or similar, soak in for day or so in a bucket of water and then let it dry to desired consistency.

[Happy Hippo]

16 hours ago, jazzer said:

Does that advice also apply to sticking DAS to plasticard

Yes

[Les Bird]

Thanks for the tips. I'm about to apply ground cover to a goods yard so i'll try the water and see how it goes

[ColinK]

I put a thin coat of evo-stick on my plywood baseboard before applying the DAS. I also pushed some bits of coal and ballast into the DAS before it set.

[David C]

I doubt that PVA will stick DAS to styrene sheet if it does, it may not last too long. Dave Rowe, who introduced DAS to the model railway world many years ago, used to apply the DAS onto a styrene building carcass  and then impress the stonework or brickwork whilst it was still wet. When it had dried thoroughly, he used to flood it thoroughly with solvent (Mek Pak, Plastic Weld etc). This soaked through to the styrene and secured it effectively. I've been using the same technique for years and had no failures at all. 

The big low relief maltings at the back of the layout behind the goods shed  was constructed by this means at least 10 years ago . The goods shed and most of the other buildings were surfaced with Wills coarse stone. 

 

Incidentally, dampening the DAS a little makes it more workable. I've been using it instead of ballast to bring the groundwork up to the tops of the sleepers on the tracks leading to the loco shed on my current layout. This is intended to represent compacted ash as per Chris Nevard's suggestions in Model Rail.

 

David C 

[ColinK]

I’ve used DAS to face buildings and it has lasted for years, but I used balsa wood rather than plasticard for the structure.

 

Here is where I’m up to with using DAS for the ground next to my coaling stage.  It will look much better when finished.

 

 

The white area to the right of it is Sculptamold, another useful material.

[Jeff Smith]

Picking up on this thread as I plan to use Das for a 7mm stone bridge.  The structure will be a mixture of ply wood and foam board.  I cannot see a supply of embossed paper or styrene of the right pattern or scale here in the US so moulded and scribed Das it will have to be.

 

So my question is, is it best to mould the finished surface (rough irregular stone blocks) while the clay is still soft or wait until it hardens and then scribe the joints and surface roughness?  Is it at all workable after hardening?

[Siberian Snooper]

I always scribe DAS when it's dry. I also find that coating paper or wooden surfaces with PVA first, before applying the DAS helps to bond it, a liberal application of solvent on plastic surfaces, for the same reason, but only cover a small area at a time.