spikey Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Well, I seem to be stuck before I've even started my very first bit of scratchbuilding .... Across one corner of my layout, I need a road to be carried over the track at an angle of about 45°, and for this I need a length of retaining wall thus ... All I've managed to establish so far is that because I need a lot more practice with DAS before I could use it for this, it's going to be Slaters Stone Courses Medium on either a ply or a Plastikard backing this time. That top wall needs to be thick enough to be convincing as a parapet/wall, which I guess means something like 6mm where circled above (this is 00, btw). But if that thickness is made up of embossed Plastikard on the outer face, then its backing material, then a strip of more backing material to make up the thickness, then embossed Plastikard on the inner side facing the road, what on earth do I do about finishing off the top of it? Sorry if the answer's obvious, but right now it isn't to me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Some of the best walls I saw were made by the late Dave Shakespeare. The top surfaces were made from either a softwood or balsa strip suitably shaped and scribed. Hope these pics give you some ideas.... I tried to follow his lead and tried something similar on ET. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Oh crikey, Gordon - I'd never have thought of anything as simple as that ... Thank you for posting those pictures! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovex Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I would use some 60 or 80 thou plasticard cut in to strips wide enough for the capping stones and scribe them. Similar to the softwood idea just a different material Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Check out the Evergreen floor tile sheets in different sizes. Ideal when cut into strips for coping. Cheers. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dungrange Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I intend to use these from LCUT to form a retaining wall on my layout, but like you, I think I will need to add a coping stone to the top. I'll probably adopt one of the ideas here. I was thinking about either strip timber or potentially plaster - I'm sure that I have some Linka moulds that made coping stones, but I've not used them for years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I use plasticard, with grooves filed across and round the sides, then roughed up with course sandpaper, like this unfinished wall: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittenDormer Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Can't remember where I read it, someone used (I think) a coffee stirrer wrapped in suitable stone paper. Sorry, not my own work and I can't remember who to give the credit to! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Whilst we're on the subject of retaining walls, I was watching this video re a Ferrari 599 and came across this scene with a wonderful piece of walling. I have often used Slaters 7mm Dressed Stone on 4mm walling and had this nagging doubt that it was over scale, yet the 4mm product appeared to be a bit lightweight. This is the nearest I have seen to the 7mm stone on 4mm layouts, so feel much happier now. The car is pretty special too..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted January 28, 2017 Author Share Posted January 28, 2017 Well, FWIW I can confirm that, of all things, the good old Pritt stick works very well for Slater's embossed Plastikard onto balsa! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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