"Anything You Can do, I Can Do Better ! Robinson and Downes.

[allan downes]

Wild grass test.

 

The idea here was to create a really heavily overgrown area where the static grass applicator wasn't the slightest bit amused and failed miserably - AFTER, I had laid the glue down ! 

 

So I took drastic measures and just tipped the whole bag of fibres over the glue, spread it around, soaked it in spray matt varnish, teased it up with a cocktail stick, sprayed on more varnish then sprinkled over with Noch light green leaves.

 

So now. Dare I ask what do you think !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[teaky]

If you hadn't given the game away, I'd have thought it was all done that way on pupose.  Looks convincing mate.

 

Perhaps you could add the odd bit of scrap or debris just poking through?

[allan downes]

If you hadn't given the game away, I'd have thought it was all done that way on pupose.  Looks convincing mate.

 

Perhaps you could add the odd bit of scrap or debris just poking through?

 

Thanks, Teaky. That's the plan.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

[allan downes]

Today was spent entirely on ballasting and it took  all of 8 hours to finish it.

 

It was spread and glued down working a small section at a time using super thin superglue as shown below. This isn't a cheap way to go about it but it beats lakes of diluted PVA and the results are instant but you do have to be very, very careful around pointwork and the tie bars especially - and work in a well ventilated room.

 

Here's the results.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[allan downes]

Been messing about at the buffer stops today with grass applicators, fibres, Noch leaves and glue and, I'm not sure whether or not it's me, but grass applicators don't like 12mm fibres yet are quite happy to make 10mm fibres or less stand to attention.

 

Anyway, it's starting to look like a railway I think and it's the greenery that makes it IF I can master that damn applicator ! Any hints guys ?

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[KNP]

Very effective as normal.

I have seen people put tin foil inside the grass holder to increase the static, might be worth having a look at?

[teaky]

Have you read this thread Allan?  http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php%3F/topic/64167-static-grass-tips-and-techniques/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwjzwqW0k5jVAhWDORoKHRzKDVAQFggEMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHtx6yqYtrn11CDGqYONijISwKNJA

[allan downes]

More static grass tests.

 

Actually, I never used the applicator at all for this, I just heaped the fibres up along the edge of the ballast shoulder into a line of neat PVA, coated the lot in a very heavy coat of matt varnish, teased the fibres up with a cocktail stick and, whilst still wet, sprinkled on a light covering of Nock leaves.

 

Anyway, see what you make of it.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[allan downes]

Yet more static grass tests and I still haven't used the applicator, just heaped clumps of fibre on, sprayed it with plenty of varnish, teased it all up so it looked all spikey then gave it all a light sprinkling of Noch leaves and embedded lumps of scrap - Oh, and the obligatory plate layers hut, or at least what's left of it.

 

However, I shall be having a go at producing grass tufts later with the applicator but I haven't got a lot of faith in either the machine or the results and, if all fails, as I well expect it to, then I'll have to get 'em on Ebay and dump the applicator in the bin !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

 

[monkeysarefun]

Hi Allan,

How was  the grey masonry effect on the building in the last three photos achieved?. The finish and the water stains look stupendous. Two thumbs up!

Edited July 22, 2017 by monkeysarefun

[allan downes]

Hi Allan,

How was  the grey masonry effect on the building in the last three photos achieved?. The finish and the water stains look stupendous. Two thumbs up!

 

Hi there Monkeysarefun.

 

This is a very quick and simple process but only works on card.

 

With the building walls cut out but not assembled, first coat them in acrylic white primer ( rattle can ) ,  then brush on an evenish coat of neat PVA then again lightly spray over the wet glue with the white primer which will craze and part as the glue sets where a very light dusting of matt black will highlight the effect even further.

 

For an even more worse for wear surface peel off layers of cardboard in chunks so as to distress the surface then treat as above. The rain streaks beneath the windows are effected using black weathering powder but very easy does it with this medium because it's very highly concentrated so just a little at a time on the end of a small brush although others have achieved much the same effect using soft leaded pencils.

 

Hope this helps you.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

[allan downes]

Weeds between the tracks.

 

In the real World, old and little used railway sidings were soon overwhelmed by weeds to such an extent that it's hard to see any trackwork at all !

 

Now while this might work on the prototype - is there any choice ! - that doesn't mean to say that it will work on a model for two reasons. First and foremost, loco's need a clear path if indeed they are going to run - unless they're radio controlled of course then they'll run on rust - and secondly, you can soon loose sight of your railway if it's been subjected to too much ground work so, here I tried to reach a happy compromise - enough weeds to suggest neglected sidings without burying everything under an assault of grass fibres and leaves.

 

This is all new ground to me guys so your opinions would be more than welcome and more than appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Allan

 

[UMinion]

Weeds between the tracks.

 

This is all new ground to me guys so your opinions would be more than welcome and more than appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Allan

 

Hello Alan

 

One comment is weeds usually don't grow through the sleepers themselves. It's best to just try to ensure they are only in the ballast

[allan downes]

Pic with shopped sky.

 

Took ages to find it after exporting it from Serrif  Drawlus 8 to files so you'd better like it !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[teaky]

 

Pic with shopped sky.

 

Took ages to find it after exporting it from Serrif  Drawlus 8 to files so you'd better like it !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

WEEDS BETWEEN THE RAILS TEST 002.jpg

 

Looks so good you should consider having it printed for a backscene.

[allan downes]

 Sticky up things.

 

Been messing about with bits of wire, thick super glue and Noch leaves in an attempt at producing long upstanding weeds and here's what I came up with.

 

Two attempts here one with a length of florists wire coated with  superglue then rolled over a bed of Noch leaves. The second effort, seen standing against the old signal box, was a length of stripped out wire where the strands were teased out, superglued and also rolled over a bed of Noch leaves.

 

If nothing else it was an attempt to beat nature at its own game but as to whether or not I managed it.....Well.... 

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[allan downes]

FORTY MILES OF BAD ROAD.

 

Remember that one ? The great Duane Eddy ( and me when learning guitar )

 

Anyway, and be that as it may, here has to be the fastest way of producing something similar in any scale - five minutes  work-  but it only works on grey cardboard.

 

Spread a reasonably even layer of diluted PVA - 50/50 mix of glue and water - over the card and immediately spray a couple of dust coats of acrylic matt black then sit back and amaze at the instant reaction as one medium battles with the other for supremacy.

 

Anyway, here it is but, if you're not too sure about it, then try it out on a piece of scrap card first.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

 

 

 

[The White Rabbit]

Hello Alan

 

One comment is weeds usually don't grow through the sleepers themselves. It's best to just try to ensure they are only in the ballast

 

Errr... sorry but they do. OK, not with concrete or pressed steel, but older timber sleepers certainly do have weeds growing in them. There may be mostly moss on older sleepers but significantly sized weeds can be seen growing out of hollows where the timber's aged/distressed*, whether dandelions, ragwort, herb robert or others. About three hours ago, I pulled out a creeping buttercup plant from an aged railway sleeper, which had roots about 4-5 inches long. OK, it was in my garden, but the point is, it was growing in 'solid' wood. 

 

Alan, I'd be inclined to mix wire plant stems' covering, using fine [foam] scatter as well as Noch leaves, also (when dry) a top coating of flower scatter, whether purple, pink or lavender, does help give the impression of foxgloves, willowherb etc. 

 

* or even terrified (OK, sorry, old joke but gives you an idea of the required poor condition of the sleepers). 

[allan downes]

I use Serif Drawplus 8 to insert sky back grounds into pictures but the problem is that every time you go to use it, they change the rules !

 

This means hours of trying to find out what these  newrules are so, I wouldn't advise anybody  to buy Serif Draw if they are looking for a cheaper  alternative to Photoshop  - you get what you pay for and with Serif  Draw that includes head aches and ulcers !

 

Anyway, here's another shopped pic so fingers crossed.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[UMinion]

Errr... sorry but they do. OK, not with concrete or pressed steel, but older timber sleepers certainly do have weeds growing in them. There may be mostly moss on older sleepers but significantly sized weeds can be seen growing out of hollows where the timber's aged/distressed*, whether dandelions, ragwort, herb robert or others. About three hours ago, I pulled out a creeping buttercup plant from an aged railway sleeper, which had roots about 4-5 inches long. OK, it was in my garden, but the point is, it was growing in 'solid' wood.

 

I did say usually Edited July 23, 2017 by UMinion

[lienbackwards]

I use Serif Drawplus 8 to insert sky back grounds into pictures but the problem is that every time you go to use it, they change the rules !

 

This means hours of trying to find out what these  newrules are so, I wouldn't advise anybody  to buy Serif Draw if they are looking for a cheaper  alternative to Photoshop  - you get what you pay for and with Serif  Draw that includes head aches and ulcers !

 

Anyway, here's another shopped pic so fingers crossed.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

STICKY UP THINGS 005.jpg

 

Delete Photoshop and go for Affinity Photo by Serif - better, faster and most importantly-cheaper! (£48.99). They also produce Affinity Designer that is easier than Adobe Illustrator.

[lienbackwards]

And a few more...

 

MY PICTURES 7550.jpgMY PICTURES 7559.jpgMY PICTURES 7594.jpgMY PICTURES 7600.jpgMY PICTURES 7608.jpgMY PICTURES 7734.jpgMY PICTURES 7883.jpg

 

All that will be left of British industry once we leave the EU

[allan downes]

Another shot with Serif and another change of rules again  where this time you don't get a picture at all as the annoyingly clever Serif people sent it into orbit!

 

As I said. Don't ever buy it.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

 

[allan downes]

All that will be left of British industry once we leave the EU

 

There wasn't a lot left of it when we were in it !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

[BG John]

GIMP is cheaper than Photoshop, Serif, and anything else you have to pay for, however cheap! It's just as good or better too.