Thoughts On Paper Mache For Tunnels/Mountains?

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
I read a lot about everyne using plaster cloth, sculptamold and whatever for making their moutains and tunnels. Has anyone ever done this using paper mache? Is there a good or bad side to this? Just curious. Seems to me like 5 or 6 layers of paper mache over a few balloons would be the quickes way to go about making a mountain.
 

Gil Finn

Active Member
How lond did it take to dry?

I have used wadded up news print and over laid it with strips of paper towles dipped in thin plaster. That has worked well for me and is about the only method I have used other than using some carved foam under the paster & towels along with the news papers. You hold the news papers in shape with masking tape by the way.
 
I wasn't sure what I was going to use until I watched Bob, (owner of the LHS) using sculptamold. I had asked him if the whole thing was done that way and he said yes. He said it looked pretty rough but after playing with it and dumping dirt, grass, and trees on it; it looks pretty good. Here's the link... http://www.dynamichobbies.net/gallery/index.php
 

Renovo PPR

Just a Farmer
Lets see a mountain range for few dollars and it is fast and easy. That is about it when you use paper setting plaster cloth. It can’t get any simpler than to crumple paper then cut dip and model.

I used Express Plaster Wrap that comes in rolls that will cover 10 sq feet. It is extremely lightweight and dries to a very hard shell. I dip mine and it makes no mess while others will dry lay it then wet it.

In addition to the mountains it is the same material I used to make my tunnels laying it over plywood. You can use any type of material for the base from screening, foam sheets or even cardboard and paper.

[FONT=&quot]What I like best is that I don’t have to rush but can work at my own pace and best of all you cannot make a mistake using it.[/FONT]
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Gil Finn said:
How lond did it take to dry?
I wouldn't know since I haven't done it yet.
I just remember doing other paper mache projects in school. If I remember right 3 or 4 layers would dry overnight. It just seems like a relatively simple process as opposed to using plaster cloth, sculptamold, foam, wadded paper, and a bunch of other stuff that add weight to a layout.
 

Renovo PPR

Just a Farmer
The nice thing about the PC is that you can do it in as little as one layer and it dries in a few hours and is tough as steel.
 

Kanawha

Member
Paper mache works very well for scenery, but here in Arizona it dries out really quickly. Its a shame that I sometimes have to factor in fire hazards to my modeling. lol All the times I've used it I've draped it over foam instead of over balls of wadded up paper. Too much of a point of worry. Especially with all the soldered bare wiring and potential for sparks when metal wheels derail.
 
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