thx for sharing!

Storing

Cuizer:

Thanks for watching! I have a lid for that bucket but you can see that it pretty beat so would put the ball of what is left in a plastic bags and put in a container. It should last several weeks. Once I've made a batch I am excited to get it on the layout but could see how one might run out of time and need to stop (especially if she who shall not be named calls). 

I'll do another short post on carving in a few days. It is a lot like Scuptimold and is quite easy to work with. You can probably see from the end of the video that it has a hard time sticking my to raw styrofoam bead board but does. 

Neil

That's disgusting !

No, not the mix, the fact that you are doing it in shorts and flipflops while we are freezing in the midwest !                Can't wait to try it, I think I have everything you are using to make it. Thanks for sharing !

Michael

Neil, sometimes it is just

Neil, sometimes it is just not cool to rub in the fact that you live in a tropical paradise,.cool video you sure do put that stuff on fast!

Disgusting

It is disgusting. Sorry guys! I could go on about the pluses and minuses but I'll go back to playing with trains. 

@Rob - I'm sure Texas is pretty nice this time of year, isn't it? You certainly had a nice open house and being on "the mainland" would give me opportunities to meet some of you guys, see more actual railroads, and be. Erg close to family. Made my bed though ...

Neil

Paper Mache Clay

I have been using paper mache clay for about a year. I have not added the oil since I did not have any on hand. Since it air dries, the working time is long as you require.  The excess I store in a plastic ice cream pail with lid and it  is still good after 2 weeks. There have been concerns on other websites about mold forming. I have not had that problem yet.

The recipe can be found at - 

  http://www.ultimatepapermache.com/paper-mache-clay

Control of the water content in the paper is important. I wring out the wet paper pulp prior to adding the other ingredients. I then add water back into the mix along with the other ingredients to get a "batter" that is about as stiff as the dry wall mud. It took a couple of batches to get it right.

I bought a used food processor at a local thrift shop to mulch up the wet toilet paper and to mix in the other ingredients. Its way better than borrowing the one from the kitchen. 

When spread out to about 1/16"thickness over styrofoam insulation scenery it dries over night (depending on humidity level) to a very hard shell. I will lightly score the foam surface in multi directions so the paper mache clay has some tooth to adhere to. When used in thicker areas it will take longer to harden but not that much more. I have found a cheap plastic putty knife works well in larger areas and an artists palette knife (try to local dollar store) in smaller ones.

One down side is planting trees. I have had to resort to a drill to make the hole for the trees. 

 I prefer it over plaster except for making rock mold castings. Clean up is much easier as it will soften with water. This also makes clean up on the layout easier for any bits that get in the wrong place. If the material is still wet it can be easily removed and then the last bit wiped away with a damp paper towel. I ended up redoing an area. The paper mache clay was sp+rayed down with water and allowed to sock in for a while. When the paper mache clay soften it was easy to remove with a scraper.

I have found it to be a very useful material in my scenery kit.

Neil, I guess it depends on

Neil, I guess it depends on your version of nice. At night it has been in the 30s and today it might hit 60F. Last few days it has been 40s for the high and a bit of rain as well as that Texas breeze, we don't call it a wind until the birds start flying backwards. As to stopping by if you are ever close by pm me and I'll give you my phone number you can stop at the club and meet the crew.

Mold

@Larry - thanks for the clarity on longevity! The Linseed oil must help with resisting mold. I use a lot of discarded foam and expanding foam to fill in cracks so do t have problems planting trees (yet). 

@Rob - Looks like I'll be in Tucson soon but a long way from Texas! Thanks  

In case you decide to visit Hawaii we have a place for you to stay! I would certainly make a friends and family discount apply!  http://pakalanainn.com

Neil