Could you expand on raster scanning? 

what would be better to use interior flat latex to paint the shell or craft paint and can use the paint as an adhesive to sprinkle on ground cover,
Thank you

Lowes sells gallons of paint that were incorrectly tinted for about $5 so you can often find a beige or grey color for a base color for scenery since they are common interior colors.  Menards does not sell mis-tints.

Robert

Could you expand on raster scanning? 

Raster scanning is a term I borrowed from how CRTs (cathode ray tubes) would draw a picture on a computer screen, one row of pixels or one slice at a time.  Conceptually, its similar to the way I built the scenery profile.

I lay the vertical strips as I go from right to left, or visa versa, and add scrap wood supports as necessary for the shape.  I add in the horizontal strips of cardboard to tie it all together so it holds.  Hot glue is the adhesive and makes it go relatively quickly.

I actually created the profile for my landscape and canyons as I installed the cardboard strips.  If you follow the scene from right to left, you'll see each vertical cardboard strip forms the actual landscape rather than the traditional web of cardboard which only forms a surface to which you have to add other materials to form the hill side or canyon side or mountain side. 

Underneath, you can see some of the scrap wood to support the strips as necessary.

Lowes sells gallons of paint that were incorrectly tinted for about $5 so you can often find a beige or grey color for a base color for scenery since they are common interior colors.

That is exactly what I used for my scenery base color - I went to my local Home Depot and found a gallon "mistake" paint which had a color that was "close enough" to what I needed.  Then over the top of it, I did add a layer of colored sanded grout for texture, over which tufts of grass or scrub brush could be placed.

Here you can see the lighter parts are where the latex paint is and the darker where the sanded grout was applied but not yet dried.

Here are a couple more examples for the cardboard strip formation of landforms.

In the above photo, I used crescent shaped scraps of wood under each of the curved benches in the canyon wall.  Scrap wood is used to support whatever land form is needed.

Very cool. I appreciate the explanation and the excellent photographs.

best,

Rick

ok so the glue is dried for a total of 2 layers.the shell seems flexible not rigid .you push on it it sinks a little and bounce back, any ideas to fix this or just keep going with paint and ground cover.?
Thank you

ok so the glue is dried for a total of 2 layers.the shell seems flexible not rigid .you push on it it sinks a little and bounce back, any ideas to fix this or just keep going with paint and ground cover.?
Thank uuyouh8uuyouh8youhkyou

A variation on glue shell scenery is to use fabric instead of paper, anything from old t-shirts or bed sheets to bath towels.

Wow. This thread sure got dragged around. Rick G answered most of the OP very well. To complete the answer, use white glue full strength. Far down the list Rick G wrote "Let dry". Why? You can start with ground cover right away, right into that coating of glue. 

Later kh25 asked about the shell not being rigid and having some flex. I see no need to have it rigid; why would you ever want to push on it? As described it is plenty strong enough to support forests of trees and plaster rock castings. Single layer of paper is all you need.

And jimfitch, that cardboard is interesting, but that is a whole different scenery method. You must have all that support to hold the plaster cloth until it dries. For this "glue shell" method you would need half as many strips, maybe even a third. Faster, cheaper, get back to working on trains sooner.

In any event, Rick Wade has the best advice: dishwashing or "rubber" gloves. Not latex or vinyl! Hot glue is hot!

Steve Hoxie

Pensacola FL