Slopping on the Dirt

So yesterday I went down to the club to continue on my demo modules for the upcoming convention and to slop on some dirt all over them.

First up I made up some slop - this is the No More Gaps, Paint and Water mix I use. So a good dollop of the Parfix Gap Filler (cheaper version of the Selleys branded one) into my Ice-cream container and then in with about the same amount of water. Then maybe a teaspoon or two of Burnt Umber cheap acrylic kiddies paint to colour it so it is no longer white. This colouring makes it so that in case the scenery gets chipped in the future, white doesn't show through, but a dirt colour does.

I gave the foam based module a lick of this goop to act as a sealer and to give an undercoat for the scenery. It is quite amazing how this layer of gap filler tightens up the surface yet stays rubbery into the future allowing easy modification of the scenery with just a box cutter - no grinders or side cutters or mess either. Yet another reason I like scenery with foam.

Now here is a close-up of the Expanded foam after a coating. You might be worried that the holes where the beads were might be a problem - well, not really. Another coat will fix it, but by the time the dirt goes ever the top, then the grass, then the shrubs and trees and rocks and any other scenery you might want, you cannot tell that the holes were ever there.

I put this module aside for a bit and got the other three modules out to give them a base coat of dirt. In this instance I used various materials I gathered myself as it is just as good as the bought ones and is CHEAP (I can now hear Scooter saying "Just like you!"). There was real dirt (clay and dirt from the creek at the back of the club) and I also used shale based materials found on a drive down the road from the club (see previous article http://mixedpk.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/digging-dirt-and-dust.html). The only other items needed was of course the white glue mix - so you get white glue and water and mix them evenly, oh, say about 50% of one and 50% of the other. Then you add a percent or so of detergent.

So all that is required to put the dirt on, is to get the paint brush and slop on the white glue mix as heavy as you can (without getting Noah involved) and then sprinkle on the dirt you want. Some people put it in a container and shake it on like you would salt and pepper, but I just use my fingers - OK Scooter, I admit it, I am a grub, but it works.

Now here's a thing about putting on the dirt. Now if this was the top layer of scenery and no other items were going over it, ie no more glue being slopped around, then you have a choice. You can let the dirt get completely soaked in the glue and therefore turn out a darker colour, or you can sprinkle enough dirt on so that eventually only the bottom of the dirt grain gets glue on it and the top stays its dry and more paler and brighter colour.

You will note that the three modules getting the dirt also had colour on them now. I had just painted the plaster surface with some kiddies acrylic poster paint and water mix - again it is just so that if the module gets chipped, the white doesn't show through.

So the three modules got their dirt and put aside to dry overnight. Please note that I could have gone on to adding the grass straight away, but I was feeling off colour by then. So it was time to head home and watch some train shows with Michael Portillo doing the talking - what clothing colour style the fellow has.