I am Building a war diorama and don’t know what to use for graval. I also need somthing to use for ash HELP ME!!!
There are about a million products you could use ranging from real dirt and ash down to weathering powders mixed with glue/water mixes (makes great mud), and about a thousand ways to apply them.
That being said it kind of depends on the scale you are working in as to what might work best for you. I would search model RR supplies for gravel, Track ballast and talus comes in a bunch of colors and is specifically made to emulate gravel. I think Woodland Scenics is the most prolific brand I have seen of this kind of stuff. There are others out there that may be better, but I have used their products and I tend to think they work fairly well without costing an arm and a leg. You can check them out for yourself at http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/index.cfm
Ash depends on the scale again. Since it is so fine it presents a bit of an issue. If you are going for a light dusting of ash I would go with some shades of grey weathering powders brushed over the surfaces with a little heavier treatment in corners where it might accumulate. For more I would use the same method as making mud (appropriate color powder + water/white glue mix) and dab it into place. If you need accumulated ash, like a burnt building I would try to use putty or something similar to build up the basic shape then smooth it out and paint it an appropriate ashy color. While writing this I was looking at the website above and at the risk of sounding like a commercial for them I found some stuff called “Flex-Paste” that looks like it would be perfect for that. Once that was in place I would use either ground pastels or weathering powders and sprinkle them on the wet paint to give it a little texture. You can add footprints in the powder before it dries completely and some highlights with a light brush of a darker color. That method you can also add bits of debris to the ash piles making it look like it collapsed in while burning.
Hope that helps some. Good luck with the project and please post some pictures it is always fun to see what everyone else is working on.
Use gravel and ash…
Good advice, appropriate reply. Especially considering the guy calls himself “Master Modeler”, logs into the forum and practically demands service, all the while never posting a courteous introduction of himself to the board in the appropriate forum.
Yeah I wonder about people who use the term 'master modeller" in their title. “I am the greatest modeller” also springs to mind. Its a wonder they need advice at all, really…[|-)]
model railway ballst works for scale gravel, that’s what it is designed for. You can but drawing charcoal and it looks like burned wood, because it is, or you can check the bottom of your barbeque and see what ash is lurking in there.
Help yourself. Take a walk outside and find some gravel of the size you want. Why do you need ash?
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Yowza, a beat-down for sure, although, manners do go a long way, agreed. A please and thank you go a long way, MasterModeler…
I concur with rudedog, there are many ways to get results. Fine gravel is lurking all around you (roadsides, creek beds, gardens, etc.). Grab a strainer or some fine screening and sift away. Ash is easy too… fireplace, grills, cigars, etc.
Good luck with the search
I did a quick search and you can buy some gravel here…
http://www.greatmodels.com/~smartcart/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=CMK009