Has anyone made polyfiber into something that looks good? I bought a bag of it and was considering using it for a bush or something and it ended up just looking like a ball of green yarn. Is there some technique that I'm not picking up?

Solar,
Tease the polyfiber out to give it shape, and then spray with hairspray and cover with coarse ground foam. The row of bushes along the fence in front are polyfiber/foam:



Jim

Jim,

Why the hairspray?

The hairspray acts as the adhesive to hold the foam to the polyfiber. Usually I hold a clump of polyfiber with tweezers, spray it good, and then dip it into the container of coarse foam. A little extra hairspray on top really holds it all together well. The hairspray is cheaper than other spray adhesives.

Jim

Oh ok. I have a bottle of scenic cement so it's ok to use that instead of the hairspray?

SolarEclipse2,

I think the scenic cement will be much more messy and will take longer to adhere. A cheap extra-hold hairspray from any dollar store or even a grocery store works great. It is one of my mainstays for scenery. Most ground cover I use a 50-50 mixture of Elmer's Glue All and water before I lay down the ground cover and then add a splash of the hair spray after to insure that things stay in place. Here, I would do as Jim suggests and use the Hair spray as the adherent.

Rick

Ok. I will do as you suggest. I was just wondering since I had the scenic cement.

I just like the hairspray. It's neat and easy (and it's the only way I can use such a product (see my avatar).

Jim

Your scenic cement will come in handy for many things. It will get used up!!!!

Rick

Aquanet Hairspray is the cheapest yet. Get "Extra Hold."

I use a variety of Woodland Scenics "fine" and "turf" in light, medium and dark green, and "Turf Blend. I pour the stuff into one-gallon storage bags as shown in photo, spray the poly tufts, toss them in to coat, shake off the excess, and then mount them on the scenery. On extremely vertical surfaces as shown, I spray 3M spray cement on the surface first, let it get REAL tacky and then press in the poly balls.









Don't forget to wear a pair of disposable gloves to keep the "yuck" to a minimum on your fingers.


Good luck,

Paul

Doesn't the hair spray evaporate and "let go"? (Lose it adhesive properties)? Is it really permanent?

Very permanent. I've never known it to fail.

As a test, spray your hand, keep your fingers together until it's dried. Like cement.

Better yet, find some 1970s girl and TRY and run your fingers through her hair (if she'll let you).



Paul

But that's just it... I thought women had to re-apply it every day. If it was truly permanent, she'd never be able to run a comb through her hair after the hairspray dried. (Shows you what I know)

Don't shampoo the polyfiber.

It's water soluble, for sure, you're right about re-applying.

But unless you're planning on having "scale rain" on your layout, I think you're in great shape. Once it's dried. It's dried.

P.

spring - they have to re-apply it every day because they shower/shampoo every day and wash it right out. Also, hair goes through a lot of movement during the day. The scenery on your layout will not go through such motions all the time like that.

(Or at least it won't be shampoo'd every day, right? )

John

I spray my fiberfil black before applying ground foam foliage. The black recedes, and it looks like there is open space behind the foliage instead of that light green color.
This area is is in the background and not normaly viewed this close so there is less detail: just a solid mass of foliage.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul Lally:












Paul

Those trees look great, Paul.

quote:

Originally posted by jaabat:

quote:

Originally posted by Paul Lally:

Paul

Those trees look great, Paul.

Thanks, I owe much of what I have learned to the scenery techniques of Dave Frary and Bob Haydn as seen in Model RR. They are great fans of variety; texture, color, etc. Keep the eye moving all the time, don't let it stop. Rocks, trees, shrubs, gravel, turf.

Paul

Thanks for the great tips guys. I can't wait til I can try it but it's going to be a while. If you want a laugh, take a look at my last post in the 3 rail section.