I'm raising up my 0-72 loop about 4" So I need to put up some wall scenery under the track. Scenic express has some great stuff but a little more than I can spend right now. Any cheaper alternative?

MicroMark sells O scale Brick Paper that is sticky on the back side. You can put the brick paper on anything you want.
I put it on GatorFoam.
This Gator board is really sturdy. I used the GatorFoam and Brick Paper for a foundation/riser for my cast resin water tank.

How about using masonite and spray painting it with something like this:

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=79

Otherwise, you could also use masonite and a layer of thin spackle for a concrete look. It's not stone but it might work for you and it would be cheaper. I found the photos below and directions somewhere (maybe here) a while back and saved them to try it later on my layout.







1. Spray the wood with gray automotive primer.
2. Apply light weight Spackle.
3. Lightly sand.
4. Apply a skim coat of spackle like stucco on a house. Sand again.
5. Paint using flat acrylic folk art paints #420 Linen from Wal-Mart.
6. Apply black dirty water wash to weather.

NOTE: The light weight spackle works the best. No luck with the thicker stuff due to drying, cracking and lack of texture problems.

give the Dept 56 stuff a try. I use it and it looks pretty good. sections are about 2.5inches long, 1/4inch wide and about 3inches high. depending on how much you need might be what you are looking for. It is solid not foam. some sort of resin and gives good detail.

ralph

Those photos of spackle-covered wood retaining walls are the work of Steve (SIRT) who posted them originally on the scenery forum. It's a great idea that he has really perfected on his layout modules.

You can also spray wood retaining walls with one of those "make-it-stone" spray paints to give it texture. Or you could paint it with acrylic paints and sift some fine play sand right onto the wet paint to give it texture.





Also consider scribing large stone blocks on 1" thick pink Styrofoam insulation panels. The pieces can be cut to shape with a serrated kitchen knife and scribed with a stone pattern using any sharp object or one of those hot knife type tools. Use vines to cover any scribing mistakes.





There are lots of do-it-yourself alternatives to the expensive "store-bought" materials.

Jim

Haven't tried it myself but this looks interesting:

Free Downloadable Printable Bricks

Pete

quote:

Originally posted by trainman311:
I'm raising up my 0-72 loop about 4" So I need to put up some wall scenery under the track. Scenic express has some great stuff but a little more than I can spend right now. Any cheaper alternative?

Chris an inexpensive way is copy a sample like the one below from Cando's link, print it on card stock (as much as you need), stitch it together, spray the back with 3M SUPER 77 and attach it to HD styrofoam. I made a stone wall 6' long x 4" high for my Christmas Garden and it looks very real. Good luck.


Or use the free download from Pete's post. They look better and the pic is larger. Thanks Pete.

I needed to make my own portals, so I carved them out of 1/2" blue foam. A little time consuming, but I'm happy with the results.


And this retaining wall is Plastruct sheets and trim wood. The pic doesn't do it justice, but it did look good.

Andy great job on the portal. I love to see DIY creations.

Hi guy's. Thank you for all the great ideas I might print some brick out. The stone paint I have used before on other projects and it comes out nice as well.

Evan Design has nice stuff, print it yourself. He was a sponsor at the top of this page.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Pete:
Haven't tried it myself but this looks interesting:

Free Downloadable Printable Bricks

Pete

Pete's suggestion looks good for free.

Chris,

The wall below was made from balsa wood. It cast roughly $2.00 for a 36" long strip.




I've also used the pink foam board with equal results. The foam board is thicker, and can come in 8 foot long sheets. Both items are inexpensive.

Jim

I really like this stuff....good service too.........
Brick and block sheets

quote:

The wall below was made from balsa wood. It cast roughly $2.00 for a 36" long strip.

That may work out good for a backing and it will bend for my curves. I think it may be OK for 0-72 curves without breaking. How flexible is the foam?

If you kerf the back of the foam, it will bend some. Here is a photo of some foam I made into a stone wall.

This is a auwsome thread,the brick paper products look really nice,i will be trying those soon.

quote:

Here is a photo of some foam I made into a stone wall.

Awesome! Very nice work scenery work!

quote:

This is a auwsome thread,the brick paper products look really nice,i will be trying those soon.

When you don't know ask the question. Everyone jumps in the pool to help!

Here's another source for free printable brick patterns - http://www.cgtextures.com/

Don

I use masonite painted to resemble poured concrete wall and the abutments are plaster cast walls made from a mold.

quote:

Originally posted by jaabat:
If you kerf the back of the foam, it will bend some. Here is a photo of some foam I made into a stone wall.

That stone wall is incredible. That whole scene is great. Nice work.

quote:

I'm raising up my 0-72 loop about 4" So I need to put up some wall scenery under the track. Scenic express has some great stuff but a little more than I can spend right now. Any cheaper alternative?

Chris

I've been tempted to buy this inexpensive Lemax brick mat to use for background scenery..More substantial then a paper download brick. A bit of weathering could work magic on it.
A good sized 18"x36" roll retails around $12.
Joe

brick mat

Scene-A-Rama TV (by Woodland Scenics) shows a simple method using foamboard.
Stone & Cinderblock Videos

(The website's running slow right now, try later)

Basically, score the foamboard, then apply washes of dark color to bring-out the depressions, making them look like Mortar lines. Not terribly detailed, but OK for far-away viewing.