makeing grass

[geegad]

hello just want to no if anybody can help me. need to make grass for diorama and cant be arsed to buy it. any way I could make it on the cheap

 

[andygh]

Not sure how you can make it without buying something. Personally I use hanging basket liner and then tart it up with bristles, string, horsehair etc

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Paint a base with glue then lay a material on top such as faux fur or a very soft fabric. When the glue has dried rip the fabric off leaving the fibres stuck in the glue. Airbrush to colour to avoid sticking the fibres together.

 

[andygh]

Do you have any photo's of the results of that method Richard? I'd be very interested

 

[Ian M]

Well not to put to fine a point on it, 'I cant be arsed' with all the "alternative" Methods. Buy a couple of bags of 'grass' from the local hobby shop that has railway scenic stuff. Paint base with PVA (can be coloured with paint or pigments) sprinkle grass from both packets here and there to get a random variation press down gently and then tip off any excess. Job done. The stuff you can by is as cheap as chips and goes a long way. I bought two bags last year, Have done five bases for 1/48 aircraft and still have more left over than you can shake a stick at.

Ian M

 

[noble]

Hi Dude the best way i've found so far is that long fake fur that they sell in material shops ... you know the stuff they make cusions out of this can be cut to shape then left either long or cut down to the size you need it, hope this is helpful. If you want to know what it looks like have a look at the watchers diorama in the GB completed section.

scott

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Do you have any photo's of the results of that method Richard? I'd be very interested

Sorry Andy, just one of those things I picked up in a conversation at an IPMS show but I haven't tried yet. It sounds perfectly reasonable though so if anyone has done this let us know how it goes.

 

[geegad]

cheers for the tip will pva do or is something stronger needed??

many thanks geegad

 

[blongo]

Well not to put to fine a point on it, 'I cant be arsed' with all the "alternative" Methods. Buy a couple of bags of 'grass' from the local hobby shop that has railway scenic stuff. Paint base with PVA (can be coloured with paint or pigments) sprinkle grass from both packets here and there to get a random variation press down gently and then tip off any excess. Job done. The stuff you can by is as cheap as chips and goes a long way. I bought two bags last year, Have done five bases for 1/48 aircraft and still have more left over than you can shake a stick at.Ian M

Can you recommend anything for the base itself? I suppose a square of MDF or something would suffice?

 

[andygh]

I tend to use 18mm plywood as it doesn't tend to warp and I have a decent supply of it. No reason why MDF wouldn't be OK, just make sure it doesn't get damp as it tends to disintegrate badly when wet

One other point, if you're having problems getting your grass to stand up put the vacuum cleaner over it (when glue has dried obviously)

 

[Ian M]

Good point about the MDF and water. I use the green stuff which is meant to be water resistant. I always put a hard wood cross on the bottom and a frame around it. Seams to keep things flat.

Love the tip about the vacuum cleaner! I fear if I trued that it would rip the grass up, the darn thing can suck the nails out of a planked floor!

Ian M

 

[msm2]

Use a face mask if cutting MDF as the dust is dangerous to your health.

 

[phalinmegob]

mdf can be cut quite safely these days,when it first appeared, it was found that the glue used in manufacture had carciogenic properties but it has been changed now.,it is however still prudent to wear a face mask when working with anything that creates dust as none of it can be healthy when inhaled.especially if using a power saw as the dust particles are a lot finer.

 

[Dustbin]

Grass making tips

Seal the mdf with a coat of thinned varnish first, 50/50 varnish /thinners. This should be allowed to dry for a couple of days before proceding with your base work. It will have water-proofed it enough to resist warping. Old fahioned sisal string ( the type used for tieing parcels or the green type from garden centres ) can be cut up to the length you need and applied to patches of pva (white glue). Allow the glue to dry for 5mins or so then gently tease the "grass" to the shape of clump you want. Old hanging basket liners can be used as mentioned along with static grass from the model railways hobby shop or those that sell dolls houses. If you have'nt got an airbrush you can paint your grass by using the dry-brush method as long as the glue is well set. Also paint or stain the groundwork before applying your grass so that you dont get areas of base-board or white plaster showing through .

Hope this all makes sense

Paul

 

[andygh]

Yes, all good stuff but I wouldn't use old basket liners, they rot

 

[Dustbin]

I tend to use old liners as they give a finer and shorter "grass" and not so many long straggley pieces, but trial and error is the name of the game with homemade groundwork

Paul

 

[andygh]

Dead right, whatever works is a good result