Sand based base help please

[premacy10]

Hi all

I am looking at making a base for my LRDG chevy, I have never attempted this and have no idea where to start any help appreciated.

regards

Tony

 

[spanner570]

Tony, try not to use proper wood for the base, this can warp and split...Use MDF, plywood or chip board. Whatever you use seal it with dilluted PVA (Wood glue).

You will get lots of different answers, but I use these....Sand, Budgie grit, crushed up cereals, anything that looks like sand!lol

My method:- When the sealer is dry, re coat where you want the sand to be - all over or just here and there - sprinkle your 'sand' on and then turn the base over and tap it. The stuff will stay on where the PVA is...Job done

If you want some small rocks, go in the garden and get some the right scale and stick these on, but remember don't just plonk them on the base, it looks unnatural, rather like an iceberg, some will be below the surface.

That's basically how I do it... I hope this is of some help.

Cheers,

Ron

 

[CDW]

As Ron says, a good seal to the base is in order, i use either PVA or acrylic paint (to give a background colour)

In addition to Rons examples of scale sand i'll add ...

Reptile sand ... this has varying grades of granules that gives quite good realism, also comes in different colours.

Ground coriander ... cheap stuff from the supermarket, this has different colours in the mix and looks ok at 1/35.

 

[batcode]

hi as a reptile keeper and modeler id agree with cdw ref using reptile sand or playpit sand but the other way you can go is theres a thing called zoomed excavater your find it in reptile shop you add water and can mould it to how want depending on mixture i use it for caves for my reps but have used it on models base for sand dunes , there are few other things like this avalible called reptile clay etc

 

[Ian M]

I tend to use good old paving sand. The grade you use to level off with. I run a shovel full through a couple of sieves and get every thing from powder fine dust to 3 - 5 mm

I find the size I want and mix it up into concrete with thinned pva. Plonk it on the base and spread it about with an old spoon..

This is how I have done all the bases for my tank builds on here. Look one up and see what you think

IanM

 

[noble]

I use budgie sand and sieve it well seal the base you are going to use i also use wood glue but i also use 3 coats of yacht varnish. for ground work material i use celluclay which you mix with PVA and water, then spread it on the board and then apply the sand by springkling it all over the celluclay. Push it into the clay with the palm of your hand. Now if you want rocky ground then at this point apply spray glue all over the board and you will find the sand clups together and sticks see my diorama after gazala, then paint.

scott

 

[Bunkerbarge]

A few times over the years I have made a simple and quick diorama base by simply buying a cheap pine picture frame. The base is therefore ready framed and, as long as you use a good glue to attach your foundation to the glass it is an easy start. I did one in exactly this way and used fine sand poured over thick PVA for a sand base. Rocks were made from cork bark and also liberally coverd with sand.

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