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Work on the Canadian Canyons scenery keeps rolling forward. An all-star trio (David, Eric, and Kent) takes on the task of modeling the seldom viewed right-of-way along Kamloops Lake, complete with stone arch viaducts, red rock cliffs, and murky lake water. See how David gets things started by installing the painted plexiglas lake water across two sections of our N scale layout.
David,
Love the video as I do with many of them. Thanks
In the part where you are at the spray booth painting the underside of the plexiglass I see behind you what looks like a Helix with foam block risers. If thats what it is could you please link the article or video where that was built if there was one.
Thanks again
Ed Hansen
Great video! I’d like to offer a tip. Several years ago I had a need to cut several pieces of plexiglass, and the cut lines were often more than a foot long. I got many of those little notches (like you showed in the video) and cracks at first. So I started clamping the plexiglass to a table. I clamp the glass with the score side up, between the table and a piece of scrap wood. The project side of the plexiglass should be on the table and the scrap side should be overhanging the edge. The scoring line should be right at the edge of the table. I then add weight (bricks or pavers are great) to the scrap wood so that there is pressure from above all along the scoring line. I then take a second piece of scrap wood and lay it on top of the overhanging plexiglass. Butt the second piece of wood right up to the first. This will allow you to apply even pressure all along the scoring line to effect the break. Now push down on the second piece of wood. Speed helps, the faster the pressure builds up on the score line, the better the results. It’s laborious, but it’s the only way I get clean cuts.
Great video, David! I have watched a different video by a German fellow, where he used diluted White Glue and Toilet paper to simulate wavy water along a lake or ocean shoreline. Apparently there are more ways to simulate water than can be imagined! The plexiglass is a simple method and I’m big into simple! Again thanks!
That was a pretty good solution to that problem.
Really clever solution.
Nice solution to a difficult situation.
Very nicely done, this layout will certainly be in the TOP five of all the layouts series MR has done, even my beloved Beer Line,
Nice work David. This shows the range of materials that can be effectively used to add scenery to any layout, from carefully mixed and tinted resins to spray-painted Plexiglas. Thanks
David, thank you very much for a great video. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for detailed information on using plexiglass to simulate water. I’ve seen references to it in various books and articles at times but never a complete and concise explanation of how it is accomplished. Thank you very much and looking forward to Part 2.
On my HO scale harbor scene for water I started by using 2 ft x 4 ft panels of a plexiglass like material designed for fluorescent lighting fixtures. I chose a “cracked ice” textured one that gives the appearance of water with small waves (very little water is perfectly smooth). The back is painted with spray paint or an airbrush to give it the desired color. It can be cut with a heavy duty box cutter but not with a scroll saw as it tends to melt back together as it’s being cut.
And the beat goes on.
Using the plexiglass seems much easier than “ripple” glass which has been used by more than one modeler in going for a lake effect. The black styrene backing is a very good idea as it does some how fool the eye into thinking the water is deep.
Those Chooch flexible rocks are the neatest. I am going to use the blasted rock for some side walls to a layout. The only thing is they will have to be painted a more granite color.
Now that is some impressive scenery work and being very innovative with the area that separates… well done!
Very nice, David. I have a similar scenario where I have a narrow 2×4 that represents a large Sound and there was no way I could pour resin on it. Using painted plexiglass will work perfectly. Thanks!