How do you make individual stones to create stone walls?

[vinceg]

I have an immediate need to create a stone retaining wall. Rather than buy some molds and/or Chooch pieces (which I am sure I will also do somewhere along the line...pun intended), I would like to build it with individual stones. I thought I remembered -- a couple years ago or so -- somebody posted a thread about how they made individual stones out of plaster. The last step in his process was breaking something apart which resulted in a nice, irregular rock face for each stone. But, I can't find that thread. Or, maybe I'm hallucinating. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Or, anyone have other ideas on how to make individual stones? I thought about using some Sculpey but I'm not sure how to imprint a believable texture on them.

I realize I could also make molds from the zillion FSM and SRMW kits that I have -- or even a Sculpey-imprinting-roller-tool-thingy or something. But for now, I am just trying to understand how viable it would be to try individual stones.

Thx,
Vince

[mainj]

Vince,

you have the basic process in your question.

get some .060 or thicker styrene, does not have to be a large square.

Cut some .040 strips and glue on edge with the desired height of the blocks.

Mix the plaster with a salt water mix into your cake batter  thickness and spread in the troughs formed by the upright styrene strips.

After about 10 minutes the plaster will set but not be too hard. Seperate the sticks from the trough and begin to break them off. that will give you the ragged edge. 

I will try to post pictures shortly.


Jim

[tom.boyd.125]

Vince,
If my memory is still working...The premier first issue of Mainline Modeler magazine had a very nice article of how to do that.
Can't recall if that is still in one of the storage boxes here or if was sold....
Tommy

[deemery]

Another approach, if you want a rough cut stone look:   Make molds to get plaster strips of the appropriate width.  Then pour, let cure, scribe and snap.  Use the edge of a knife to roughen up the 4 edges of the stones.  Glue together 


dave

[mainj]

here are some pictures i hope you can see properly

[attach=1]

[attach=2]

[attach=3]

[vinceg]

Vince,

you have the basic process in your question.

get some .060 or thicker styrene, does not have to be a large square.

Cut some .040 strips and glue on edge with the desired height of the blocks.

Mix the plaster with a salt water mix into your cake batter  thickness and spread in the troughs formed by the upright styrene strips.

After about 10 minutes the plaster will set but not be too hard. Seperate the sticks from the trough and begin to break them off. that will give you the ragged edge. 

I will try to post pictures shortly.


Jim

Holy cow, that was a lot of work, Jim. Thanks for doing that! The stones look great. I have a few questions if I may:

1. I think I understand your jig (first picture). Looks like you used it and it's still intact. Does that mean that it's reusable?
2. Do you need a release of some sort? How do you spring the plaster "bars" out of the jig after 10 minutes?
3. Looks like there are no end caps for each of the channels. What keeps the plaster from running out on the sides when you first pour it in?
4. After the bars are pulled out, you just break them apart by hand? Your stones seem fairly consistently sized. Is that just done by feel or something else?
5. The salt water is just to speed up the process?

Thanks again.

Vince

[vinceg]

Another approach, if you want a rough cut stone look:   Make molds to get plaster strips of the appropriate width.  Then pour, let cure, scribe and snap.  Use the edge of a knife to roughen up the 4 edges of the stones.  Glue together 


dave

Thanks, Dave. That sort of approach was sort of my first thought. But, given the small size of HO scale stones it seemed like it would be tough to get a predictable snap, even with scoring it first.

Time to get off my butt and try these suggestions.

Vince

[mainj]

Vince,

The mold or comb is reusable. The vertical members are about .250 high. Depending on your scale you adjust accordingly.
Z scale is not something that I would do.

The plaster mix probably is a little thicker than cake batter, if you have a lot of runnoff then it is too thin.

Separation is with a razor blade or xacto knife, it comes out easy and no mold release is required.

I break them by eye and xacto knife. You want to break them up while the plaster is still a bit soft. If it hardens too much it will not break very easy.

This was from a clinic at the NER convention a few weeks ago in Massachusetts by Mike Tylik. I claim no originality.

Jim

[restocarp]

somebody posted a thread about how they made individual stones out of plaster.

It may be this thread. It is a very similar process to what Jim is describing.

http://www.modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=2769.0

Matt

[vinceg]

Yes, Matt, that is definitely it! Thanks for digging that out. It was also fun to go back and see what he did with the stones.

[postalkarl]

 Hey Vince:

Good luck with making your wall. Can't wait to see what you do with this.

Karl