Making your own rock molds - Model Railroad Scenery
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- It can be quite rewarding when you make your own model railroad scenery, and even more so when you actually created it from the bare materials. Rock molds are no different.
There is an art to selecting good looking rocks for making rock molds but it’s much easier than you think, a bit of trial and error and you’ll be creating your very own realistic rock masterpiece.
These rocks will fit any scale and any type of scenery… from rainforest to desert, rocks are everywhere and there’s no better way to add custom rocks to your model railroad, war gaming terrain or scenery diorama than making them from scratch yourself.
The main product required for this project is ‘Woodland Scenics’ Latex Rubber, a fantastic and very versatile product, I not only use it for these rocks but I’ve also used it on model trees and I also use it to make copies of buildings and other building material.
The rocks I use in the video are ‘Sandstone’, it’s perfect for this job due to it being very easy to chip away at and you can manipulate it to get the perfect shape to your rock.
I hope you enjoy watching and if you would like to help support me and these videos you might like to check out my patreon page.
Cheers
Luke
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Your videos are better filmed, narrated, paced, edited and produced than some commercial tv in Australia... super impressive!
I always wonder in awe by watching Mr. Luke`s skills on Model making but the whole Execution of his videos are also incredible.....
I'm always amazed at the quality. Camera work, audio, editing, direction, narration - I really hope he has a huge international cartel of railroad modelers funding him... :)
Completely agree although for me it's UK TV. I actually screenshare this with my TV and just watch like proper TV programmes.
I know some of these videos are older but I have to tell you I really enjoy them. It's been fun catching up on your builds and your lessons. Thanks Luke.
I use the oven in the kitchen to force dry the latex. It works very well at about 200 degrees with the door open. (I do most of my mold making in the winter). I use about 5 thin coats of rubber with gauze in between the 3rd - 4th - and 5th layers. Doing thin layers I have found that I need the reinforcement but I get the mold done much faster. One more way I make molds is with Bark Mulch from the "big box" store. The same you would use in the flower beds. Most of it is not good enough for the molding but there is a small amount that is great - usually. For the price (about $5.00 for a large bag) it is economical. I have also gotten larger pieces of actual trees and if the bark is rough enough, you can get very long great molds. When filling the mold (I use plaster a little thinner than you did) I pour some in and then with an "acid brush" I try to paint the bottom of the mold and this gets all of the bubbles out.
Another simple, quick, easy and beautiful option is to clean, then boil large pieces of Pine Bark, allow to dry. Glue them together in a stack until the desired size and shape is achieved, then spray paint with slate-colored sparkle paint or 3 color speckle paint. They are light-weight, and stunningly detailed.
one thing i like about this, is that these tricks can be applyed to any form of modeling. and it is probably very helpful to guys who play warhammer lol
I tried this as a kid, mid 70's. We didn't have bespoke moulding latex back then, and whatever was available was quite thin so that 4 or 5 layers resulted in something that didn't even hold it's own shape let alone plaster. This looks Great!
As a landscape architecture student, these are by far the most useful tutorials I've found to help with my model making. Thanks for sharing!
Incredible results Luke. Great video as always!
Cheers :)
Luke Towan how do get room for the miniature city
Thanks Luke. Some simple tricks here, but ones which I didn't use too well when I had a go before watching!
Thanks Tony :)
Man, the comments section of this video is almost as entertaining as the video itself! I guess it goes to show that some are more interested in simply criticizing instead of learning the reason "why". Thankfully, you've given a fantastic tutorial that allows scene creators to go rock hunting once then cast lightweight copies from the comfort of home instead of having to go out to god knows where any time they need specific rocks! And the weight of hydrocal or other lightweight casting mediums offer significant benefits over real rocks, especially when used either in large numbers or when used over a large scene like a multi-tile railroad exhibit! Keep up the great work - very happy I found your channel!
lol I too really enjoy reading the comments, it's sometimes hard to explain these things to people who aren't model builders. Glad you enjoyed watching the videos 😀
I adore your channel! Just discovered your work today and I'm hooked! Can't wait for more!
Thanks :) I just posted a new video :)
Cheers
Luke
Hello Luke, I never stop watching your videos tutorials,no just videos
Every time I see that dry brushing technique done, it feels like magic happening before my eyes!
thanks so much mate, glad you enjoyed watching 😉
2:47 Why am I suddenly hungry for cinammon rolls? Great job. You could make endlessly unique rocks with this technique.
mmmmm I love a good cinnamon roll :D lol
This is absolutely fantastic. Exactly what me and my friend Matt have been looking for!
ha ha ha.... I'll be waiting to see a photo of your model when you finish it :) I'm sure with two amazing artists working together it will be amazing :)
Just about done with all your videos Luke... Well done and a lot of excellent techniques in them!
I've enjoyed seeing your techniques evolve over the time span you've been doing the videos. Some brilliant stuff in there, I especially like the chalk treatment on gravel roads, what a difference...
Thanks for sharing with us.
Cheers!
Thanks mate, yeah I used to have trouble getting the effect I wanted on dirt roads but once I discovered the chalks I find it very easy :)
Cheers
Luke
Ok, so I'm blown away! What an excellent tutorial...and on such a great topic! I have always liked the way you incorporated rock formations in your layouts. Now I hope to make some of my own!I'll be on the lookout for rocks on my next hike!thanks for sharing!!!
lol, good luck with the rock making :) I'm sure they will look great :)
Cheers
Luke
"Just be sure to make quite a thin mixture. Something similar to the consistency of a chocolate thick shake from McDonalds - or strawberry, if that's how you choose to live your life...". :)
I absolutely love all your videos Luke. Thank you for always being so informative and hardworking! Must’ve be easy. Keep it coming man
Adding dye to to your Hydro-cal (Brown, Earth tone, or grey) before pouring into the mold will keep you scenes looking good over time if the rock gets chipped. You will avoid white spots. Good video!
Thanks mate, great tip!
I've just said the same thing...I REALLY must read more of the comments!!
Wow! Amazing results! I'm very impressed. I was using real rocks at first, but they made the foam base of my diorama begin to sink. This was very helpful.
i was thinking about what you commented and had to come back to it. To avoid that sinking problem with real rocks and a foam base box you could do like the cake decorators to and brace it underneath. Basically they take dowel rods, shove them down into the bottom layer of cake and put a platform on top to support the upper cake layer. You could use the same concept with the foam base and the real rock since you will probably be building up around the rock with details like plants , etc. And the platform does not have to be the same size as your rock , it can be smaller........if you need to support the dowels under the base...add another platform for them to sit on (glue or screw them ) so they dont tip over. Hard to describe in text but visualize a sort of greek temple....a base(floor), a roof (ceiling) and columns.
An old trick for plaster casting in anything is to dust the mold with plaster powder before pouring. The wet plaster wicks into the dusting helping prevent bubbles at the surface and the outer surface is then of thicker harder mix.
Nice tip!! I'll give it a go next time, thanks 👍
Great Job. I would've chipped half that rock and threw it right into my layout. I use to do this b4 I triplets 8 yrs ago. Great Job !!
lol thanks :)
Incredible job Luke, awesome results.
What a great idea Luke. A really great way to make dozens of good looking scenic rocks for a very reasonable price. Many thanks for sharing this with us.
Joe
No worries Joe, glad you liked it :)
Cheers
Luke
I just bought a bag of tree bark from Lowe's (about $5.00) and had enough bark for many molds. It's a good medium as you can use the bark placed on it's side, or use the edge of the piece, and even make molds that are "N" scale. Video to come in a few weeks... Your way is good but I like this as I can do all of the process inside and in the summer I love to work in an air conditioned house. I do 3 layers of latex then a gauz layer followed by a final thick layer. I have never had a mold fall apart or tear. I like the small square pieces of material as they are easy to get into all of the cracks and crevices before the final thick layer. I have the plaster a little thinner and just pour a light coat into the mold then with an acid brush (1/2 inch) I stipple the plaster and this does 2 things. First it gets all the little details filled and second it takes all ( and I mean all) of the bubbles out. All you have to do is to get the air bubbles away from the surfice of the casting. I find that cat litter is good to use to set the molds in and this has a second feture. The dust from the litter will coat the mold and prevent it from sticking to itself or other molds in a box when you store them.
Thanks for the great tips and advise David, I haven't tried the bark method but I'll have to give it a shot. I'll also have make molds using you method as well. Thanks again 😀
That is truly awesome Luke! I was also thinking, like Coxy's Railroading, that Pam cooking spray would act as a mold release for the more delicate rocks with finer details. Cheers, Dan
Thanks mate :) yeah I'll be sure to use cooking spray on the next mold and see how it goes :)
Cheers
Luke
Hi Luke, Been watching a few of your videos and absolutely love them! Best model railroad tutorials on the internet without a doubt! I noticed the Holden Colorado in your video here! Good to see a Aussie doing such a great job! Good on ya mate and keep up the good work! Happy Australia day! :)
Thanks for the fantastic compliment mate :) Happy Australia Day to you as well. I hope you continue to enjoy the videos :)
No worries, thank you for putting out all of the great tutorials. I hope to use them one day soon when I start doing my own railway.
BTW - I am a train driver in the Hunter Valley/Newcastle area, and I am pretty handy with a camera, so if you need anything photographed for research, don't hesitate to ask, I am more than happy to help
Nice work on this video Luke. Got to get started chopping some rocks apart.
I am an O scale model railroader and this on a mountain scene or even behind some building would really add some character.
Cool, it works out a lot cheaper than buying molds but it is a little time consuming. But that's the point of a hobby :)
Glad I could help.
Cheers
Luke
Tip: For added detail I suggest looking at rock formations and choosing a rock type of you liking that suits your diorama. This is important due to that large rock formations usually consists of two or more colors running in veins throughout. Thiseffect can be achieved by using different base colors before drybrushing. Great video!
Great instructional set of videos. Well lit, well made, good focus, clear precise instructions and music level and style just tight. Keep up the good work, Luke !
thanks Ray, I put a lot of hard work into the videos and it's great that you noticed :) Thanks for the fantastic compliment.
Cheers
Luke
awesome...so realistic looking...I can't get over how you seem to find a way to use anything and everything to your advantage...jeez...imagine if we were in a survivalist type world...I would definitely be wanting to travel with you...lol...great video man...looking forward to the next...
ha ha :) Thanks mate glad you liked the video :)
Cheers
Luke
Nice tutorial !!!! Very easy and realistic
Thank you, glad you liked it :)
the more i watch your vids the more enthusiastic i am to begin model R/R and eventually design my own scenery. i thought of another way to settle the plaster. i worked in a factory that cast small parts using a plaster of Paris mold. the molds were placed on a vibrator to settle the plaster. a similar effect can be made creatively without a $1000 vibrator. they can be placed on top of the hood of a car while the engine is running or on top of a refrigerator, anything that creates gentle vibration.
If I may suggest something; when I've done dioramas before, I've precolour the plaster with a suitable colour of water based paint. This ensures if a bit breaks off, theres not a glaring white bit! If you tried that with this tutorial, you could go straight to weathering. Obviously, if you're batch making rocks this might not work unless you're always going to use the same type of rock.
Anyway, just a thought and thanks again for the vid.
N Scale
1 second ago
No more Hydrocal for me. I have 8 rock molds that I made with Hobby Lobby latex mold builder. Using Hydrocal, I could make ONE poured set and let it dry overnite. Today with Perfect Cast from Hobby Lobby, I was making a set every hour. And pulled over 40 finished rock pours, [5 ea. mold] that are hard as dinner plates. Plus I needed them thin. About 1/4 inch thick. All successful, zero broke. Best part it's Made In The USA !! 4lb. bag $7.99. with coupon $4.79.
This seems like an ad for Perfect Cast.
An old timer once taught me to keep rubber items in ziplock bags with baby powder sprinkled in. The rubber won’t rot or stick to itself
Im not in to trains as much but your voids are very well made and relaxing to watch. Its also very cool to see you made realistic thing made from scrap!
thanks mate :) glad you liked it :)
Cheers
Luke
Great video. Really enjoyed the process. Thanks.
just started marathoning Wayward Pines recently and now this channel reminds me of the opening title sequence lol
lol, someone else mentioned that a while ago :) It's a great intro :)
This is therapeutic to watch.
I'm glad you enjoy watching, that's a great compliment 😊Thank you
Love all your videos!!
A very pleasant watch. Rob
Thanks Rob, glad you enjoyed watching
Cheers
Luke
Luke really... ROCKS!
Yeah I have bad dad jokes all day.
Nice, simple and informative video. Your mould looks so simple to do yet looks professional once completed. Thanks for the video and tutorials.
Thanks mate, glad you liked the tutorial :) Hope you continue to enjoy them :)
Cheers
Luke
You need a tv show for, I mean you're like the Bob Ross of modeling!
What a beautiful work👍
Another great video mate,and always great to make as much as you can yourself.
yeah true, there's a lot of stuff that needs to be bought but if you can save a few bucks here and there it certainly helps :)
Thx bro, it was very helpful. 🙏👍
Your rock is prettier than the original. The copy surpasses the authenticity ..!!!
Excelente tutorial, enhorabuena. Me gustaria preguntarle si puedo aplicar el caucho de latex sobre unas rocas que tengo hechas de poliestireno extruido para sacar copias de ellas.
Muchas gracias, un saludo
The convenient thing about this is that you have the original rock there to reference for painting.
Another excellent and helpful video mate, thanks.
What an excellent video tutorial Luke !!!....two thumbs up, mate !!!
Cheers,
danny
Thanks Danny :)
Gosh Australia is beautiful. I do hope to visit someday!
Thanks DC 😀
i just love your videos! So relaxing. You need to make more hehe
lol, I've got many more on the way :)
Awesome video....good content and excellent production values! Thank you so much!
The result was so realistic, thank you
Thanks Elaine :)
Great tutorial. Love your channel! Your modeling is amazingly detailed and realistic.
you can use the regular silicone for mold making. Its cheap and available to everyone unlike latex. it would be more beautiful if you added just a tiny bit of that base color to white dry brush color.
I use the two component RTV silicone which is about $15.00 a pound so you must be talking about something else, because that's not that cheap.
You must have an entire room singularly dedicated to supply your materials.
"OR STRAWBERRY IF THATS WHAT YOU PREFER"
Jokes aside this is a great video. Thanks Luke!
lol, no worries mate 😁
Beautiful work.
Thank you :)
Superb!! Your videos are simply awesome
Excellent excellent excellent good job
Thanks man that's a huge help I'll definitely at the very least try all of the steps, thank you
No worries :) Good luck with the channel. I'm sure you'll do well ;)
Another great video. I really enjoyed the transition from the outdoors to the studio. :) Creative.
I've been impressed with latex rubber molds and their tear resistance. I think it outperforms all of the synthetic rubbers I've tried in this regard.
I found it interesting that you use straight white for the drybrush highlight. Have you considered an off-white? Say, adding a tiny touch of the base color to the white?
ha ha... I actually got the idea for the transition from watching another video, Casey Neistat should take the credit for that :) I tried a couple of different colors to add highlights but just struggled to get the exact tone I wanted so I just went with the easiest option (white). I suspect the color of my workbench lights were having an adverse effect.
The only thing I didn't do was spray a mold release to the rock prior to applying the latex... I'll have to do that next time :)
Cheers
Luke
Casey -- I've been checking out a few of his videos lately based on a video I saw from the Nerdwriter (good channel to check out). I'm so impressed with his video quality. It really stunned me, especially cranking out one a day. Nuts. A great place to catch vid ideas.
Mold release. *grin* For a rock with real texture I might go with a paste wax or petroleum jelly. You will really want to get good coverage and wax or jelly are my go-to's now for anything that might be difficult. You can brush it into every crack and crevice and just brush out the extra.
Well done Job!
SPETTACOLO !!!
After reading some of the comments a suggestion if the plaster is still considered too heavy, as opposed to the real rock. How about using a lightweight filler for the center of the rock, for example polystyrene block cut to a shape to fill the center, the plaster been used as the detail and the polystyrene been used to save some weight. 😀
Nice video by the way, I've got a large 5ltr bottle of liquid latex used for mould making and it only cost about £5-10 for the amount yould use on these small items it would last forever, even if the moulds didn't.
[thank, you for you're great video]👍
Very good Luke.
Thank you
Would you be able to brush the rock with a releasing agent before applying the latex rubber to make it easier to peel off?
Another great video! Good job, Luke! :)
Thanks mate :)
superb, cheers Luke!
Thanks mate :)
Really good video. I am definitely going to have to try that.
Thanks :) have fun making some rocks :)
Cheers
Luke
Hi Luke, very nicely done, I was wondering if you could put some sort of releasing agent on the rock before you apply the latex?
Oh and it's strawberry milk shake from McDonald's for me all the way! Lol
Cheers
Howard.
thanks Howard, some people were recommending cooking spray. I haven't tried it but I would imagine it should work well.
Cheers
Luke
Use a makeup brush/cotton tips with powered pastel chalk for highlights is better than dry brushing then sealing it because it looks better. Indeed many modelers have used this technique to achieve incredible vehicle weathering effects and all to often it's the rocks in a diorama or train layout bad paint work that stands out.
Good video for small rocks! However, I would like to copy a much larger rock and I am sure this would work but filling it with plaster would be quite heavy. Do you have any videos on making molds that would work for using urethane foam? Another suggestion for making small rock molds stronger if I may add, on the second or third coating add tire shavings to the latex.
I admit, i became addicted to this videos......
I am a follower of the channel
What a FANTASTIC VIDEO !!
From teaching the craft to the filming & effects, you did a great job!
Would you mind listing the brands & colours of all that you applied to colour the rock including the unknown white colouring product at the very end?
Thank you very much !!
Great video as usual! I'm surprised you didn't spray the rock with a release agent.
The water with a dash of dish soap will do that.
It's easier to color, cut and completely customize plaster than it is real rocks. Plus since you can use light forms of plaster it's lighter then real rocks. Though real rocks can be good for those who can use them.
You can also "Vulcanize" the mold by baking it in your oven at a low temperature -200-degrees - for an hour or so. This toughens the mold, and helps it to last longer.
Oh cool thanks for the tip John! I'll have to try it and see how it turns out
Yeah, I have molds I made of various animal heads - I'm a Taxidermist, so ... - and after Vulcanizing them, they have a ridiculously long life! You also do not get the mold sticking to itself as a raw latex mold will do over time. I believe the baking removes the ammonia gasses that cause the problems down the line.
😀😀😀 AWESOME !!!
Omg it looks better than the real one :D
Great and its looks easy
Great tips , you make it look easy.😎👍
You rock Luke!
lol thanks mate 😉
Similar technique I learned a number of years ago. Other brands of latex are also available from art & craft stores. UV ought may keep the latex from curing, so do it indoors and don't try to dry molds in the sun.
Be sure to get permission from the land owner before harvesting the rock. Depending on your local laws it may be illegal to take rocks from public land (check first).
thanks mate :) most public places are pretty strict on taking rocks!
Cheers
Luke
Very fascinsting. But, honest question, why not just use the rock you got from outside?
It took me a while to realise the opening was real life
Great videos mate. Can you please make a video on how to make the human figurines for the models please.
Such a Pro! Thank You!
Hey, great Video! its a lot easier to remove the latex shell if you use a bit of baby powder;D
extreme discipline winner interested main realistic wheel form ability.
Did you ever finish that train layout, Luke?
you have talent
First class, old boy, first class!
keep a bag of silica gel beads with your latex molds. and talc powder them to keep them dry
Thanks for the tip Trevor 😊