# DAP Ultra Clear and waterfalls



## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Looking for some "indoor" model railroading advise. I have been searching the various "how to" web sites (including RR Magazine) on building indoor water falls for a G scale layout. Some are very interesting and seem to point towards a variety of expensive products like Water Effects and Realistic Water effects. For G Scale, simulations tend to be much later. I did notice one You-Tube demonstration using a DAP ultra clear caulking material to make water falls on wax paper and then add that to the layout. Seems to dry a little flimpsy or "rubbery" (new word). Has anyone had any good suggestions (pictures would be nice) of products they have used...other than Woodlands Screnes stuff? Thanks, Ed


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

by the way, both rubbery and flimsy are both perfectly good words, found in the dictionary. 

I've only seen the woodlands scenics stuff or poured clear resin. 

Greg


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## Jethro J. (Apr 4, 2012)

Posted By FlagstaffLGB on 16 Aug 2012 08:37 AM 
Looking for some "indoor" model railroading advise. I have been searching the various "how to" web sites (including RR Magazine) on building indoor water falls for a G scale layout. Some are very interesting and seem to point towards a variety of expensive products like Water Effects and Realistic Water effects. For G Scale, simulations tend to be much later. I did notice one You-Tube demonstration using a DAP ultra clear caulking material to make water falls on wax paper and then add that to the layout. Seems to dry a little flimpsy or "rubbery" (new word). Has anyone had any good suggestions (pictures would be nice) of products they have used...other than Woodlands Screnes stuff? Thanks, Ed

You can go to your Local Home Depot or Lowes and buy Gallon cans of clear furniture epoxy, they use it to refinish bar tops and such. Very good stuff and good price.

Jethro


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Posted By Jethro J. on 16 Aug 2012 02:27 PM 
Posted By FlagstaffLGB on 16 Aug 2012 08:37 AM 
Looking for some "indoor" model railroading advise. I have been searching the various "how to" web sites (including RR Magazine) on building indoor water falls for a G scale layout. Some are very interesting and seem to point towards a variety of expensive products like Water Effects and Realistic Water effects. For G Scale, simulations tend to be much later. I did notice one You-Tube demonstration using a DAP ultra clear caulking material to make water falls on wax paper and then add that to the layout. Seems to dry a little flimpsy or "rubbery" (new word). Has anyone had any good suggestions (pictures would be nice) of products they have used...other than Woodlands Screnes stuff? Thanks, Ed

You can go to your Local Home Depot or Lowes and buy Gallon cans of clear furniture epoxy, they use it to refinish bar tops and such. Very good stuff and good price.

Jethro

Jethro is right, it's good stuff, but make sure you play with it first to get a feel for how it works. If you try to use it for the first time on your layout you might end up with a big mess. Just set up a little test lake/stream first to see how it works.
Bob


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

There is an interesting technique demonstrated by Joel Bragdon on the "The Making of Tom Miller's Fabulous F-Scale Layout" video. He makes some flat thin pieces of clear plastic material and then sort of breaks them into long shards. Those shards are then placed as the falling water and paint is applied to simulate the bubbles and foam. 

There is a shot of one of the falls here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCTPHbjpPcs at about 4:45. I'm considering trying the technique myself since it looks reasonably good and better than many of the other attempts that I have seen. I think that I'd tone down the white paint a bit, but maybe that's just a video artifact and it looks better in person.


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

I found another shot in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0hRZiHBfE&feature=related at about 2:30.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

No sense in limiting this just to just waterfalls. I use a similar technique for falling rock. I used glue as the binding medium, but it is not clear. In this case it didn't matter because it was painted gold anyway.


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Great idea, like the "falling rock" idea, but I could see something similar used for a water wheel with a mill. The clear acrylic product that I got from Michael's Arts and Crafts is working well, but the drying times are long. Still a little sticky after two days and I know that I mixed it properly (according the provided directions). I think that some of it is due to the depth that I used the first time. Haven't added any pictures here...maybe I have to made a donation to increase my "membership" class before that become an option. Ed


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Check out the waterfall on the Sundance Central Modular. Made from claer silicone. 

http://www.sundancecentral.org/gallery/show/sc-show.htm


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

along the shard concept
i saw in MR some time back
the use of light transmitting filiment

bunched over the fall
to create a flat top and bunched 'tube' at the bottom , and again splayed flat onto the stream bed

then coated with resin

was the most realistic i had seen-

it gives a very 3d look to each fall or stream-uneven , split, etc

and

this technique was also used by disney in some of the full scale dioramas (larger of course)- but also used to control the flow of real water invisibly

also saw this used by a fellow modeling the disney painted desert geysers in i think on3-tiny porter passing through-

light filiments are a bit pricey but so lovely and clear and flexible -and quite a bit comes in a roll

i have used it to make g scale running faucets and fountains-it really looks like water -bends naturally and softly and is so clear it doesnt look like plastic


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

These are a couple of pics of my river/waterfall. I used clear silicone drawn out on wax paper and when set I pealed it off and hung it on the edge. After the 'fall' was set I painted the whole thing with a clear acrylic varnish like Varathane. Kind'a looks too much like ice but for the first try I'm living with it. 
Hope that helps.


Dave


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Very cool guys, both the falling rock and the waterfall! 

Greg


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Great looking scene Dave. It's those kinds of photos that make me think I need to do a real indoor layout. Outside is nice but you just can't get the same detail as you can indoors. Well, at least I can't get that same level of detail. I do have Z, N, and HO layouts inside and I have G gauge track and O gauge track on the basement floor so I can run trains when the outside weather is not desirable. 
Bob


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

There are some really beautiful outdoor layouts and I have often been amazed at what those guys can accomplish. I tried for two or three years (and I was pleased with the results) but I kept on building more and more things that were only good on the inside. I had filled my indoor 'workshop' and ran trains back and forth in a 12 foot room. Finally I gave up outside. Just not for me I guess. 

There are a few outside pictures in the Mountain Division pages at www.wvrr.ca 
Dave


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Posted By dawinter on 01 Oct 2012 09:01 AM 

There are some really beautiful outdoor layouts and I have often been amazed at what those guys can accomplish. I tried for two or three years (and I was pleased with the results) but I kept on building more and more things that were only good on the inside. I had filled my indoor 'workshop' and ran trains back and forth in a 12 foot room. Finally I gave up outside. Just not for me I guess. 

There are a few outside pictures in the Mountain Division pages at www.wvrr.ca 
Dave


Sorry to hear that you gave up outside Dave, you had a beautiful outside layout. But I do love your inside layout. I looked at both and the idea of building something that will last does appeal to me. Maybe part of my problem is having to get my railroad ready to be on the tour of the NMRA train show this year in Grand Rapids. This had to be the hottest summer we have had in maybe forever. I hated to be out there working on my railroad in that heat. And since the tour is over I haven't run things more than a couple of times. I just feel a little burned out on being out there in that weather. Now it's cooled off but .......
Bob


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## St. Francis Consolidated RR (Feb 7, 2011)

Posted By Bob in Kalamazoo on 16 Aug 2012 05:20 PM 
Posted By Jethro J. on 16 Aug 2012 02:27 PM 
Posted By FlagstaffLGB on 16 Aug 2012 08:37 AM 
Looking for some "indoor" model railroading advise. I have been searching the various "how to" web sites (including RR Magazine) on building indoor water falls for a G scale layout. Some are very interesting and seem to point towards a variety of expensive products like Water Effects and Realistic Water effects. For G Scale, simulations tend to be much later. I did notice one You-Tube demonstration using a DAP ultra clear caulking material to make water falls on wax paper and then add that to the layout. Seems to dry a little flimpsy or "rubbery" (new word). Has anyone had any good suggestions (pictures would be nice) of products they have used...other than Woodlands Screnes stuff? Thanks, Ed

You can go to your Local Home Depot or Lowes and buy Gallon cans of clear furniture epoxy, they use it to refinish bar tops and such. Very good stuff and good price.

Jethro

Jethro is right, it's good stuff, but make sure you play with it first to get a feel for how it works. If you try to use it for the first time on your layout you might end up with a big mess. Just set up a little test lake/stream first to see how it works.
Bob

*I'm going to get to the store and try this clear furniture epoxy out...what kind of mess am I in for and how do you use the stuff correctly?*
* Thanks.*


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