# paper mache mountains



## Rene (Dec 27, 2007)

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has made mountains out of paper mache and how did they turn out? Obviously this would be for an indoor setup.  I googled it and didn't get much useful back.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

i did - a couple of decades ago.

you need a structure - i use wood frame with chickenwire stapled to it.
then you need something for the papermachee to clinge to - some cheap cloth (clothdiapers do fine) or toilet/household paper.

or you could make forms and smear the machee into them.

i still use the same structure, but instead of papermachee i smear the paper or cloth subcover with either diluted crackfiller for walls, or with plaster, or for best results with a mix of old (lumpy) and new portland.

for shading i mainly use spraycans. the tunnelportal is made out of foam.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Rene; 

There is a product called Celuclay that is basically paper mache in a powdered form. It can be mixed like plaster. I used it for my OO/HO Inglenook Sidings portable layout. I colored the product prior to mixing using powder paint. The Celuclay was applied over screen wire that was supported with wood scraps. I still have this layout, although I don't use it very much anymore. When I do get it out, it is still in sound condition - 30 years later. The Celuclay does take longer to dry than plaster, but it is lighter in weight - an important consideration for a portable layout. 

Hope this helps, 
David Meashey


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Just wondering if anyone has made mountains out of paper mache 
Like Kormsen, I did a few decades ago, before I moved outside with my new large scale trains. Like Kormsen, I used chicken wire over a plywood /scrap wood frame. My glue was wallpaper stuff - I don't recall the name of it. I didn't use anything underneath for it to 'cling to' - it seemd to glue itself rigid and stayed on the wire.


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## Rene (Dec 27, 2007)

Hey guys, thanks for the replys. Kormsen, that looks good, thanks for posting.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

afterthought:

if you got cats, use none of the methods mentioned above.
the white cracks in my mountains were the result of my cat selecting a high spot for trainwatching...


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Why don't you look into hard shell scenery. It is sort of what Kormwen switched to. You can find a basic description here: 

http://www.estesvalleymodelrailroaders.org/gallery/scenery - hard-shell.htm 

Hope thiis helps.


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## Rene (Dec 27, 2007)

luckily we dont have a cat. The reason I'm interested in paper mache mountains rather than traditional plaster is that I'm wanting to make a portable slot car rally track, it will be fairly big so keeping the weight down is important.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I used Sculpta-mold on my O-27 layout to fill in cracks and openings, same products as the Celu-clay mentioned above, the stuff should be called Sculpta-neverdries. Its like mixing oatmeal with your hands, but DO NOT use this stuff if its cold and damp as it will NEVER dry, a good warm, or preferrably hot dry day is best, be prepared if you use it for it to take several days to dry completely. Havent tried applying it over a mesh. might work


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