Rock modelling

Tomgood info - not a new idea, that of modelling real rocks, but a good reminder. Just have to be mindful of the weight issues I guess...... or cast from the real rocks, at least to get the profile right.

An N scale logging or mining diorama would be very cute and compact! What are you intending to build?

Steve

"mindesign" skrev i meddelandet news:8FCqg.4197$ snipped-for-privacy@nasal.pacific.net.au...

I want a light railway passing before a Medieval city wall, , I'm assuming a "new" channel island so I can run British and continental stock :)the track would run in front of the wall which would be on a cliff then pass betweenanother cliff to disappear and later reappear, an oval layout ofcourse :) I just love medieval...unfortunatly there wasnt a medieval railway :9 I wondr what that would have looked like :D Beowulf

I imagine it would've looked like a bunch of slaves dragging some nobleman along a cliff face

:)

Now if the roles were reversed.....!

My wife (a great medieval history buff) was fascinated by the NRM in York which had a display showing that the medieval miners used "growlers", a wooden cart steered by wooden "rails".

I've seen similar things in the Sala Silver mine here in Sweden. I was thinking more along the lines of passenger coaches :)) Beowulf

"Beowulf" skrev i meddelandet news:jIYqg.7914$ snipped-for-privacy@newsb.telia.net...

What really enthuses me about using this "aquarium" rock is that it has Texture, Strata,and that indefinable something that says that this is a completely natural product complete with all the randomness that nature and only nature can provide, so far I've seen some amasing stuff done by various USA modellers , but even then it just doesnt quite feel right, perhaps living in Sweden which has large outcrops of rock including the bizarre type (looks like its laid by a brickie !) common to Kinnekulle near to where I live (its 10 miles away), perhaps living so close to vast and common (and not so common!) outcrops of rock makes me a bit pickier so to speak, but this stuff from the aquarium section of my local Petshop is absolutely astounding, I really do recommend that anyone thinking of using large sections of rock check this out and no! rubber moulds do not make as good cliffs etc!anyway it looks perfect for n-scale :) Beowulf

As an ex geologist I must quibble about your description of rocks as random. The rock types and structures are governed by the conditions under which they formed and how they have since been modified. Nature insists on strict laws governing processes but it is usually our lack of understanding that makes us describe end products as random. I too have noticed how unrealistic most modelled rock formations are. But admit my standards are higher becuase of my experience. However dont critisise others because it isnt important to most modellers. Same as I'm not really bothered about some of the reviews of locos etc when the reviewer says the colour etc dont look the same as they remember them. Their memory isnt important to me. However if these aquarium products are as good as you say then worth a look. What are they made of ?

Cheers, Simon

Salvé

Point taken :) I'm going down to Lidköping om Thursday Possibly Wednesday so I'll pop in and check out the names, though I seem to remember they were not in latin but in Swedish, but I can translate into english :) you might even rcognise the translation :) My point about the randomness is that at a closer look rocks have a randomness to their texture, which no amount of rockmoulds is going to imitate, atleast not one that I've squished about and stiffened all my clothing with....and no gypsum is not a good substitute for starch it makes bending really quite difficult. I have noticed that the locos which park outside my flat (50 meters away, Skara-Lundsbrunn Musei Järnväg a meter gauge narrow gauge railway) the black on them seems to be different on each loco even tho they say the paint is the same and came from the same tin..(.big tin....) So as very few can actually remember correctly a colour after five minutes, I think a reasonable approximation is good enough so I'm with you there too :) as an aside anyone painting the lamps on continental steam engines the light is a definately warm yellow NOT white and thats from the electricly lit steam engines, furthermore Allan gear is much prettier (!) in motion(!!) than Waelschaerts/Heusinger, its quite nice watching it revolve :) theres a Fletcher Jennings from 1879 that runs regularly and its not recognisable as a British Steam Engine any more :)) oops sorry forbabbling Beowulf Ps the above individual the original is supposed to be buried in Lidköping..... bit of a bugger having 500 tonnnes of mud wacked over your head, makes monday morning waking up seem posssitively benign...

And a _very_ close look they can have blocks of very regular structures. Admittedly you might need a big x-ray machine to see them... :-)

"Arthur Figgis" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Salvè So thats whats missing from my modellers tool kit an x ray machine...... damn......! BEOWULF

Got to disagree on this bit I'm afraid. No matter how far away you are - from 2 miles through using 500* microscope to an electron microscope - there are nearly always a pattern to rocks. The easiest way of explaing is to zoom on topic and compare to a map that showed all railway lines but no other features. Some patterns would be obvious - such as radiating out from certain centres and a joining of those centres. But otherwise the lines would appear quite randomly positioned. start adding features such as towns and hills then more of a pattern would be obvious.

Go look at those and other rocks every few days for a few hours. Eventually - or even quite soon depending on the particular strata - you will notice a pattern or two. Read a book or 2 on the subject then might be quicker. Yes I know I may be touching condesention - but only if i could spell.

On the subject of names, geology is a fairly recent science so names tend to be internationally standardised - even if the french probably say 'granittes' and the germans spit. Also a lot of rock types are named from the 'type locality'. So there is Andesites from the Andes, Dunite from Mt Dun and the mineral Cummingtonite.

Finally on modelling rocks, I would just say if you want a cliff face to look right then take some measurements and lots of photos of the particular prototype, then either use real rocks or visit your local aquarium. Cheers, Simon

Building smaller-scale model of an atomic structure could be tricky :-) It wouldn't surprise me if some continetal firm already makes a kit for a synchrotron - I think I've seen a model radio telescope.

Salvé "Arthur Figgis" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Dear Arthur, Ah! but does it work!? if it does then bugger model railways I want a working model of a neutrino star :)) Gen ! here I come :) Beowulf

Think of the postage costs....

Salvé "Arthur Figgis" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

might be a bit of an own goal if it goes by weight.......think of my posties new style hernia :) Beowulf

I have seen the "rock" in our local aquarium shop and was very impressed it really looks like the real thing. It is a fibreglass type moulding and is intended to be used as a backscene in a large tank. Unfortunately the cost! about £50 upwards for a decent size, so will have to continue with my usual method building it up using a plaster type cement and modelling the surface while still soft. "ry-trains"

Salvé

"nigel Gostick" skrev i meddelandet news:44beaccc$1 snipped-for-privacy@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

The Rock that I was initially impressedwith is called Pagoda rock but at 40 kronor per kilo isnt cheap (14 k=£1 but in purchasing power 10 k=£1) and its a very heavy rock but the starta :)) I bought something called vattrad stone which is a lighter rock and costs 30k per kilo and looks very like glaciar smoothed rock (Common here) and also has an interesting structure (ok Simon I know I know!!) that along side of my n-scale stuff doesnt look so out of place, probably look better in HO/OO but it dwarfs the trains nicely I thinknow to save up enough for a couple of pagoda rock mountains.. 8^) Beowulf

Forgive my asking but why are you thinking of buying rock. The stuffs all around - do get out more. Trouble with real rock - apart from wieght - is scale. Need to find fine grained stuff so that it has a suitable texture and colour. Its no use adding some pink granite and call it Shap. Tis far too course so colour texture totally out. limestone might look right, but far better to use plaster with home made scatter. Add bits of moss, grass etc. Was quite serious in suggesting take photos .... Simon

"nigel Gostick" wrote |I have seen the "rock" in our local aquarium shop and was very impressed it | really looks like the real thing. It is a fibreglass type moulding and is | intended to be used as a backscene in a large tank. Unfortunately the cost! | about £50 upwards for a decent size, so will have to continue with my usual | method building it up using a plaster type cement and modelling the surface | while still soft. | "ry-trains" |

How about rock moulds? There are the Woodland Scenic ones which give a nice effect though they are a little small. A while ago I came across some Bragdon latex moulds on ebay which also give a good effect and are much larger than the Woodland Scenic ones.

Ivor