How to model sand in 1:8?

No_6 · Post by **No_6** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:16 pm

I am starting construction on the base for my Trek Diorama, and the 'ground' needs to look like sand with those sparkly bits they liked to mix with the sand. What is the best way of getting that fine, textured look? I was thinking of using some of the leftover cement I have from when I tiled my bathroom floor and then painting it. Or I was thinking of buying powder of some kind and then layering it on to the acrylic by using Super 77 spray glue and then dusting it with the powder. The point is, I'd rather not paint the sand as I want it to look as natural as possible.

Scott Hasty · Post by **Scott Hasty** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:28 pm

Baking powder and micro balloons painted to match your desired sand's color.

No_6 · Post by **No_6** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:41 pm

micro balloons?

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 7:28 pm

Micro balloons are tiny glass "bubbles" which are used to add volume to resin, without adding weight. You can find them pretty much anywhere that sells resin/fiberglass supplies.

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:56 am

One thing I might do if I ever find myself in your situation would be to try sculpting the sand with clay, adding footprints and whatever needs to be there, then applying a thin layer of glue and sprinkling a mix of different color plastic sanded leftovers (I don't think there's a word for it: you sand hard clear plastic things and collect the dust from the sandpaper--the coarser the grit, the larger the "sand" will be). I'd use clear light brown, yellow, orange, crystal and mix them together for a more natural look, as sand grains aren't all the same color.

Glorfindel · Post by **Glorfindel** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:53 pm

Micro balloons....what a wondrous invention!

rayra · Post by **rayra** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:15 am

salt. pour a pile, grind it up some, so you have some variation.

aussie muscle · Post by **aussie muscle** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:45 pm

would real sand work? white glue then pour sand on it.

No_6 · Post by **No_6** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:17 am

A couple things: My spray-mount idea didn't work. It just wouldn't stay tacky long enough (that's with a liberal dose of Super 77). Then I used a few gallons of superglue and baking soda. That turned out okay, but I couldn't get exactly the surface contours I wanted since the glue dries almost instantly when the baking soda hits it. I wound up using a tiny amount of the tile mortar I had left over from when I did my bathroom. Easy to use, easy to spread, and I was able to build up the surface features exactly as I wanted. And the texture was pretty doggone close. A little coarse, but pretty good.

LrdSatyr8 · Post by **LrdSatyr8** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:40 am

Something I found that works great in small scale is something called Moon Sand... it came out a couple of years ago, but is alot finer then normal sand, can be molded almost like molding clay, and when mixed with a glue (epoxy, elmers, etc) makes a great "gritty" scaled paste that can be smoothed onto a surface base. I used it for my Kitty Hawk Flyer model awhile back and it looks very realistic. You may need to paint the surface afterword to get the proper color, but the "grit" it gives is pretty good looking. Thought I would toss it out there.

dizzyfugu · Post by **dizzyfugu** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 5:18 am

You might check a local artist supply store and look for paint pigments. These are available in a wide range of tones, and they can be applied on a surface easily when carefully rinsed through a fine mesh (nylon stockings are great!) on a surface which is prepared with a mix of water, paint and white glue.

This is what it can look like - for a 1:72 scale airfield base:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyfugu/ ... 1919186395

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyfugu/ ... 1919186395

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyfugu/ ... 1919186395

Another option: quartz sand, which you can find in hobby stores or decoration departements at DIY stores. It's very fine and normally of very light beige color. Used it on this 1:8 figure base, without any additional paint:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyfugu/ ... 2346356204

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyfugu/ ... 346356204/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyfugu/ ... 346356204/