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Using Celluclay for the first time


Bradley25mm

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        This is my first time using Celluclay.  Up until now, I’ve used pre-mixed sanded grout to simulate dirt. It dries quickly, and dries rockhard . The only drawn back to it, is you cannot add a lot of it to a base. Adds a lot of weight. If anyone has any advice on using CelluClay, I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

Chris

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The one time I played with it (a few decades ago) I vaguely remember it curling up at the edges when I tried to make a flat sheet of it and if you go too thick it can shrink and crack.

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           Thanks Michael. I’ve noticed several diorama bases constructed with this, that have cracked, or shrunken. That’s the one thing I want to try and eliminate. “Cracks”. I guess I could go back and put Tamiya putty where the cracks are before I paint the base coat. I’m thinking of building a very shallow box to put the Celluclay in.

     Thanks again for the reply. 
 

Chris        

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I have some limited experience with it....as I recall you REALLY have to watch the amount of water you use to mix it up...it's easy to make to "soupy", and that leads to most of the problems. I believe if you use just enough water to make it workable you get the best results.

 

Gil :smiley16:

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Gil is correct about watching the amount of moisture you use.  To prevent cracks, apply it in rather thin layers.  Make CERTAIN the Celluclay is COMPLETELY DRY before adding further layers.  If you apply layers too thick, it will take some time to completely dry.  If cracks occur, you can fill them in with Celluclay before continuing.  JUST MAKE SURE THE CELLUCLAY IS DRY BEFORE CONTINUING!!

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Maybe household filler products might be better or plaster of paris?

Most of us have some domestic filler of some sort he experiment with, and it is cheap!

Edited by noelsmith
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To add to what has been said, don't use a lot of water--it should be more like a stiff dough than anything else.  Add a generous blob of white glue to the mix, and apply it in thin layers.  Depending on the substrate, it may take a few days to dry completely.

If you want to try something else, try Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty, available from Lowe's and The Home Depot.  It is a dry powder that can be mixed with water to different consistencies.  For general coverage, mix it to the consistency of cookie batter and spread it with a putty knife.  To fill gaps between items that have been cut into a base, mix it to pancake batter consistency and pour it.  Thin mixes tend to take longer to set and tend to shrink, so plan ahead for that.  While it is still wet, sift a bit of the dry powder over it--the dry powder wicks off some of the moisture and also textures the layer.  The texture can be fragile, so another trick is to use pre-mixed grout after the Durham's is dry to add texture--stipple it on with a disposable chip brush.  Once dry, paint... 

I pimp this often--check out the Fire Support Base RIPCORD diorama at the FSB RIPCORD Association's website.

https://www.ripcordassociation.com/ripcord-diorama/

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One thing I like about Celluclay is that you can easily color it. Adding a blob of acrylic craft paint in the mix will tint the whole batch. That way if it does shrink or crack, it isn't as obvious.

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I have been using powdered grout for about 15 years and use nothing else for dirt. I put it over a styrofoam fill. Only time I used Celluclay, it shrank and came off the wood. I don't like it.

Dak

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