What methods do you know of to make cliffs? I'm thinking fo using WS rock moulds, but that would be awfully heavy...

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I use thick( 2") foam, very light.

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donuthare - helmsdeepbuilder - love this site

I like to use foam too. I use Pine bark and rock cast as well.

I don't think so. But you did not say if you were making cliffs six inches tall or two feet tall. For small cliffs use a Styrofoam core. Anything larger you might want to use a shell.
This is a primary/elementary school project video but it is very useful how to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tipz__w6 ... re=related

The paper pillow and tape works well for children because it does not require any more tools than paper scissors. It is also very cheep or even free. A lot of model rail road builders use the paper pillow as well. It is a lot easier to get good results than the traditional wood and steel chicken wire. I made my first rail road tunnel shell in 1962. I use steel chicken wire and flower paste paper and painted it with water color.
This is a link to a larger project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUNw99i- ... re=channel
small project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kQ2UAkm ... re=related

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Well, they're going to be quite tall, about 20", as I am making Helm's deep right now. So I'm worried it might work out to be quite heavy, though I have considered trying expanding foam sealant to make the rocks from the mould. Thanks for the replies!

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The expanding foam will destroy the molds with one shot and you will not even get a cast.
You could use expanding foam to form the mountain but it will take at least 5 or 6 cans. You will have to use a bandage or towel shell any way because dry wall compound does not stick well to the foam surface. You could use liquid nails to attach the rock cast but review the u-tube videos first.

There is a product called Mountains in minutes that has a special mold release. I do not know any one who has used it more than once. There are some products made with expanding foam so it is possible. You will have to do some research. I think the molds are to expensive to risk.

Review this video and use his formula for goop if you want to use expanding foam.
http://www.youtube.com/thekamloopian#p/ ... PkJt8gsxsc

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

I got some moulds today. They are a scenarama product. because the store I went to didn't have WS. THey aren't as good as WS, though Sceenarama is a susidary of WS. The mould isn't flexible, as its vac-formed styrene instead of rubber. It has a number of small rocks, which is good, because it gives me a lot of variety. I cast a group with plaster, and tried the expanding foam for one. I lubed it with Vaseline before putting it in, so it didn't destroy the mould, but it was full of bubbles, and so unusable. The palster did work pretty well, with only a few small bubbles, but I'll have to make a lot of castings...

Thanks for the help!

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I sculpt mine using Polyfilla. I press a rough piece of bark into the wet polyfilla and shape it into rough strata. Leave it to set and then paint it in shades of brown and grey.

Here's a few examples of my most recent cliff project (the top post in particular):

http://spodding.tabletopwargaming.com/?cat=10

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Dagster

That is a great idea! Thanks Dagorlad, I think I'll use that to blend the cast rocks together.

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Dagorlad I really like the colors you picked for the rock. Did you use Styrofoam as a core?

Yac-formed styrene wont last very long as a mold But I think that is the Mold Popa Tom used in his school project video. You can get a good effect.


Well, I am glad it did not destroy the mold. The Vaseline will make the casting very difficult to paint because paint will not stick to it . It will be very difficult to clean off plaster.
If you use the pink foam Steve referred to in his video you can use wire brushes and wood rasp to shape the foam into the mountain. That is one of the many ways movie sets are made. You will need heat to shape white foam unless you like the way the beads look.
You really need to use pink foam if you can find it. Steve explains why here: http://gameterrain.info/articles/mattoosup.html
You can create rough strata with the wire brush with a little practice. I like Dagorlad's bark idea as well.
I hope this has helped. Every one has their own ideas. I have found that combining them works best.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Yeah, I've got plenty of pink foam. The reason that I used vaseline was so that the rocks could almost just fall out, without killing the mold. Thanks for the assistance!

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