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replicating sand in 1/35


Killingholme

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Hi all,

 

How do you replicate sand in small scale (specifically 1/35). I'm building an amphibious tank used by Russian Naval Infantry, and quite fancy finishing it as a vehicle that has just rolled up a beach. Hence sand stuck in the running gear and tracks.

 

Real sand is far too coarse, but pigments seem too fine and dusty.

 

Any ideas?

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I have the very same problem, but to a much more extent.  The scale I'm working with is 1/110, and very fine sand looks like a field of large boulders.  The powders are dusty and go everywhere.  I'm building my first DIO, so I'm clueless about such things.  I'm off to the pet shop to look at the "Chinchilla Dust", or some substrate for pets perhaps.

 

  I had also thought of some very fine blast grit from a sand blaster.  The blast can be had at various grits.  I will also look at some very fine sandpaper to lay down as a base for more detail on top to hide it a bit.

 

I have no experience for this, so I will be watching closely.  I'll chime in when I find something interesting.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Darby said:

What about Chinchilla dust? This isn't a wind up either. Very fine sand which can be had from pet shops.

 

Thanks, but no thanks!

 

I think it's perfect for the job, but I accidentally googled 'chinchilla dust' in front of my wife, so now I'll have to buy an enormously cute Chinchilla too... 

 

Will

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I used dried crushed soil in 1/48 - I smashed it up with a mallet and toasted it in the oven. 

 

Looking at this picture again it's probably overscale (not the stuff on the vertical rocks, which is sand sand, but the "drifts" down the hill) but not too awful.

 

6883047050_6bb3d1f0ab_b.jpg

 

Another option would be pigment powders.

 

(another) Will

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On ‎09‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 9:41 PM, Will Vale said:

ownI used dried crushed soil in 1/48 - I smashed it up with a mallet and toasted it in the oven. 

 

Looking at this picture again it's probably overscale (not the stuff on the vertical rocks, which is sand sand, but the "drifts" down the hill) but not too awful.

 

6883047050_6bb3d1f0ab_b.jpg

 

Another option would be pigment powders.

 

(another) Will

SUPERB WORK!

The 'drifts' or 'scree' to use the technical term, is perfect. Powder, sand, fine grit tends filter down through the scree and form a bed upon which the larger fragments slide more easily, so in a perfect environment the larger fragments are the ones that tend to accumulate towards the bottom of a scree, medium sized fragments in the middle and smaller ones towards the top. Of course, the world isn't perfect and so large 'erratics' may fall onto the scree from above and may sit where they fall for some time, and wind and rain could blow or wash all the underlying fine particles away, leaving the larger rocks stranded.

Rearguards,

Badder

 

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On ‎09‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 3:55 PM, Killingholme said:

Hi all,

 

How do you replicate sand in small scale (specifically 1/35). I'm building an amphibious tank used by Russian Naval Infantry, and quite fancy finishing it as a vehicle that has just rolled up a beach. Hence sand stuck in the running gear and tracks.

 

Real sand is far too coarse, but pigments seem too fine and dusty.

 

Any ideas?

Personally, I'd use plaster of paris as a base upon which to scatter your 'sand.' BUT before it sets stipple all over it with a stiff brush. I'd also have a piece of ready-set plaster, crushed up and ready to sprinkle over the plaster at the same time. You want most of the plaster crushed up as fine as possible, but a small amount crushed less finely to simulate more of a grit (most beaches have some grading of particles, from fine sand to grit and pebbles) As the crushed plaster has already 'cured' it won't dissolve in any moisture so you can coat everything with dilute PVA and then sprinkle more finely crushed plaster over the top where needs be.

 

Oh, and forget about the fine sandpaper idea. It won't look realistic unless it's shown in very small patches amongst rocks or shingle.

 

Hope this helps.

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

 

 

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On 09/02/2017 at 7:42 PM, Killingholme said:

 

Thanks, but no thanks!

 

I think it's perfect for the job, but I accidentally googled 'chinchilla dust' in front of my wife, so now I'll have to buy an enormously cute Chinchilla too... 

 

Will

 

Will - as they are social animals you may find that you need to get two enormously cute chinchillas

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