let's talk about DIY snow

[cambridge]

i know there are specific product like the woodland snow but let's say one wants to go old school ( a nice way to say cheap a$$ ) and come with a DIY snow, what would you think is the best option?

 

just out of curiosity i've tried with these products i had at home, just to see how it would look like

 

 

these are in order the products you can see in the picture: 

 

- plaster

- baking soda

- sugar

- salt 

- icing sugar

- flour

- talcum powder

- more plaster

 

now, i've heard baking soda should be avoided cause it tends to ruin over time and make some goo too. I'm pretty sure sugar and flour would be a no-no too.

But what about talc powder, plaster and salt?  Both plaster and talk seems to provide a nice snowy finish. Salt is not good by itself but it could be used as a base, just to provide an "icy snow" effect here and there.

are these chemically suitable materials or is it expectem them to ruin over time, turn yellow or interact with paints and oxygen?

 

have you any experience or any other "cheap and easy to provide" material to use? 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2017 by cambridge

[The original Kit Builder]

Salt is hydroscopic, meaning it attracts water to itself and absorbs it, so I wouldn't go that way myself even as a base. Plaster is relatively stable when cured, but if used as a powder, you'd have to avoid any possibility of damp.

 

[LotusArenco]

Although not that easy to find for the general public, ‘glass bead blasting media’ used in metal finishing (abrasive cleaning/ shot blasting) would be ideal. The smaller grit (170-325 glass bead) would be ideal for replicating scale snow, as being glass it reflects the light quite nicely.

I use it at work, and have always felt it would make quite an effective snow diorama.

 

Perhaps check locally to see if you have any metal finishing services or engineering factories nearby that would let you have some, as I’m not sure you will ever use up a 25kg sack that it usually comes in!

 

Mart

[Will Vale]

I like the look of the baking soda in your picture - it looks like it can do both powdery snow and slush which is very convincing.

 

Related to Mart's suggestion, I quite like what the DIY shops here call "Lightweight Spackle" - it's a pre-mixed filler with tiny glass (?) or silica spheres in an acrylic (?) base. I don't know any global brands but you can tell you've got the right tub because when you pick it up off the shelf it feels empty

 

It has some sparkle from the spheres and is easy to apply - it doesn't stick at all until you rub it into the surface a bit, but then once dried it stays put.

 

I used it on some snowy bases and was quite happy:

 

 

One potential advantage over mixing your own from microballoons or glass beads, apart from the conveniences, is that you don't have any inhalation risks as the particles are already stuck in the goop when you get it

 

Cheers,

 

Will

 

 

[Badder]

I've tried baking soda and plaster and talc and while they can be okay, they don't do the job realistically. Nor do they last forever. Salt and flour would be a big no-no. All of these materials are anhydrous... meaning that they lack water and actively absorb it, even from the atmosphere. This is why none of them are perfect.

 

However, if you are going to use baking soda and hairspray to give a.... let's say a Tamiya 1/35th Nashorn.... a sprinkling of snow, be careful not to 'wash' the finished vehicle with water, as hairspray, water and baking soda can prove to be a highly effective varnish and paint stripper!

And If you are going to use plaster dust as a scattering of snow... here's a tip... mix the plaster with water first.... let it set... THEN scrape it with a blade to create 'new' dust. This dust will NOT be anhydrous and so will be more inert. 

 

Having said all that, I for one have given up on the 'cheap, homemade' methods. Seriously, it's better to pay the money to get a good non-reactive, non-organic, and realistic snow. And without doubt, Precision Ice and Snow IS the best. Unless of course someone knows what the stuff is made of and can advise of a cheaper bulk source!

 

Rearguards,

Badder

Edited May 7, 2017 by Badder

[LotusArenco]

On 5/7/2017 at 8:50 AM, Badder said:

Precision Ice and Snow

Gosh! 

Well I’m well impressed by that.

 

Mart