Woodland Scenics Mold A Scene Plaster. What Am I doing wrong?

[Sandersonvt]

I tried using Mold a Scene Plaster to help fill in and smooth out some bumpy spots after using cardboard strips and plaster cloth.
When I mixed it up according to the directions on the box, it came out like wet coarse sand. It cant be spread smoothly. It's clumpy and falls apart. Am I doing this wrong or is this just a bad product to use to fill in and smooth the area on my mountain?

Has anybody used this? or do you guys recommend I use something else?

[jward]

it sounds like you might not have used enough water in the muxture. and, when you add more plaster to an existing layer of scenery that has already set, you must wet the scenery before applying the fresh plaster.

[Len]

You're using the wrong plaster. This is what the Woodland Scenics site says about Mold-A-Scene plaster:

Mold-A-Scene is a plaster material that can be shaped like modeling clay, but sets like plaster, without a mold.

Woodland Scenics Plaster Cloth has hydrocal plaster on it. Want you want for filling voids and smoothing things out is their C1201 Hydrocal Casting Plaster. If the Plaster Cloth has dried, spray it with a bit of water before using the hydrocal to fill voids and smooth things out.

Len

[Sandersonvt]

Thank you Len. I asked my local hobby store owner if there was a dramatic difference between this "Sculpt a Mold" product and " Hydrocal" and he said they are basically the same thing. He was obviously mistaken. I'll be sure to let him know next time I visit the store.
Thanks again.
Scott

[BradKT]

The hydrocal powder is what you need.  It comes is a package the same size as the old half gallon milk cartons.

The hydrocal powder is white and that's the color that you will get when you mix it with water.  After you use it and paint it...and when it inevitably chips or cracks at a later date...you'll see that white color again and that really hi-lights the cracks and chipped areas.

If you want to avoid that problem, the trick is to use one or a combination of the Woodland Scenics earth colors to mix with the water and hydrocal...in other words to color it.  That way, when it later chips or cracks, the white won't show.  It will all remain the same color.

Believe me, it's worth it to make that extra effort at first.  Hydrocal inevitably cracks and chips.

[Doneldon]

Sandy-

You can also use beige or whatever color
latex paint to mix your hydrocal.
                                               -- D