Help finding snowy/winter ballest.

[Dusten Barefoot]

Does anyone know of a good ballast, or product that is great for making a snow like ballast? I'm told baking soda is not the best thing to use. MY layout is part winder/fall, and will have some snowy areas.

Also what color would best be used in an Autumn type scene. My layout is based in the sand hills/swamps of NC.

Thanks
Rock On!
Dusten

[NarrowMinded]

I tried woodland scenic snow but had trouble with it turning clear when I set it with 50/50 Elmer's glue/water so then I added snow white water based paint to to make a 50/25/25 mix and it helped make it look better but was more of a slushy snow look, it wasn't the look I wanted, I ended up just using a 50/50 mix of Elmer's and water based snow white paint, it looked pretty good when dripped over regular ballast to form patches of snow.

NM

P.S. I'll also look forward to any other Idea's for snow, I want to make a better looking Christmas village layout for this Christmas.

[Joe Satnik]

Google "add water snow".

Saw someone use it on a layout at a train show.  Mixed and spread on layout. 

Spray mist with water to refresh, I think. 

He said he was going to vacuumed it up (for disposal, not re-use) at the end of the show. 

Guess it wouldn't hurt if your layout were waterproof....

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[Dusten Barefoot]

Is this what you're talking about?

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/instant-snow

It looks interesting, and I may give it a go.

Thanks
Rock On!
Dusten

[NarrowMinded]

That stuff looks fun to play with but I wonder how it is to glue down?

NM

[Anubis]

Sure, it looks great, but I wouldn't like to run the risk of getting the stuff into the loco or turnout mechanisms. 

Still, the guy said that it will "sit" on the tree for a few weeks before it starts to dissolve, so I would think that it would be self-adhesive - to a point.

It would probably be better used in a temporary diorama setting - just for the photographs - than for a completely permanent installation.... (Mainly because you would have to keep 'topping it up' as it evaporated.)

[Terry Toenges]

I've used spray snow in a can.

[NarrowMinded]

the spray snow I have used is fine for a month or so then it starts to yellow and breaks down

[Joe Satnik]

The gentleman using the "add water snow" at the train show was covering up old yellowed snow on his layout, which may have been the spray variety. 

[NarrowMinded]

I think I'm gonna order some of the instasnow and do some experiments maybe add a little white glue to the water to see what happens.

NM

[Allamuchy Joe]

the spray snow I have used is fine for a month or so then it starts to yellow and breaks down

Just don't eat the yellow snow.

[NarrowMinded]

Ahhh so that's it I'll have to add some outhouses to my Christmas Layout so when the figure come to life while Im asleep they wont... Well you know, Yellow my Snow.

NM

[HarryHotspur]

Does anyone know of a good ballast, or product that is great for making a snow like ballast? I'm told baking soda is not the best thing to use. MY layout is part winder/fall, and will have some snowy areas.

Dusten -

For snow, I just use regular ballast and paint or dry brush a little very white acrylic paint on top.  Works fine.

Of course if you want to change to some else in autumn, you could paint it back to it's original color.

For me, this is better than trying to put anything fluffy beneath the rails so I won't clog the engine mechanisms.

OTOH, if you want fluffy, several people have told me that baking soda works far better than its reputation.  Many criticize it because they think it's corrosive, but apparently that's not true.  I haven't tried it, but one thing I want to avoid at all cost is something fluffy that blows around every time a train passes or someone walks past the layout.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

- Harry

[jerryl]

Woodland scenics snow has worked well for me. Has never turned clear or any other color. The only problem is that it, like anything else, gets dirty & because it is white it shows up more.  I use 50/50 white glue & water.   just put down a fairly heavy coat & sprinkle the snow on. DON'T add any glue mixture to the surface. Just brush the excess off after it dries.   jerry

[NarrowMinded]

Jerryl,

What white glue do you use? I use Elmer's, I think it might be that Elmer's dries semi-clear.

Does the glue you use dry White?

NM-Jeff

I've been gathering materials for a new Christmas layout, I want to make a more permanent one that I can store.