I've been watching your every move, Mike.  :cool wink

Max,
This fall I will be attempting just what you have been showing us in this thread. Mine will be much greener versus the browns you are using, but what you have posted will really help me, having never done anything like this before.

I'm quite sure that I will have some questions at that time as some of your descriptive words are a little foreign to me, but we will get there at that time. If you explained them right now I'd just have to go back and re-read them again in the fall, because I'd not remember the answer!

Great pictures by the way!

Wayne

Thanks, Wayne.  You can PM me when you're ready if you want to, or email me.  My address is in my profile.

Sorry, Jeff, I missed your post.  Thanks for the kind words.  Most appreciated from one who is no slouch in the scenery department.

Sorry Alan, I missed yours as well.  I don't know what the settings were as it was on AUTO.  At least I didn't make it worse!

We are all a pupil of yours Mike!

Max, I love it, especially that line that goes off around the back of the shed.

Thanks, Chris.  I had to go back and have a look to see which line you meant.  It's code 100 track, buried to look like a third rate line.

Max

That's a great 'how to' project. Just one point though. I have always sealed my MDF before adding water thinned down pva and other water based products to actually prevent the water soaking into the board. My main reason for doing this is that MDF, being fibre based, will soak up the water and then will warp when it dries - or so I have been told. I read an article where a guy had used thinned pva to do his ballasting straight on to MDF and it warped badly, especially where 2 boards join. I will be very interested in whether you experience anything like this problem as it dries out - I hope not.

Bob(K)

Thanks Bob.  My layout is 6.6 metres x 1.8 metres and so far I have treated two thirds of it this way.  The layout was started 20 months or so ago, and I'm thinking while I'm typing, I reckon I started doing this procedure about 12 months or so ago.  I haven't had any obvious warping so far.

My theory is that the glue/dirt combo stiffens the MDF and stops it moving.  I hope I'm right! :chicken

You've got me going now, Bob.  I just checked it all again!

Iansa has a report he picked up somewhere where MDF, chipboard and ply were all tested for warping after wetting.  According to Ian, the MDF didn't move, but the chipboard and the ply did.  Apparently the ply was the worst performer!

I can ask him to post for you if you would like.

I'd better check the layout again . . . .  :pedal

MDF did swell on my mates layout because he did not cover the joins - I use masking tape quite liberally & so far after many years, never has MDF or chipboard swell on me.
Certainly at joins perhaps a liberal dose of varnish into the end of the board should prevent swelling.

You've seen my layout, Sol.  Did it swell and I missed it :question:shock:

No, not your layout but Robbo around the jolly horner. I will admit, I did not study your layout for swelling of boards, etc .

I'll see you tomorrow, then - with your glasses :question

I use MDF for my painting, and I've had a few boards spoilt by swelling after they got wet by accident. It does seem to be vulnerable at the ends, as Sol suggested.
 I always seal the boards before coating with gesso.

 Mike

Dont worry Max

Your layout will be prototypical the earth we live on is always growing and moving if your MDF swells you can say its representing true earth movement

To be honest it would have swelled by now with all the scenic work you have done the only way i could see that swelling now is if you either got flooded or you spill you tin of XXXX all over it.

cheers Brian

I think the difference is that I only wet the surface.  The moisture doesn't penetrate right through.  It's like when you spray with wet water.  There is always overspray on to the exposed MDF.  My layout room is also airconditioned with a split system, so the air is pretty dry and the MDF dries quickly.

Nice work Max and a good "how I dun' it". Well worth spending the time to do it.
cheers

Thanks, Marty.

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

Thanks Bob.  My layout is 6.6 metres x 1.8 metres and so far I have treated two thirds of it this way.  The layout was started 20 months or so ago, and I'm thinking while I'm typing, I reckon I started doing this procedure about 12 months or so ago.  I haven't had any obvious warping so far.

That is good news. This has been one of my main concerns as I begin to ballast large areas of MDF in the stations and sidings.  It is really good to get the first hand feedback that this forum provides. It will still be fingers crossed though!

Bob(K)

Of course there is a way to make sure that there is no warping problem and I'm quite suprised that more people don't do it.

Before you start (or at the latest as soon as the track is laid) paint all of the baseboard with a thick layer of dark brown matt paint. If the track is laid, take this paint right up th the underlay edge. This will seal the baseboard and stop any possibility of water ingression. I also do the baseboard edges too. The paint seals the surface and gives a dark base colour to work the scenery on. Simple really. thumbs

I hear what you say, Jeff (well read actually), but I deliberately haven't painted my MDF as I want to laminate the soil to it.  As I said earlier, I don't soak the board, just wet the upper surface.  I found with my method that the scenery doesn't crack away like it does from a painted surface, but moves with it. (I still lean on my layout while reaching across).  It's not for everyone; you have to feel comfortable with what you do yourself.  So far, no swelling, but you can bet Murphy is waiting in the wings!