glueshell part 3

Last week I started out to finish the second phase but ran out of glue.




As you can see in the right foreground, the gluedrenched pieces of old bedsheet did not completely cover the cardboard web. Another layer was needed for strength.



And now that is done as well.



On to the next phase. For that I need to do some experimentation with plaster and pigments to get a reasonably close ground colour.

To be continued...

glueshell part 2

Last thursday I started with the next phase of the glueshell scenery: applying pieces of old bedsheet that have been drenched in white glue.

The bedsheets have been ripped in pieces of about 10 by 10 centimeters (about 4 by 4 inches).

These pieces are thoroughly wetted in water (squeeze the exces out of it) and then dipped into the white glue. Make sure it is covered in the glue and then drape it over the cardboard strips.


Make sure that the pieces overlap a bit for strength. Slowly but surely a lightweight, thin but strong shell comes into being.

What you need: glue, pieces of cloth, disposable gloves and water. This can be a messy process so make sure that your worksurface is covered / protected!









Here you can see the overlapping pattern.










The result of one hour of relaxing but messy work.

Start of glueshell scenery

Glueshell scenery was developed by my friend Léon Honings. It provides a flexible and very leightweight underground for the scenery.

It consists of a web, usually of cardboard, a covering layer of textile dipped in water and then white glue and then a layer consisting of white glue and plaster of paris. This gives you a thin egglike shell that is very strong.

I used old file folders as I could get them for nothing (I am an archivist). Here are pictures of the web being made. To hold the web together I use a hot glue gun. Next up will be placing pieces of old bedsheets, soaked in water and then in white glue, on the web and letting that dry.

(And yes, I am a big fan of the late Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, even though this Model Power steam engine is more or less freelanced after the last passenger steam engine of the Louie)

And this is the progress up to now. Both sides of the track have their web made from file folders.

Condsidering the temperature outside I did the work on the dining table. That is not much of a problem since it is a big glass plate in a wood frame and easily cleaned.