Really Fine Sand & Slate Rock

[Sturm88]

I am starting a desert based mini set and am looking for a good way to glue on really fine sand. I am leary to try PVA or Super Glue as I want it to retain its fine grit and soft qualities the finer sand grain has.

Also, I am looking to find thin Slate Rock for purchase or if anyone has tried to make it out of plaster cast? I am looking for thin, fine and sharp edges from this slate. I want to fit a couple pieces on a small base, so about that size.

[John Q.]

For the slate rock from plaster cast, I've seen it done really simple. Pour the plaster mix into a flat bottomed container, making sure you pour it really shallow, let it dry and then just break it up as you need it.

[Tinfish]

you could try a tacky glue - UHU or Bostik, but you would be as well building up a few layers and using watered down PVA.

For slate - get a roofing slate and a hammer, apply hammer to slate repeatedly until the desired size is attained.

[Hussar]

If you are making a desert themed base, I'd shy away from sand, actually ^^

The grit size on sand is far to big to represent sand on a models base. I'm doing something simillar to you actually, and I've had great succes using just common earth and superglue. It will yield you a result as shown in my (up and coming) hobbylog here: http://privateerpressforums.com/show...-Me.-Hobbylog.

I've also seen that great succes has been had with baking powder, seeing as the grit size on it is very clsoe to how big the sand particles would be on that scale. I've had some problem with it though, seeing as when I tried it just swelled up when I got some paint on it ^^

For the times when I use slate, I use actual slate. I found it in some kind of a bargain store, think it was supposed to be used as some kind of heating cover for hot plates. Anyways, I took a hammer to it and made lots and lots of tiny slate pieces. If you happen to find any, be careful, thoose pieces breaking of are like glass.

Anyways, I wish you the best of luck with your bases

Cheers ^^

[Bloodshovel]

Dood. Your are in orlando, take a small trip and use beach sand. it's hard to fine finer sand, especially if your on the gulf side. I was down in Siesta Key about a month ago and brought one ziplock which should be enough for all my wife's pirates. Stuff was almost like powder.

As for Slate, you might want to try using shale instead( a bit harder to find). I was fortunate enough to have a cliff behind my house. the difference is that shale is brittle enough to break to fit onto bases.

[Sturm88]

Yeah...all beaches around here have coarse sand. The sand I have is VERY fine grade sand. Used in N gauge model railroads for loose sand. So, realisitic sand @ N gauge is VERY fine grains for 32mm scale.