Trying to make grit like Typhus Corrosion

[Andrew Beasley]

I have some 28mm gravestones / memorials / standing stones that I want to add a very fine gritty texture to similar to the GW technical paint Typhus Corrosion.

The finest sand (and the herbs) I have is way too large, salt / sugar looks regular or dissolves and trying sprinkling tile grout or spices ended up as sludge. The insides of the water filter are spheres and look odd but I’ve still to try coffee (the blend I have open is too large)…

The closest I have found commercially is a powder covering for modern armour to represent the none slip tank surface (Nightshift on YouTube ) but this is more expensive than the TC pots…

The aim is to dry brush and weather this to look like moss / lichen, and generally break up the flat plastic surface, so it needs to be very fine but, as the TC paint is very expensive to have posted and use in large volume I’m wondering if anyone has an idea how to get such a gritty covering with materials I may have around here?

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Pumice powder scrubbed in, or a fine clay powder or even plaster of Paris. Dried paint chips ground in a mortar might work if you want something courser.

Mick Hayman
Margate and New Orleans

[Mike]

I use Vallejo white pumice and Winsor and Newton fine texture gel.   They may do the trick?

 

[Cacique Caribe]

Andrew

Fine tile grout, perhaps?

PS.  How soon do you need it?  I just had foot surgery and can’t put any weight in it for now, until the doctor tells me so.  After that, I could hobble to the garage and send you some in a parcel.  Would that help?

Dan
Loads of WIPs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9593487@N07/albums/with/72157710630529376

[Andrew Beasley]

Cacique Caribe wrote:

…After that, I could hobble to the garage and send you some in a parcel. Would that help?

Thank you for the very kind offer but please do not hobble for me – we have had both the kitchen and bathroom sorted and both sets of contractors left me bags of the stuff 🙂 – You take care of yourself and do what the doc says!

Mick and Mike – the pumice is an interesting idea – Wonder if we have a pumice stone that I could file down a bit??? I have some of the W&N heavy lumpy gel that I could dry and grind up and there is some talc in the bathroom that may not go to sludge.

One other thought I had is to change the binder – PVA was my choice as it’s the generic terrain go-to but maybe superglue or varnish may not dissolve things?

[Cacique Caribe]

Binder?  I’ve used tile grout with 50/50 PVA water mix with excellent results.  I added a drop of flow improver to help the absorption rate.

Dan
Loads of WIPs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9593487@N07/albums/with/72157710630529376

[OotKust]

The original name means nothing to me. Grout and paste would likely still be too large?

However Andrew- try actual ground [up] pumice powder… I have it being a volcanic country; alternate/ including I use incense ash ([RECYCLING…!]

for my scenic effect on ground… no reason a thin dab of PVA wash and then covered in ash couldn’t help make the textures you’re after. You can build up layers of it too.
Thin washes of PVA to stop it chunking up -as it naturally contracts and congeals mass as it dries remember!
Good luck -d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Pumice powder can be found in most hardware shops in 12 oz or bigger, inexpensive cartons.  It’s often used as a polishing agent.  Plaster which is dirt cheap in quantity can also be used particularly if you mix it roughly allow it to dry, and then crush the larger chunks down to the size you need.  Do not buy small amounts of plaster/pumice from a paint line unless you just want to pay for marketing and convenience.

 

Celluclay is another cheap additive.

Mick Hayman
Margate and New Orleans

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Talc is usually corn starch nowadays. It will turn into a gel.

Mick Hayman
Margate and New Orleans

[Tony Hughes]

When I make my basing grit I start with builders sand, wash it and then dry it thoroughly before passing it through various meshes and sieves to produce a range of grit sizes. I found that the last step (a fine plastic sieve for straining tea) still left a dusty remnant that effectively masked the fine texture grit I was trying for. Solution was to do a final step by shaking it through an old pair of tights – the dust I threw away sounds like it might be what you want.

A light coat of thinned PVA, let it dry a short while, pour over the sand dust and immediately pour it off again, tap to remove unadhered stuff and leave to dry. Finally brush off loosely held dust so that it doesn’t clump when you add colouring later.

On plastic you might try a spray undercoat rather than PVA as PVA tends not to adhere to most plastic surfaces and beads up. You’ll have to work quickly doing that though.

Toby of TTT

 

[OotKust]

Tony Hughes wrote:

When I make my basing grit I start with builders sand,

I’m sure for headstones it will be the powder of grit needed; and although I’ve used cleaned ‘free’ beach sand in the past (and still have it) I love my aquarium sand- good for the fish, great for modelling too!
-d

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Andrew Beasley]

Alice suggested baking soda / baking power.

With Sue being back at school I’m really limited for ‘bits’ shopping – panic struck trying to sort my library books today (and I was the only one in being a Sunday) but I think I’ve a few things to try (including my wife’s tights – sorry).

I’ve got the way-markers and some gravestones on the way so all I need is some space this week to get a first test done (fingers crossed) on a bit of plastic sheet.

Thanks to all for the inspiration.

[OotKust]

Andrew Beasley wrote:

Alice suggested baking soda / baking power.

Caution- caustic!

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Andrew Beasley]

OotKust wrote:

Andrew Beasley wrote:

Alice suggested baking soda / baking power.

Caution- caustic!

Cannot say I’ve seen that – we use it for filler sprinkled on superglue.

Electronics weekly note from 2019.

 

[Steven Francis]

Baking soda and caustic soda are very different things… Sodium Bicarbonate and Sodium Hydroxide. Considering the amount of baking soda we must all eat it’s pretty safe but alwys worth being sure on things.

I would suggest that coffee grounds sived could do what you are after as you can get pretty fine paper that should be quite stable.

[OotKust]

Andrew Beasley wrote:

Caution- caustic! Cannot say I’ve seen that – we use it for filler sprinkled on superglue.

Ok, I perhaps meant alkali- closer to that than normal pH so can cause irritation…

Alice suggested,,,,  baking power.

I didn’t want to point out the obvious- not baking??? But then, if you wanted a paste, well flour is used for old wallpapering right?? So yes, for CA I’d stick with soda- I see the link explains same.

Apologies for adding confusion- my brain is adled as I’ve been competing with a gone-wrong restore on my MacBook since Saturday. Blahhh…
cheers dave

Swinging from left to right no matter where the hobby goes!

[Paint it Pink]

Try ground pepper?

Or, diatomaceous earth.

One is good, more is better
http://panther6actual.blogspot.co.uk/
http://ashleyrpollard.blogspot.co.uk/

[Author]

Posts