Model Railroading > Dry dirt?

When using real dirt as ground cover on your layout is there a trick for keeping it looking dry?  I am playing with it and if I spread a thin layer of white glue then add dirt and it looks great.  But when I add other scenery materials and wet it down with scenic cemet and it looks like a rain storm just went through.  So what's the trick for adding grass and other texturing to the dirt but keeping the dirt looking dry?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/16 12:09 by wingomann.

The very first thing to do is cook the dirt to kill any seeds and other living stuff.

I have used real dirt from the Sierra Nevada, Mohave Desert and my back yard for years. Never cooked it but that probably is a good idea. I wet it with wet water and set it with diluted white glue or similar product. Never had an issue with it looking anything other than dry.  



 

Sounds like you may be using diet with too high a clay content. My clays, when wetted and then dried, reshape themselves and dry with a semi gloss finish. 

I used real dirt for my baseball field.  I should have used a finer, powdery dirt, but it isn't all that noticeable.  I just used a wet-water/white glue to affix all the ground materials.

-Ken

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Hoe long has been allowed to dry?

Some carpenter's glues will dry glossy.  This may be deceiving you to think it is wet.  That is where the common use of Matte Medium comes in. 

Rick

I'm using Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement.  It's been a few days since I did my test section.  As you can see in the picture it is quite a bit darker than the road.  The road is just the dirt over a thin layer of white glue.  The bank I did by spraying scenic cement, sprinkled dirt on it then sparingly added fine and course burnt grass.  Then another overspray of cement to hold it all down.  As you can see with the dirt so dark you almost can't see the grass.  Maybe I should wait until the cement is almost dry and add dirt as the last thing instead of the first.

By the way, this is a module I'm working on with my 14 year old daughter.  She's doing the farm and I'm doing the railroad and road. 

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Yeah, that looks like you just opened a bag of potting soil!

As Rick has suggested, matte medium does the trick. I've been havin success with this method for years. Just dillute with water ,and usea sprayer. The matte medium when dry looks dry as a bone!

rick too