Well done. Thank you for your demonstration. Most presenters offer a review of the product yet rarely do we see the trials and tribulations that are encountered along the way to their conclusion. I appreciate your immense contribution to the hobby and enjoy watching all your videos. Thanks again. L

Nice looking layout. Good review - I use this for terrain on railroad and theme park models.

Thanks that was information I needed, just starting the process on my layout. I hear if you let it sit for several days it can be carved.

Peter your right about the sculpt-a-mold it takes a very long time to dry. Days and depending on humidity weeks. I use plaster of paris in rubber molds for my rock work and the sculpt-a-mold to fill in any seems, holes i may get from the plaster castings, covering the dips and valleys as you did and it's great for making bases for roads.

I generally think plaster is better for carving or casting rocks, however I prefer Bragdon foam rock work. Sculptimold has fibrous particulate in it so its much better suited to landform. I personally prefer Celluclay with Latex paint and Vermiculite, what Lou Sassi called scenery goup years ago, however I favor Mike Confalone’s formulation, skipping the PVA glue so it remains slightly flexible and easier to penetrate with tree armatures. Sculptimold, or the scenery goup is, in my opinion, much preferable to plaster for landforms, easier, faster, cleaner, and lighter than the antiquated plaster techniques, but you’ve got to use it where it’s strengths excel, and not anywhere where the fibrous material will damage the surface texture your going for. All that said, there’s no substitute for good experimentation, and I enjoy your channel greatly, keep up the good work...

hi Peter... great review on this product... sorry it didn't work as you planned... BTW i thought you were going to post a vid of our visit at my house... thanks for sharing.. vinny

I've always scene it used as ground...like what you did on top and to blend and fill the gaps when adding plaster cast rocks. Dirt mounds and grass hills that kinda stuff. Good to know that it doesn't work for detailed rock.

Not a substitute for plaster as we see but - Using plaster rock molds especially in the larger layout landscaping projects, the hollows and holes can be effectively filled with Sculpt-a-mold. I have used the product very effectively on a rock and earth embankment/cutting where I used a stiff brush and stippling motion on the still wet product. It held position beautifully, colored very well and looked 'rocky' where it should, enhanced of course by plaster molded rocks. I also used it as a base to hold several molds in position around a stone cut tunnel entrance. The holding properties were excellent. Again - Not a substitute for plaster and ideal of applications not involving carving... Thank you for an excellent experiment. Might suggest you look at alternative uses for the product. It does great ground cover - takes color like the cardboard it basically is and has lasted without ill effect in a hot/humid/tropical environment for seven years and is showing no ill effects in two years in a cooler climate.

Wow another well tried demonstration sad it does not do what it says it should? and the cost in comparison with standard plaster must excessive? best wishes Ken

Peter, I'm thinking a pre-mixed tub of drywall compound might work. Also, if you can find a copy of the old Allen Keller video on the Reid brother's N-scale layout, there is a segment showing how one of the brothers carves his plaster to simulate rock and strata. Good luck! "Paul - The CB&Q Guy" Modeling the rural Illiniwek Sub. (proto-based, freelance) in 1969 in HO.

Try carving on the top bit where you didn't lay it on quite so thickly. I'd also try mixing another batch with a bit less water and see how you go. Personally I tend to use air-hardening clay for this type of thing.

The Plaster of Paris, (builders plaster) cannot be carved into rock faces without using sculpt-a-mold?

Oh dear....big fail! After seeing that, I think I'd just stick with plaster! :)

giving a heads up but u put that on way to thick ive worked with sculpamold for a long time making rock faces an rds etc.... an never had any issues the key is to do it in layers put one thin layer on let it dry then add another layer let it dry etc.. till u get the thickness u need

Okay, so let me recap... Sculptamold doesn't carve well, drywall compound cracks too much. Well so, plaster it is then. Wait a minute. I don't know what I'm doing with that either! Uh oh, I had better order lots and lots of trees then! Lots of trees, bushes and other assorted groundcover, that's it! Thanks for the demonstration Peter! Cheers, Dan

Thank-you to all who commented. Actually, the result wasn't totally unexpected. I was concerned about the fibrous texture before I even purchased it, but I had been told that it was a substitute for plaster for carving and/or casting rocks. I didn't bother casting anything (that was to be part 2) because I usually do some carving on my rock castings to help blend them in and also to change their appearance when the same mold is used several times close together.

Peter, have you looked at Fusion Fiber?

Did you not say 2to 1 mix and then did 2 scoops water and 2 scoops sculptamould???? Or am I missing something?

It looks as if you've laid it on too thick- it dries hard.

Sculptamold, the biggest mess there is, impossible to carve, just plaster, works perfectly and a lot cheaper

not for rocks