Hi guys; I'd like to improve my diorama skills; is grout good for groundwork? I have some I got at Menard's; label says "Adhesive & Grout" (sanded); am I on the right track?

Grout works in some instances-- but by its nature, when mixed with water per the instructions, it sets pretty quickly, so there's not a lot of workable time (it's relative though-- "not a lot" can mean a couple of hours, which might be enough). The other issue with grout is it's difficult to remove once set. But then agian, it's relative-you may not have any desire to remove it at all. I experimented a few years ago when I was doing a model railroad scene using pure white grout for snow-- one advantage it has over other materials is it won't yellow over time. I've found grout a little more difficult to work with than other materials, in that it is harder to form into a shape, but it can be done. Another nice thing about grout is it comes in several grits, and can go from fine to course.
VR, Russ

Has anyone played with celluclay (papermache) & grout mixes?

I did many, many years ago. One problem with it is that it can be too wet and will warp your wood base. So be careful.
I would love to see more modelers comments to this topic to see what other people use!

I most of the time use florists foam (like the green Oasis blocks) soaked with pva for groundwork,very cheap,easy to use,long time to work with it and it cures pretty hard and very lightweight:)

Celluclay will mix well with any other water soluable material, especially if it's in dry form (ie. plaster of paris, hydrocal, spackle, any powder wall patching compound, etc.), but also mixes well with white glue which bonds it and makes it harder when dry. Celluclay, even by itself, will warp a wooden base. Best to coat the wood with several layers of clear, non-water soluable, varnish as a barrier.

Many moons ago I used DAP putty. It does not have the texture grout does, but you can mix sand or rocks into. It sets up quickly(an hour or two) and is light weight. In its raw form, it would be great to represent muddy ruts. I use it over a piece of cardboard to create a damaged wall. Also, I built a pile of rubble by plopping some, on a base and pushing debris into it.

I've used grout in thin layers for desert/sandy/rocky bases with good results (I think....).
One thing I do like about it is its ability to be formed into ridges and such, in layers, and with its quick setting time, the shape stays as I formed it. Thin layers in cookie sheets or on waxed paper, then broken up, makes perfect matching rubble too. I add cheap craft store paint to the mix as well, no worries about chips and such. There are also colored grouts available for even more flexibility.

Would tend to agree that it sets up too fast and would be near impossible to modify once set. It is, after all, like concrete.

I like more flexibility while shaping and the ability modify it once in place, so it wouldn't be mu choice.

I like "Sculpamold. It's kinda like a combo of Celluclay and plaster of Paris. It sets more than dries. so it sets up in an hour or so while it can take quite a while to totally dry. This achieves a couple of things: Fist, because it sets, it doesn't shrink nearly as much as Celluclay, so it doesn't have the tendency to pull the groundwork away from the base, as Celluclay almost always does. Second, because of the paper-mache nature, it can be cut and shaped afterwards much easier than a group product.

It does soak up paint, like celluclay, but a quick coating with watered down PVA glue solves that.

It can be bought in many art shows for a little more than Celluclay, but it's still quite cheap. Comes in reasonably large bags as well, so quite handy to buy and use.

I've been tinting the basic mix with pigments to get a foundation colour into the clay before painting and that has worked reasonably well.

Paul

I use Durhams over the pink rigid foam insulation.

http://www.waterputty.com/

I built this almost ten years ago, still fine. No cracking or separation...

I use Cell-u-clay mixed with drywall joint compound. Plenty of workable time.
Dries hard yet can be drilled, cut, carved easily.
Can be mixed with cheap poster paint to tint to desired color.

Cheers,
C.

I have used grout for years and never had any issues. As long as you have all the elements to add to the base to hand, i.e. everything that will need to be impressed, etc, I have never had any issues.

It can be drilled, cut, sawn and sanded.

It can be painted, can have washes added, etc.

It does not shrink and I have never had any cracking.

If you have some already, give it a go as a test on some scrap board and see if it works for you.

I do not profess to be a great modeller, but here are a few examples of grout used for bases over the years. Nothing elaborate, here these are just what I had to hand.

You will note the grout outlasted the glue on the heads of 2 figures in one pic

Hi guys; thanks for all the feedback and input; appreciate it.

i have used it for many years and only ever had one problem with it cracking, so i'd give it a thumbs up!

I use Durham's Water Putty for the basic groundwork, then sprinkle on grout as the putty dries as soil texture. Press it in with your fingers and it will mostly stay put. After it's dry I give it a coat of matte medium. Looks very much like dirt in 1/35 scale. Takes paint well too.

I may give grout a go as the basic groundwork, though. I have plenty left over from an old, unfinished project. Good to know that it works for some people.

I used a pre-mixed spackling compound called Polyfilla for a ramp, tapering from 1/4" thick at one end to a full inch at the other, and am now the proud possessor of the world's heaviest scenic base! It was wet enough to warp the wooden base despite being varnished, but after a week of drying out the wood straightened out again. Thin is better...

I like to use vinyl concrete patch. It can be thinned with water, is light weight and dries fast. Plus, it also has the advantage of having a nice life like texture already in it. Takes paint well and is pretty cheap. Here is an example:



Jesse

Jesse, I have to ask, what is going on in your diorama, do some of the crew have food poisoning? The guy at the front looks like he is chundering on the road, while the one on the left is too ill to walk himself to the ditch to let something else out. The two on the tank don't look that sympathetic.

On the subject of warping bases, if you're using grout left over from a tiling job, you might also have some off cuts of the cement board backing sometimes used in bathrooms etc., such as HardieBacker Board, which is specifically designed not to warp. Easy enough to cut by scoring and snapping (wear a dust mask) though not easy to get a neat finish on the edges (don't sand it) so best to frame it with wood or plastic.

[quote]Jesse, I have to ask, what is going on in your diorama, do some of the crew have food poisoning? The guy at the front looks like he is chundering on the road, while the one on the left is too ill to walk himself to the ditch to let something else out. The two on the tank don't look that sympathetic.

Hi Matt,
The title of the diorama is "Who Farted?" The guy out front IS in fact puking, the two on the side are overcome by "fumes", the commander has his gas mask out and the driver is grinning up a storm! You know how guys are

Jesse