I picked up a bag of the woodland scenics E-Z water. What is it? Is it some sort of resin? I am planning on making plaster groundwork with rocks etc and laying a shallow pool on top of it. When you heat it up and pour it, will it react with the plaster (or the white glue/acrlyic paint on it ). What sort of container do you use to heat it in? Does it shrink alot? Will u be able to tell that it has been poured in many thin sheets? Basically any tips on using this stuff would be helpful.
As for an update, I have my military figures finished (modern US), my civilian almost ready for painting (arab looking guy), and my plaster base almost ready, minus the stones, sand and water. I have to get it finished right away as I will be busy most of May.

Captain Bison44:
Go to my thread Splash in the dio. forum because I used a plaster base but painted it with enamel.
I don't know what its made from, but it looks pretty good to me. I used a small sause pan to melt it in, make sure you dam up the edges so it don't run where you don't want it to go, I used clay for my dam. It didn't shrink. I poured it a little bit thicker then 1/4 in.
BE CAREFUL its hotter then hell & will run every where if its not damed up.

Bison:

I've only used the product once, but didn't have very good results with it. If heated too hot there seem to be a lot of air bubbles in the product. There also seems to be a yellowish hue to the color.

Woodland scenics newer product - realistic water - is much nicer. It is poured straight out of the bottle (no heating), and is much clearer in color. I'd use that if I had the choice.

Just my two cents.

John

I have had a bag of EZ Water (the pelettes you melt) for some time and finally used them. I was dissapointed. Mine turned out yellow. It shrank just a bit. it was OK to work with. I just wasn't happy - so I move on to casting resin.
For heating it I made a temporary container out of aluminum foil. It was nice because it was disposable and I could form a pouring spout to fit my need. I did pour two layers and could not tell that I had. I didn't expereince any reaction to any part of my test bed diorama.

The nice thing with it is that you can re-heat it and resculpt it.

Now - take a look at whiterooks water - it is VERY good. So I would say - experiment before you add it to your end product.

Thanks for all the help guys. The EZ water was all I could find at my local shop, but hopefully it will do the trick. The shallow sort of scuzzy puddle i'm making probably would be browish yellow anyway!
I did check out whiterook's sweet base. That water is just painted plaster?? NO WAY, that sounds like alot easier than heating up and pouring crap. Did you use gloss or did you put a coat ofclear gloss over it to seal it in? Whichever, it looks really good.

Bison44:
I'm sorry if I misled you.I poured E-Z WATER over my blue painted plaster which was a blue enamel. GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN.

Well I finally took the big step and poured my so called EZ water. It was heated in a butter tart tinfoil cup over the stove. I couldn't believe how quick it hardened, it was very well melted and very runny, but when poured it seemed to sit there like a blob of salt water taffy. It didn't un into all the nooks and crannies like i hoped it would. No worries right?? You just take your hair drier and heat it up a bit more while its tacky and it will smooth out. GRRRRR, not for me, WHat a mess. After multiple pours (much of which look more like strings of beads as opposed to translucent water) I am ready to throw the whole thing out.
Is it a total write off or does anyone have any wisdom for me? Would painting it maybe help?

I am sorry to hear the bad news. That's why I am so hesitant to pour. If it screws up you're toast.

I can't really say if you're totally out of it - do you have any pictures? That would help give ideas of how to 'fix' or resurect the base.


Couple of thoughts - I don't know whats on your base so it kinda depends.

• You may try a microwave to soften and then pry off the water.
  
• Go deeper water? Add a layer of resin (alternate water product) over the top.
  
• Go muddy and paint it?
  

I have found a very good method for correcting this. Do not bother with trying to get EZwater to gradient smoothly up the bank, I find it cracks away no matter water. Instead, pour in the EZ water, let it cool completely and shrink and crack away from the edges as it wants to. Then pour (or drip with a paint brush) pourable water from woodland scenics into the gap. Some may seep away under the EZ water and you may have to top it up gradually but it will eventually create a perfect seal!
Here is a pool I made using this method:
http://www.chromelotus.4t.com/props11.html
I personally prefer to use two part mixable resins these days but don't give up on that EZwater, you can still get amazing effects with it and it is so cheap, fast, safe and convienient to use!

Kris

Sorry I wasn't quick enough to tell you to avoid it.

Sealhead

While on the subject, what does everyone recomend for accurately making water in dioramas?
cheers

A really good place to look for highly realistic resin water techniques is the taxidermy industry. I have seen some incredible work:





Here is a video that may be of interest: 'Splash and Ripple Construction' by Frank Newmyer:
http://www.taxidermy.com/cat/04/HabitatVideos.html

WOW, thats really is realistic, thanks!
cheers

I've heard a few rumblings about Woodland Scenics E-Z Water coming out yellowish. From experience, I've only had one batch do this, and it was when it got too hot. Apparantly this is known to be the case, so you have to be careful when using it.

Use any sort of tin - I like an old baked beans tin because then I just toss it out afterwards.

several thin layers don't seem to shrink that much, and its drying time isn't too offensive. Just watch out that the heat from the product doesn't attack your base layers.

I used EZ water once in a fith grade dio of the Monitor and CSS Virginia, but it melted the styrofoam base! :-) Since then I have not tried to model water, but am gonna give it another shot. :-)

I also bought tha bag E-Z water from woodland scenics. But to be honest it smells like hell and is not easy to use. When dried up the water has a yellow colour.
I really regret buying this bag from woodland scenics. I'm thinking of goini to buy the bottle with ready water.
You can check the result at my webpage. Chose "klik hier om binnen te gaan" then in the upper menu "projecten" and then "ardennen diorama (klik hier)". You can see pictures of my water.

Greetz Roel

http://www.users.skynet.be/modelbouwsite