I have read, get some chicklets gum, put them in your mouth, but dont chew, allow just enough to soften the candy coating, now remove (ahhhhh!) and press against burlap. Allow to dry.. And Viola!, Instant sand bags.... Now paint (what color?)...

I have not yet tried this.. Has anybody?

I haven't tried this yet, but thanks for putting the idea in my head.

Unchewed gum, with sugars partly broken down...I don't think this is a great idea for longevity. Frankly, you'd be better off with some epoxy putty.

You've certainly found a good way to attract ants and the like !
It's probably better to stick to non-edable products. They won't attract pests.

I use self-hardening modeling clay... it's cheap, easy to work with and they can be pressed into and/or 'carved' into any shape or form. Water clean-up too. Will adhere with white glue. Won't crack (at least I haven't noticed any) over time either, and won't shrink. Any 'gapage' can be easily filled with small amounts of the same clay.

Some have said before that the chicklet method works for them. I haven't tried it and most likely won't. I don't want to 'invite' bugs into my home either.

This technique was first brought to my attention by ol' Shep Paine in his Diorama book. The longevity problem, to me, isn't an issue. I've seen gum stuck to the underside of a desk for years. The bonus with Chicklets is the ready-made shape. I think Shep recommended them for small scale, but again it's been a long time since I read the book.

Wow !! Using chiclets is a new idea. But I rather stick to non edible material such as polyfilla cement...............doesn't attract ants.

I would probably use epoxy for sandbags and chicklets for my mouth. Sometimes, it just can't be help. Once you chew it, I swear some people would rather eat it.

I dont think that is the brightest idea.

Chicklets? The gum?

Hmm...They're right...And you sure dont want to make your dio smell like mint... They'll attract ants, and later, molds... I'll just stick to my good old epoxy clay...

Hey guys. I have used this method numerous times. IT WORKS!!! What you do is you drop the gum in some water and let is soak for a few hours until the shell is all melted away.

So far, I have seen NO ants at all and it lasts. My models I have used it on are over 5 yrs old.

How about using mashed potatos? They are soft when freshly cooked and hard when left sitting in the pan for a while. You could shape them using a spoon and then let them dry. Also, any gaps could be filled with gravy.

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All kidding about gravy aside, I used split peas to make a cobble street for a diorama once. Sizes varied, but not too much. Glued them flat side down, filled the gaps between them with spackle (not gravy) and painted them up. Looked really good until something in my basement got hungry and ate my street. No kidding.

Greetings All !!

Just thought that I'd add MY TWO CENTS WORTH on this topic.I used the old CHICKLETS idea WAAAAY back in 1985, when I did a model of a Vietnam era M113, and I have NEVER had any trouble with them since. I let them sit in hot water to dissolve the candy shell and then put the gum onto the model and shaped them with a Q-TIP, then sprayed DULLCOTE over everyhing to seal and protect it. It WORKED FOR ME.

I STILL HAVE the model, it is one of my FAVORITES, but is starting to show "it's age".if anyone is interested, I'd be happy to EMAIL some pictures, just LMK !!

Thanks As Usual,
ABD

i think i would rather eat the food then to diorama with it. Epoxy putty, and celluclay are a lot cheaper in the long run. Though you could let the ants come and then spray it for an attack of the giant ants diorama. I think this needs to go on that WW2 German UFO thread