Hi all,

I'm sure this has been posted, but I'm on dial-up and I'm having trouble finding anything. I'm just trying to do a simple base with some ground work and I'm having all sorts of problems using Celluclay. I got a small, round wood base from the craftstore and put a clear enamel gloss coat on it to protect it.

My first try with Celluclay was too dry and nothing stuck, I couldn't make decent track imprints, etc. My second try, I made a little bit wetter, now the base is just a twisted piece of wood.

Any hints or suggestions? Should I just abandon the Celluclay all together and go with joint compound/spackle, or will that warp a base as well because it has moisture in it?

Thanks for any help.

You need to seal your base with something, preferably something oil base. I think you had the celluclay mixed right the second time but the water soaked into the wood, warping it. I usually add a decent squirt of white to the celluclay when I am mixing it. This should help keep the edges from peeling away from your base as the celluclay dries. Hope this helps. I have been using Celluclay for years. Don't give up on it yet...

I agree, your base wasn't sealed good enough. Use something like a varnish. You know the one where you have a piece of wood, brush it on, and then it looks beautiful. Do that, and then try it over again.

I really honestly do feel bad for you, because I imagine that you were really excited and then just bare downright frustrated. Just make sure your base is waterproof, and do the celluclay gig.

~Chip

Good suggestions from Keenan and Chip250. :-) Also, use a more substantial base, like a decoupage plaque from Michael's or other craft stores. Drill a number of holes 1/8 to 1/4 inch in the base to give the Celluclay something to bite into. While adding white glue as Keenan mentioned, pre-tint the mixture with some earth tone acrylic paint. If the surface you're trying to achieve is rough and will be exposed, add some fine gravel or course sand. :-)

Ditto - everything previously posted - all sound suggestions

Even if you do got to spackle - add a bit of white glue to give it bite.

All good suggestions...

One other that I didn't see. Add a dollop ( ) of liquid dish soap, too. I found that helped when running tire or track over the celluclay. It seems to keep the clay from lifting up to annoyingly unrealistic points and edges.

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try again and just put a heck of a lot more sealant on it. I did mix white glue in both times, and even used some dish soap to break the tension. I think the second time did turn out with the consistency I wanted, it just resulted in the warping. Thanks again.

It is worth mentioning that if an edge does happen to peel up on you, like it did to me in the photo below, you can shoot some ca glue into the crack and tack it back down.



Another Stug IV, couldn't help it...

I hardly ever put celluclay directly on my wooden base. I tend to build it up with styrofoam first. This way any excess water is absorbed by it.

70% celuclay, 30%plaster, some whit glue and mixed to a cosistency that is soft and maleable, smooth, but not so wet it oozes. Add some white glue and a little bit of detrious. Your rocks etc, so ther is something mixed in and "below the surface"

I use mdf that is sealed with poly first, then painted and or sealed again. I drill a few holes to give it some "tooth" and start making mud pies. Once laid down I smooth it out with a spoon dipped in soapy water or my finger.

Once dry, it seems pretty stable. I've had more trouble with silverfish eating the celuclay over a period of years when I had some dios stored in an attic. The new formula above should get rid of some of that problem.

Here's my recipe for bases,
wood "plaques" from Micheals or other craft store, sanded smooth and stained with a
2-in-1 stain/poly. Let dry for a day or two, then coat with high gloss poly. Depending on the desired finish, sometimes a second coat of poly. Don't forget the bottom of the base also, you don't want it soaking up humidity and warping a year later! Of course you can also use semi-gloss or other depending on personal tastes. Before putting on any landscape material, I sand the portion to be covered to knock down the gloss and give the celluclay a better bite.....just enought to scuff it. Mix celluclay as described by the others.....remember not too much celluclay at once or it'lltake forever to dry.

This post couldn't have come at a better time. I just made my first base, hopefully for the Small N Big campaign.

I followed some of the advice on this thread. I had a few pre finished bases lying around from a home improvement project. I sanded down the finish then used my utillity knife to score the wood for the clay to bite. It already had several holes in it so I didn't have to drill any.

I took a large zip lock baggie to keep from messing up a bowl. I mixed about half a cup of celuclay, a quarter cup of plaster, and about half a cup of water. Mixed it up to a kind of gluey consistancy. Then I added white glue and dish soap. It seemed to be the right mixture. I spread it out on to my base and sculpted it to where I wanted it. It's drying now so I'm not sure it will work but I have high hopes.

After it dries I'll use my new airbrush to paint it. The plan is to be showing a road with a deserted motorcycle, from the Tamiya 88 kits, being checked out by a couple of 101 guys from the DML airborne kit. Alongside the road will be a snow bank, and maybe a fence.

Anyway thanks to all for the tips.