Hi! I'm working on a winter diorama and I need something effective for creating snow. I've tried painted sawdust and I've tried white glue with baking soda sprinkled over it. Neither really worked to my liking. Anybody got suggestions?

Sweet n’ Low… I use it exclusively for snow… it is an artificial chemical sweetener and doesn’tt yellow and does not (after 15 years) attract bugs.



Good Luck,

John

Baking soda also works well. Unless you smoke -- it absorbs and will yellow if you smoke around it.

I'll have to try the Sweet-N-Low, Neil! Thanks for the great tip!

I use micro balloons......you can find them at plastic stores....amazing stuff....and it doesn't attract bugs or smoke.

Nice snow job Niell.......I never tried snow diorama before. Thanks for the advice.
But is it really that artificial sweetener doesn't attracts ants or cockroaches.....?

I used Alum for this snow. It takes several coats applied over diluted white glue, but I think the results are pretty convincing. You can get Alum at the local pharmacy very inexpensively.

Patrick

So far never a yellowing or a single multi leg vistor ( bug, ant cockaroach or strange neighbor). I happen on the idea when my Dad literally spill his Sweet N' Low over a diorama I was working on as a kid. (OUCH... forget 15... let try 30 years ago... time flys when you are modeling....)

John
www.johnneill.com

With Sweet 'N' Low, do you just put down glue and sprinkle it on? Any special prep we need to be aware of?

With Alum, you mention it takes several coats, does the alum allow you to brush the diluted glue right over it?

Thanks for the tips!

My Prep is:

1. Pre-paint, wash and Dry brush you terrain and model. I tend finish by drybrushing with a frosty blue.
2. Mix 50/50 White Glue/alcohol (Isopropyl (rubbing), not single malt) and spread it my brush over the area I want covered in snow. I also use a toothbrush and give the solution a flick across an area for a splattered effect.
(50/50 White Glue/Water is fine, but I find alcohol evaporates faster - I also use it to thin acrylic paint for my airbrush)
3. Sprinkle on Sweet N' Low and let dry
4. Vacuum or blow off and repeat process as needed.

---- Light sprinkling gives a great frost effect, heavy for snowdrifts

---- If you are building up a large snow bank, I make it from Styrofoam, covered it in Durhams water putty and then follow the process above.

---- I also blow the Sweet N' Low from a drink straw to get into hard to reach places or to get a wind blown effect or snowdrifts.

Hopethat helps some… contact here or my email if you have any questions.

John
www.johnneill.com
[email protected]

Very nice effect... BRAVO!

John
www.johnneill.com

You can also go to the local train shop and get that snow in a can if you feel lazy and want
to go an easy route?

I haven't tried it yet but I do use the baking soda with an exception I use a spray adhesive called power poxy super spray. It works very well and doesn't yellow.

White marble dust is permanent, bug free and available at hobby stores or marble finishers.

Sealhead (Kansas Sunflower)

Woodland scenic has a product called snow - about 9USD for a very large container. Nice if you can get it.

The other options above are great.

Ola Ambrose

I have used Talcum (baby) Powder with succes Just Talcumpowder sprinkle it directly out the container on to your dio just as normal snow would do.
here is a picture of how it looks:

More can be found here

Another product I have used is the Snow from the "Busch" brand. this is some powder wich you have to mix with a little water. and then you can brush it on everything. you can even "paint" small heaps of snow and such. It builts up quite easy. and it looks superb on branches and such. I paid for about 4 Euro for one box with the powder. in that box also come a small bag with some shiny sparkly thingies wich gives the snow the fresh look.

I tried them all.

Stay away from edible products (some turn yellow if the bugs don't get it first).

Microballoons make beautiful snow but should not - that is a big "not" ! - be used if you don't have proper safety gear to provide you from breathing the stuff. Microballoons are light and fluffy and spread through the house like a desease. Don't use it indoors, certainly if you have pets or kids that come in the area within the next days. In other words: forget it unless you want to cough for a week and find microballoons in your hankie when you blow your nose. Not to mention what this irritating stuff does to your eyes...

Why not try talcum powder or other powdery chemicals like dry shampoo ?

actually, I ended up using Neill's method of Sweet 'N Low snow. It worked well, but you can't build it up as well as I'd hoped. Additional glue on the surface just takes away what's already there.

The results can be seen in the diorama talk section under "Kinkaide's Nightmare." That's what I nicknamed the dio.

I've tried the baby powder route and found the same problems. I'll steer clear of microballons. Thanks for the warning.

Marble dust is an intriguing thought. I know a marble cutter. Maybe I'll check with him to see if he has any laying around.

True...

I tend to use thin out Durham Water putty or white glue straight from the bottle to build up areas then apply the SWEET N'LOW.

Nice work

looking forward to more Pictures.

John
www.johnneill.com