Supplies you will need:

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-An old bedsheet (I find using flannel sheets produce results more like actual plaster cloth, but most types will work.)

-Scissors (to cut the bedsheet)

-2 cups Plaster of Paris (or Hydrocal if you prefer)

-1 gallon (16 cups) of water

-A few drops of dish soap

-4oz Mod Podge (PVA glue can also work, but may change the consistency a little)

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Project Overview:

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Plaster cloth (essentially bandage gauze infused with plaster) is a material frequently used to construct scenery on model railways because it's a relatively quick and easy way to build up hills and mountains. However, it can quickly become an expensive luxury if you have a lot of ground to cover, as a 5 square foot roll is at least $10 at the local craft store.

 

Considering the size of my layout (and the fact that it's almost entirely hills and mountains), I realized that I'd have to find a cheap alternative to plaster cloth that worked just as well as the real thing. 

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Instructions:

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1. Start by procuring an old bed sheet. This is cheapest if you already have an old one you're using as a rag, but if you only have nice sheets that you don't want to destroy, you may have to take a trip to your local thrift or consignment shop like Value Village or Goodwill. As I said in the supplies list, I find that flannel sheets work the best. They tend to soak up more of the plaster and glue, and are more malleable and workable than regular cotton sheets.

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2. Mark up the sheet into squares, then cut them out. This step is very loose - you can mark squares, triangles, strips, or circles for all I care. Whatever shape works best for you, mark the shape on the bedsheet in sharpie before you cut. (It goes much faster this way) I personally do squares because it's most like the plaster cloth from the store, but feel free to get creative.

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3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a plastic tub. Put 2 cups of Plaster of Paris (or hydrocal) in the bin first. Pour 1 gallon (16 cups) of water into the bin, and then the 4 oz of Mod Podge or PVA glue. Add just a few drops of dish soap to the mix. (This helps keep the plaster, glue, and water mixed, and slows down the drying/thickening of the mixture) 

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4. Mix like hell. It will take at least 4-5 minutes of mixing before it's mixed well enough to work with. 

 

5. Make sure to cover your track or existing scenery with a rag or towel. Don't want to get plaster and glue where it's not supposed to be! Much better to spend time building scenery than cleaning up mistakes... 

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6. Take a bedsheet square and start soaking it in the mixture. It will take about 30 seconds before it's absorbed enough to be placed on the layout, and you can help it along by dragging it slowly through the mixture or rubbing it on the bottom of the bin. 

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7. Take it out and let some of the water drain before placing it on the layout. Not too much as you don't want to lose the glue and plaster, but you do want to get rid of some of the excess water that the sheet has soaked up. 

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8. Mix the concoction every time you finish laying a sheet on the table. You don't want to end up with some sheets that have all the glue and plaster and some that don't have any. The mixture tends to settle very quickly and needs to be stirred constantly in order to get an even application. You'll also notice that it begins to thicken after about 15-20 minutes. You can dilute it as this happens, up to another gallon of water (16 cups) if necessary - provided that you mix it thoroughly.

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9. Cover the whole area. Then cover it again. Then cover it again. Okay, so maybe 3 times is a bit overkill. But it really depends on what the plaster cloth is going on top of, and whether you'll be putting something on top of the plaster cloth afterwards. If you're like me and you're putting the plaster cloth on top of cut foam (also probably overkill), two layers is probably fine - even if it'll be covered in sculptamold later, because the foam structure is strong enough hold everything on top of it.

 

If you're putting the plaster cloth on top of chickenwire or cardboard strips, I'd actually recommend going over with at least 4 layers of plaster cloth so that it's sturdy enough to hold your scenery. 

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And that's it!

 

Quite simple, and provided that you layer it - sturdy enough for scenery.