Working With Water Confidently and Easily (1 Viewer)

[mikemiller1955]

I get a lot of emails and personal messages asking me about water in dioramas...

people seem hesitant or almost afraid to try making water in their dioramas..

I try to explain how simple it is and what a great product is available...

but they still seem unsure and wary about messing with it...

Somebody (Mark)...off of Ebay's viewing audience...called me last night...

he had seen one of my auctions on Ebay and got my phone number off of it...

he had viewed threads on Treefrog...but was not a member yet...

I think he recognized my name from Ebay...
recognized my collection and associated it with a water diorama I did some time ago on Roger's Rangers on Treefrog...

he apologized for the intrusion by calling...and asked if I was also on Treefrog and had I posted a Ranger's diorama with water...

after I explained that..."Yes...that is me"...

we ended up in a 30 minute conversation about Jenkins mostly and some diorama ideas after I answered his questions about creating water...

turned out Mark is a really nice guy...a big Jenkin's collector and very passionate about collecting and creating dioramas...

I think I talked him into joining the forum...as he is a very nice guy and had some really interesting techniques on creating diorama landscaping and props...

well...I hope he does join...he would be an asset...but I'm going to create a thread about using water and how simple it is...

I get the impression that people shy away from it...

thinking it's too hard to do...

doesn't work well...

or is too expensive...

I posted some info on some earlier threads about creating water...

but I'm going to give a detailed explanation now with pictures and the supplies I use for future references and a guidance tutorial to show how easy it is to create...

 

[mikemiller1955]

I prefer a product called "Magic Water"...

it's distributed by a company called Unreal Details LLC...

their website is http://www.unrealdetails.com/

even if you don't want to do water...you might look at his website...he has some incredible pieces to view...

the owners name is Dave...

and he has always taken my calls and given me tips or answered any questions I had...

I don't know about you...but I love the personal touch...

There are many great products offered...I have tried several...not to mention names...

but this is the one that I think is the best on the market...

it does not...

crack...

shrink...

yellow...

or bubble...

some of the earlier dioramas I did...now over a year old...have sat in my garage in inclement weather...both cold and hot...

they still look like the day I made them...

Dave has a page of testimonials...you might read them on his website...

I have had this bottle for over a year and have done several lakes and rivers...

I still have half of it left and used some a month ago...same perfect results...

okay...enough of an endorsement...there are lots of great products...but this is the best I have seen...

it is sold in many different sizes...I bought the largest bottle he had...but this stuff goes a long way as all you need is a thin layer to create the water...

the depth is created by the underlying colors of paint...

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Mike...

Dave says the check is in the mail.

 

[mikemiller1955]

I prefer to use blue board in my dioramas...a denser type of styrofoam...

very lightweight...

you can buy it at any builder's supply store...

Lowes...Home Depot...

it's a commercial product used for insulation from heat and cold...

it comes in a 4x8 foot sheet and is 1 inch thick...

about $14 a sheet...

it cuts well with a razor knife and shapes pretty well with a rasp...

it also comes in pink...

but it is not usually referred to as styrofoam...

even though the label clearly says styrofoam...

ask for "residential sheathing"...

if you ask for styrofoam...they may tell you that they don't sell it...

The Magic Water will work well on any material...

wood, plastic, floral foam, regular white air/plastic whipped styrofoam...

anything...

I just prefer blue board residential sheating...

I always put a sheet of 1/4" wood on the bottom of the bases of my dioramas...

just to protect the foam and give it a solid base...

I use "Liquid Nails Project" in a tube to seal the wood to the foam...

it dries quick...any hardware store has it...

okay...so after I have my foam and wood glued together and dried...

I draw my river with a marker...

then I score it with a razor knife...just about a 1/4" deep...

then following the line of the "score"...I gouge it out with a spoon...

I tried to take some close-ups to show you...

I measured it...

mine is about 1/4" to 3/8" deep...but you don't have to go that deep...you can make it much more shallow...

I keep the vacuum cleaner with the nozzle attachment real close and clean up every couple of minutes...

the foam board is static and tends to cling...so I try to stay clean and keep the floor clean as I go...

after I gouge out the outline...I take my finger tip and rub it back and forth inside the river bed to smooth it out kind of evenly...

vacuum up my mess and go to the next step...

 

[mikemiller1955]

Mike...

Dave says the check is in the mail.

Oooooooooh...you're funny Nicholas...

it's not like that....really...

I wish I was getting a kick back on the figures and products I show on here..

I really do get a lot of questions on creating water...

I always liked the tutorials people submit...

I like to contribute...people just shy away from it thinking it's difficult...

we're here to share and learn...

it's not hard to work with...

 

[mikemiller1955]

Dave recommended this next step...

I'm not sure it's necessary with blue board...

but I would definitely use it with other less dense foams...

like floral or white air whipped foams...

this is Durhams Water Putty...

a yellow powder...

I think mostly used for wood...but the label even says for hobbies and crafting...

It will seal the intended water area so that the Magic Water will not leak through any holes...

Magic Water is a liquid...and like any liquids...it will seeks the lowest level and find any hole it can to seep out...

I always use the water putty...it's pretty cheap...about $9 a can I think...

I only used two tablespoons to do both theses rivers...

You mix it with water and then I paint it on...

making sure to cover any possible leak holes good, so the Magic water will remain in the resevoir you make...

any thickness will harden...the thicker you make it...the quicker it hardens...

again...I make mine very thin (like a milkshake) and paint it on...

it will dry in an hour or so...

the peice I'm making will be an extension of this artillery battery I made...

I need a bigger area for the attacking forces...

and also wanted a seperate piece to do future battles on...

the terrain will be flat with two small creeks in it...

 

[mikemiller1955]

Okay...

I need to stop and paint the foam board with a dark coat of primer...

it will be dry tomorrow and I will paint the riverbed and pour the water then...

I wiped the surface clean of the excess water putty with a wet towel...but you don't have to...

the ground work will cover it anyway...

that's it for now...

I'm gonna go paint the foam board...

it's really simple...

 

[Shannon Reuss]

Okay Michael, you sold me. I've been considering picking up Magic Water for a while now and your post was the final push I needed to take the plunge (Ooh--what a bad pun!).
I spoke with Dave Williams today about it and you should see his products for sale on the Treefrog website in a day or two.

You did such a great job selling me on Magic Water I should hire you to promote Treefrog Treasures!

Regards,

 

[mikemiller1955]

Okay Michael, you sold me. I've been considering picking up Magic Water for a while now and your post was the final push I needed to take the plunge (Ooh--what a bad pun!).
I spoke with Dave Williams today about it and you should see his products for sale on the Treefrog website in a day or two.

You did such a great job selling me on Magic Water I should hire you to promote Treefrog Treasures!

Regards,

Shannon...he told me a long time ago that he was trying to get into your store...I know some other guys had picked him up...but he knew I posted on your forum and I told him to contact you...a week later he had said you had declined...it really is a great product...at least the best I have seen...I'm glad you looked at him again...

hahahaha...that is a bad pun..."take the plunge"....

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Well...I hope you are going to stock the small bottles too. I only need to make some mud puddles, but Mike sold me too.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Shannon...

your customers will like it...it's a great product...

the stuff seems to have a "shelf life" in the bottle forever...

I hope some people give it a try after seeing how easy it is...

this is as far as I can go today...

I will paint the river and pour the Magic Water tomorrow...

unless we play golf...

 

[marco55]

Mike,this has been great so far.I have Vallejo's Still Water and Water Effects I'm gonna try.I'm gonna try this stuff because I have it but I may get Magic Water if I don't like it.I still have learned a lot from your thread though.Thanks.
Mark

 

[thebritfarmer]

I just love these type of threads. I am enjoying your tutorial immensely Mike and looking forward to the next stages.

 

[Lewey Gun Vick]

Great thread Mike. Definately picking some of this Magic Water to fill some of the tread marks on my mud road on my Battle of Bugle diroama.

Best Regards,
Vick

 

[mikemiller1955]

I painted the creek beds a solid blue...

then did a really wet wash with a diluted black...

and ran a darker strip down the middle...

I think this color will look good and murky when finished...

I don't really think this creek is wide enough to show much depth...

but the idea is...

the deeper you want the water to look...

the blacker you make that area...black illustrating depth...

a pond or large river would have a dark center...

the edges becoming a bluer/black...

okay...

the creeks have been cut out...

the creeks have been puttied...

the foam has been primed...

the water has been colored...

going to let everything dry good...

tomorrow I will pour the Magic Water...

if I don't play golf early...

 

[mikemiller1955]

If you're going to do an "open end river"...

one that goes all the way across the foam...

from end to end on the foam...

you're going to have to "dam" up the ends to hold the "Magic Water" in...

you don't need much in the way of supplies to do this...

I use a hot glue gun and some Popsicle sticks...

of course if you're doing a pond or a lake...this won't be necessary as the Magic water is in a contained area...

the Magic Water will seek the lowest point...just like any fluid...

so the dam is necessary to contain the water on an end to end river...

I have heard of people using glue, caulk, putty, tape...etc...to secure the dam tightly...

whatever you use...just make sure you have a tight seal...

or the Magic Water will seep out the ends through any pin hole leak...

which is why I puttied the river bed...

I prefer a hot glue gun...

it's a must for any hobbyist...

it literally dries in place in seconds...unlike white glue that takes overnight to set up...

I bought the gun for about $7.00 at Walmart...

it has a "high" and "low" temperature setting...

be careful...the "high" setting will burn you quickly and badly...

learn from my mistakes...hehehehe...

it sticks to your skin like napalm...

the "high" setting will also melt foam...it will literally dissolve it...

use the "low" setting on foam...

if you use the "high" setting...give it a few seconds to cool before attaching the desired glued piece to the foam...

the glue sticks can be bought at Walmart too or any Craft's store...real cheap...about $5.00 for about 24 of them...

I use the large Popsicle sticks...they are really chap and fit flush on the edge...any scrap of wood or plastic will work...

add some glue to the stick and press it to the edge of the foam...

the hot glue will set in seconds...ensuring a tight seal...

after the Magic Water has dried and hardened completely...

usually in 24-36 hours...depending on the depth...

you can carefully trim away the glued Popsicle sticks with a razor blade and discard...

you may need to retouch the painted area when the stick was trimmed away...

I could pour the Magic water tonight...but I'm too tired to take any more pics...

I'll finish it tomorrow...

 

[Njja]

Excellent Thread!

 

[mikemiller1955]

These two rivers...or creeks are 41 inches long and about 1-2 inches wide...

pretty long rivers...almost 3 1/2 feet long each...

very little is needed to mix and pour...

I would guess I used about a 1/4 cup of the mixed solution to fill each one of the creeks...

So...1/2 cup of mixed solution was enough to fill both creeks...

You can look at the white cup where I marked a "fill line" and make your own estimate on how much you think I used...

a little bit goes a long way...

this is a shallow pour...not much product is needed...

I will look at it later and decide if I need another layer...

you can always add more as per the directions...

it will take a little while for the Magic Water to "settle"...

as any fluid will seek the lowest point and self level...

make sure your dams are air tight at this point and if there are no leaks...

just leave it alone for at least 24 hours...

I copied the mixing directions directly off Dave's site...

Mix only the amount of Magic Water™ you think you will need.
You can always mix more, if needed.
Mix 1 part bottle A...the smaller bottle...
with
2 parts bottle B...the larger bottle...
in one large plastic cup or suitable container...

Please stir slowly so as not to make bubbles. Continue stirring slowly until completely mixed, about 10 minutes. SIMPLY POUR MAGIC WATER™ AS IF IT WAS REAL WATER!

Magic Water™ can be added to later over a previous layer if needed. Cover your project to prevent dust {and cats!} from getting into the resin. Magic Water™ will set up in approximately 24 hours.

COMPLETE DIRECTIONS AND TIPS IN THE BOX!

so...pretty simple stuff...just mix and pour...

The Magic Water drying time will vary...usually 24 hours...maybe a little longer if you make a deeper pour...

I will wait until the Magic Water completely hardens before I remove the dams carefully with a razor knife...

this is a simple product...don't be intimidated with it...

look at some of the photos on this link to see the different applications...

http://unrealdetails.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=15

anything is possible...waves...ripples...waterfalls...ponds...wet rocks...marshland...rivers...oceans... etc...

be sure and check out the submarine emerging from the ocean...

really cool stuff...

after the Magic Water hardens...

I will touch up the river bed edges with a paintbrush and texture the terrain with groundwork...

I'll show you the finished product in a couple of days...

Shannon told me that Treefrog will have it on their shelves in a few days...

try a small bottle...you will be amazed at how hard and clear it hardens...

this is a good product..

no shrinking...

no yellowing...

no bubbling...

no cracking...

it will preserve well on your diorama forver...

 

[wadepat]

Hi Michael,

Your step by step illustration of how to use Magic Water is outstanding! I very much appreciate the easily understood directions you provide regarding the creation of a river/stream/creek/pond. Though I am no modeler or diorama builder, your information provides me with the confidence and detail necessary to potentially attempt a small project. Thanks for explaining and illustrating the creation of your creek so nicely!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[Njja]

Mike........nice toes!