Index: this page
1st   Starting West side of river
2nd  Fried Egg salad Pivoting/balance rocks
3rd   Adding plants and 'decorations' painted sand, add the balance rocks',
4th   Nearing completion painting west side of river

All pages of this build

Part 1 the start, layout table, Miniscule Mtn. w/ Schmidts Mine & 3 hill climbs
Part 2 build Cathedral Rock, rope bridge and Twin Arches
Part 3 Start river, expand table, small arch bridge, detailing east of the river
Part 4 Miniscule Mtn fence rock spire w/Wile E coyote, greenery and small details
Part 5 Painting walls-Nothing to do with layout progress
Part 6 (This page:) Start West of river add small balance rocks
Part 7 Layout basically done add dynamite shack, minor changes, future plans, 3/2024

Where we had left off....I have 1/3 of layout left to do. The east side of river took up a lot more space than planned.

Area that's left, west of river, is so small haven't decided what to add or what I can. Since I was stuck still trying to make a plan for finishing layout I decided to stop and repaint the room, mostly because it was chalk white, very reflective and contrasting layout.
Room painted so back to layout. Planned was a more challenging stepped hill but there's just not enough space.

Just gave up trying to come up with more detailed feature so Im just adding a bunch of open obstacles.

Had some cardboard trays, lot of surface variation so cut it up and glued down. Here I've started adding plaster cloth. As I cover I'll add to height difference making it more challenging and drape to minimizes square corners. At front edge is a small 'butte'. Its about 4" tall. Looks like a mini Devils Tower. Was only added for visual but driving found its climbable. Dumps you on the new field, kinda interesting so likely will expanded on this.

While plastering this an idea of small balancing rocks popped up. Maybe half a dozen small 2-3" flat surfaces, mounted so they pivot on center while driving over. Not sure how I might do this but see when driving they will move under rig. Moving HooDoos. Depending approach angle of rig, would constantly be different. Possibly flats mounted on half of tennis balls or glued ping pong balls, carve pockets in layout base?. more thought required- bunch of 360° teeter totters..

Meantime adding plaster cloth...

Finished laying plaster cloth. Ended up splitting the small butte making about 1" wider.

And coated with layer of joint compound. Added a piece of foam spanning 3 of the 'knobs' to break up outer row. This should be fun to paint...

This is actually fun to drive-it looks simple but easily high centers or tips you over. Little Butte is fun to climb. If I had more of these trays I might have done this whole side wit h'em. Waiting for it to dry then I'll prime while contemplating the 'moving mounds'. It could be quite interesting, throwing rig randomly, then again might offer no challenge what so ever and just drive thru. Either case would be some work...

Primed-waiting until this side pretty much done before painting.

Added this piece to outer edge..This was my first carved piece of foam, when I picked up hot wire cutter. It originally was for Minuscule Mtn, figured I could use it here. DId have to shorten/modify a bit.

Joining/blending new features to existing and to break up the flat area.

Its coming together..Last area...

Adding pivoting /balance rocks 'Fried Egg salad'...

Where I'm going to fill with the moving mounds idea...really unsure about how, but going to try...

First I cut out tops, (8) roughly Ø3", stacked cardboard to resemble balance rock tops. Plaster edges.

For base I picked up ping pong balls

Cut in half to glue to tops.

Ball halves glued to tops..where Fried Egg came in...

Laid out. If I can secure to layout this will be awesome. On the bench though they slide, trick will be to keep in place while still able to rotate. But sitting truck on them they rotate, angles they tilt depending on placement so driving be like a rowboat in high surf...

Fail, Fail and failed again...

First I carved pockets into base for balls to sit in, figured they would tilt instead of moving- wrong. Truck just pushed out of the way and they piled on each other. Then I tried tied them together in a grid with short pieces of fishing line, thinking that would keep spaced. Nope, truck pushed 1 and the rest followed.

Then I tried gluing rope around pockets, then 2 layers but the balls just slide up and out. Spent about an hour trying to get this to work. I dont understand truck pushing instead of climbing or why the ball want to slide instead of tilt..

Briefly thought if I glued tops to a pieces of burlap or cloth and fix edges to base the surface would undulate, but not the look or effect I want so scraped the whole thing off base.

Then on whim poked a hole in one- inserted stick, hole large enough ball can pivot...that worked.

Certainly cant slide.
However..discovered WHY this didn't work from the start. What happens is the angle of tilt even though ball height is only 3/4", top edge tilted is a good 1 1/2" high. But more to the point it puts the bottom of ball way out in front of edge that's down. It wants to slide, if it were a square it may stay put but its like a front bike wheel-little to no forward resistance. 2nd issue is when wheel drops off 1st top onto 2nd top its lower than tilt height-when back wheels hit 1st top causes it to tilt and high centers rig.
Anyway doing the stick will keep in position, cant slide. Need to limit tilt or space way apart. Going to try. If it semi works great-if it doesn't I'll cut short sections of tubes elevated at different heights to drive over tops. Not really worth the effort but spent so much time I hate being stumped...or just nix the whole idea and go back to plastering boxes...

Continuing and it works.

With the moving out of way solved placed on layout and drove over. Except for edges tilting and getting caught under rig fun.I was thinking of texturing layout base to limit how much these tilt but ended adding strips of cardboard around. Simpler. Plus is we can move around or if I come up with another feature these can easily removed.

Spaced locating pegs so fried eggs can spin without hitting each other. Which is other level of engagement. Not only do they tilt randomly, they spin. Crossing this field you are constantly adjusting to it. You cant just pick a line.

Plastering and painting still to do but moving on to make perimeter barrier for this section

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Making Barriers. add the balance rocks, priming ...

Where potential to fall of edge likely I've been adding barriers. Some just to add visual. Other areas will rely on the table edge banding. It will be the last thing done to layout. I'm thinking 1/8" hardboard/masonite, most top edges cut to match silhouette of layout and wont be seen, just enough to cover table and 2" foam base. Few areas extending higher to act as barrier though only section I can think of is under Twin arches

Probably wont fall off this edge but unprotected the foam base chunks outs if barley brushed. But to be determined as I add banding. Meantime...

Carved up some foam to add barrier to other corner this end of layout. As there's not much going on this corner more visual interest than functional.

Have a good day of plastering , another day to paint...
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Nearing completion

Finished plastering, priming what is dry.
Think I've mentioned but the styrofoam MUST be primed with non solvent paint (I'm using tinted water base acrylic primer) so it doesn't melt when spray painted. Even if plastered and most is, to ensure spray paint doesn't soak thru and melt foam. The cardboard/paper etc most is also plastered. But priming everything before spraying. The primer is pretty thick so also help fill, seal. Brushing adds additional texture. After priming spray all with red oxide flat primer. This is base and basically final color. I then semi dry brush with some peach, orange and some white tempera paint to high light and give some variation to color)

Finished priming.

WHOO whoo!
And finally painted

WHY does this camera insist on the color shift....

Made 3 more of the balance rocks, not shown. They go where they sticks are placed. In a hurry to finish I skipped (forgot) to prime and spray painted. So will see if that extra step of priming the plastered cardboard indeed makes a difference

And remaining balance rocks mounted

But West of the river is actually nearing completion.

Will be adding details/ plants etc and what ever comes to mind. I will start adding the border around layout/table edge but for now...layout is finally done.

Layout is fun to drive. Though impatient to be finished, the time spent actually building was enjoyable (for the most part). A lot is pretty crude but overall, seeing it come together and looking like something well- I just didn't expect or envision this. Pretty happy with it.

That said, while you do have to pay some attention, there are no real challenges, everything is 'do-abel'. Verses out in the 'wild' where you see a questionable line, try to navigate and pull it off. But on a 4'x8' course limited on how you build and what you include. My goal was layout that's drivable, and somewhat believable red rock terrain that is fun. The last section 'west of the river' is where I was going to be more focused on making area that was very difficult and you picked your own challenge- just ran out of room.

.Likely I will be adding to flat areas. Increasing difficulty of some areas. Also a corner of room that I could add a small 2'x4' "make or break pile". If that happens I'll update but wont be for few months.. Later. '

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All pages of this build
Part 1 the start, layout table, Miniscule Mtn. w/ Schmidts Mine & 3 hill climbs
Part 2 build Cathedral Rock, rope bridge and Twin Arches
Part 3 Start river, expand table, small arch bridge, detailing east of the river
Part 4 Miniscule Mtn fence, rock spire w/Wile E coyote, greenery and small details
Part 5 Painting walls- Nothing to do with layout progress
Part 6 (This page) Start West of river, add small balance rocks
Part 7 Layout basically done add dynamite shack, minor changes, future plans, 3/2024

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