On the rocks

So a key part of the layout is the cutting going into the tunnel. I had several goes at this and still not sure I’m there yet.

Step one was to create the overall landscape shape which I used various foam boards from Bunnings and a sharp blade to shape with. I did try to use the hot wire cutter but it proved to be a little slow (as well as giving off nasty fumes)

I covered it all with paper towels (cheap packs from Officeworks) soaked in watered down PVA. Once dry I then applied Amaco Sculptamold which was painted with brown and green poster paints. Finally I applied static grass either side of the cutting.

For the cutting itself, I took actual stones from the garden, dried them out then mixed them with buff coloured grout to give it a lighter texture.

The photo below shows partial coverage of the hillside. Note that I have cut through the hill on the bottom right of the photo. This is where the sections will split as part of the modular baseboard design. Later I’ll cover this with foliage to disguise the cut.

And just so you can see this a little closer:

Still a bit too light and needs some foliage to break things up.