Tunnel Liner Form

Might try email to WS and ask them about the O size. They have been releasing a bunch of new stuff recently. Couldn't hurt.

I used the Woodland Scenic tunnel mold, just added pieces.  The hydrocal pieces can be cut with a hacksaw.

Unless it is really in the foreground, aluminum foil is hard to beat in terms of cost-effectiveness:

I like Eric's idea and have got every thing needed to start As soon as it warms up.

While aluminum foil is a good idea, do be aware that is does mess with TMCC signals in the tunnel. That is why I do not use it.

Chris

LVHR

Well, I'm 100% postwar, so it's all the same to me. But, in my experience, it is rare that there is any need for more than 10 or 12 inches of tunnel lining. I am guessing that that wouldn't matter much.  Could be wrong, though.

I'll share this idea given to me by my late friend and forum member, Owen Sturm (Paulinskill).   Get a piece of foam - any thickness - and take it to a pile of gravel (or buy your own gravel).  Put the foam on top of the gravel and press the foam into the gravel.  Jump up and down if you have to.  You're just trying to get the gravel indentations on the foam.   Once done - paint.   You now have tunnel liners.

--Greg

I used a product by Heki that is called Rock Foil.  It is a flexible product that comes in granite, limestone, and strata cliff.  Pieces are 7" to 14" in height and 14" to 29" in length.  It is available at Scenic Express.

another simple solution is to shape your tunnel from aluminum foil which is properly crumpled nd shped. using the no stick type with the nonstick side facing outward away form the foil, will allow you to shape plaster over the foil an remove the foil when the plaster sets and you have a simple non RF-interfering tunnel..

 add some tempra paint of an appropriate color and the most you will have to do to finish iot is add seom highlights with dry brush and some smoke residue

Thanks for all the ideas! After looking at them and what I had on hand and the cost of what I would have to buy I went with the build it my self option.

Here is the wooden form I built between commercials during the Superbowl yesterday. I hope to add foil for texture on the inside and to pour plaster today.

@ Jester red... nice form, use the non-stick aluminum foil, I remember doing the aluminum foil think when I was like 16 and oisking stray bits of aluminum foil out fo the plaster for weeks!

also; is there enough interest in an O scale rubber tunnel liner mold? 
I am thinking rough cut and lined curved wall molds  in flexible latex rubber maybe $15? I could do them up this week as I am in a sculpting sequence in the shop

I was thinking the same thing you are. I am waiting for the plaster to set now in the foil and after I pick out all the foil I am going to throw latex on it if it is any good to cast the rest. Thanks of the offer though! If mine turns out I will see if there is any interest on here for others who want one. 

The plaster has dried and the casting came out in three large pieces. Not bad in my book for a first try. My next discovery is that hot glue does not stick to plaster. Which resulted in four large pieces when it came back apart. Next I will try drywall putty to stick it back together so I can make a latex mold. If anyone else knows a good way to make plaster stick together I would love to hear it!

used crazy glue on wet plaster, it takes days for the water content to reduce enough for hot melt  to fill gaps use baking soda and crazy glue (ACC)

use plain old spackle for smoothing the joints you filled and hit the whole thing with a little pam or such before you star making your latex mold. imbed cheese cloth wet with ammonia for strength and dimensional stability

 also try using foam sheet for the mold support

Thanks Mountain Man! I have spackle ready to go so i can patch this up and make a good Latex mold. I will post some pics when I have some results. 

by the way if you need quality latex, I can supply about half the price you are used to paying and much stronger.

I don't have any yet. I was just going to pick some up at a craft store or a bottle of WS latex. So if you have a line on better material or pricing I am all ears!

I just crumpled and spray painted heavy duty Aluminum Foil and then spray glued it to the inside of my tunnels.

I got some WS latex at the store yesterday. I hope to get a mold made today.  The wooden one works but it is so hard to get the plaster out in one piece! Hopefully the latex will help with that.

I understand that many of you like the foil lined tunnels. That solution has ben posted here many times. That just isn't the solution I am looking for. I want this layout to be around for a long time and I don't think that painted foil will stand up to the test of time as well as the plaster. And I already bought the plaster so if I don't use it my wife will make me sleep on the couch with it instead of in bed with her.  So no offense is intended to the foil tunnelers out there it just isn't the way I want to go.

a couple of "tricks of the trade" ( mind you I do "face off" stuff for a living)

 when applying the latex thin the first coat, with 1 part ammonia five parts water to a heavy cream consistency, wet you brush with a fifty fifty water ammonia mix and keep it wet. Ammonia is the preservative for latex

 do not use tap water with chlorine!  the chlorine will jell the latex and it will go on globby.  

Don't rush coats let each dry until the "white" goes away.  after the second or third layer embed cheese cloth wet with the same ammonia / water mix you are using for your brush wring it damp dry and layer several coats of latex over it. 

 let the whole gizmo dry for a few days,  you can accelerate the cure with moderate heat but don't go over 140 degrees best to stay near 120 for a top temp. I usually will put curing latex on top of one of those iol filled heaters. 9 that's me all high tech)

this will sound weird, but if you want a less flimsy mold you can add a little flat house paint to the latex, mix thoroughly . the resultant mix will be a little harder when cured. but be ware that what you don't use will gel in a few weeks or months  with the wall paint added. it does make for a more stable and rapid built up of the mold however

 your plaster master ( the casting you got from the mold form and aluminum foil) wil absorb some water right off hence the reason for thinning the first couple of coats plus this will eliminate air bubbles. you can rub a little spackle into any voids in you master before you start, ( they will show up in the latex)