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In-Box Review
135
Earth Powder
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by: Henk Meerdink [ HENK ]

introduction

Once you have completed a model, the most effective way to display it is on a base, in it's 'natural environment'. Creating a soil like surface can be achieved in different ways, with varying degrees of realism. Modellers who do not have the option of collecting, sifting and 'blasting' real sand, have to look at commercially available (railway)scenic products, which don't always look realistic, or in scale. A solution to this is now offered by new company, Treemendus, who produce a line of tree and scenic materials specifically aimed at scale modelling.

review

This product from Treemendus is designed to re-create a simple, lightly textured, sand base. The product is very fine, and gives an initial impression of a plaster like consistency. It is actually rather dusty when you apply it, so the use of a mask is not a bad idea. Unlike plaster however, it does not dissolve in water/glue, and gives a very fine textured surface. Coloured in a Dark Earth tone, to represent moist, but not wet soil, it can be used straight from the bag, or coloured afterwards to represent drier or wetter ground.

200 grams of the product is packaged in a clear plastic zip lock bag with a simple card board header sealing the top of the bag. The card has the company logo printed on the front, and the product title on the back. The plastic bag, although resealable, is not strong enough to be used for storage, and to avoid spillage, it is advisable to store it in a more sturdy jar.

Using it is simple, just apply some white glue where you want the ground work, sprinkle the product on, and when this has dried, shake off the excess. It is advisable to mist a layer of glue over the finished base, to seal it in. The resulting surface is very realistic straight from the bag, and responds also very well to dry-brushing. I used this to create the ground work on the base for my Boxer MRAV, and together with the Forest Floor scatter from Treemendus, a very realistic effect was achieved, with minimum effort.

Highly recommended.
SUMMARY
Highs: Simple to use, very realistic appearance.
Lows: Packaging could be a bit more heavy duty.
Verdict: A simple and quick way to create realistic groundwork on a diorama or display base.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: 1:35
  Suggested Retail: £4.00 per bag
  PUBLISHED: May 02, 2009
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 86.01%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 87.50%

Our Thanks to Treemendus Models!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Henk Meerdink (Henk)
FROM: ENGLAND - SOUTH WEST, UNITED KINGDOM

Copyright ©2021 text by Henk Meerdink [ HENK ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Henk, One question, it the product organic or synthetic? I ask because it looks like a bag of sifted, clean dirt. I'd be interested to know if it was something non-organic. Thanks for the review, Cheers, Charles
MAY 01, 2009 - 02:27 PM
Nice - I like to see options for techniques. Thanks for the review
MAY 01, 2009 - 11:52 PM
Having had my hands on the product samples from Treemendus I was very impressed with the majority of their product lines. Henk you have done a great job of reviewing this product and I like your approach. Charles I wait to be corrected but when I spoke to the company owner I believe he said it was organic, Also from when I was at school its not dirt its soil.
MAY 02, 2009 - 01:37 AM
Oops! I stand corrected! Whatever it is, soil/dirt organic/non-organic it looks pretty darn good in Henk's photos. I've been looking for the brand at my LHS but have yet to find it so I can see their products 'in person' Cheers, Charles
MAY 02, 2009 - 04:26 AM
Henk, I too "ditto" the sentiments...nice review and looks really good on your display. This is a company I will look much closer at when I begin my Über railroad dio.... Thanks! Mike
MAY 02, 2009 - 08:36 AM
This is going to sound daft no matter how I write it, so straight in with both feet, to get a nice dirt/soil I use very fine green scatter then paint it, the problem being, its too fine, and I find myself adding more with glue to build up a rough surface (not all surfaces are smooth) after reading through the Earth Powder I was wondering especially after seeing the photo's where there's a layer of soil with some heavy items resting on top and within the dirt, would you in fact constantly add to this to build up the layers of dirt, would you also need at some stage to paint this material a different shade of dirt, if yes to any of these questions, there's little point in buying the product other than having something that's fine and coloured brown.
MAY 02, 2009 - 10:24 AM
Alec looking at the second picture it would appear to have a mix of grain size. I do not believe Treemendus currently have a US distributer, so if you keep asking for it hopefully someone will start to import it.
MAY 02, 2009 - 01:24 PM
The material does consist of very fine, differnt size particles, and can be applied in as many, or few, layers as required to achieve the effect you want. The pictures show what it looks like after a single layer, on a flat base.
MAY 02, 2009 - 11:35 PM
Firstly can I say a huge THANK YOU to Henk for his product reviews, you have presented them superbly, cheers. The "earth" product is mainly a natural substance but has a few extras added to give it its texture and to enable it to react to scenic glue the way it does. It is simple to use and as Henk says this is how it looks straight out of the bag even in one thin layer. It is really effective also when used over a pre shaped "terrain" - trenches, shellholes and ruts in lanes etc. Thanks for your interest. Anthony - TREEMENDUS
MAY 05, 2009 - 09:41 AM
   
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