"Woodland Scenics Realistic Water problem." Topic

On a terain board I built I have a Realistic Water river. Built last fall. I looked at it the other day and the river has huge bubbles. Some as big as an inch.

An ideas the cause? The terrain board is pink insulation foam board. Could there be some slow reaction with the water and foam?
The river is painted but there could be gaps in the paint

Xin

I imagine it was a reaction with the foam. I have traditionally sealed my foam before painting or adding any water products. I have occasionally had bubbles form in the past on some older boards due to a reaction or "off gassing" from such an effect.

BTC, what did you seal the foam with?

Xin

Xin, I have made quite a number of boards for myself and several customers over the years. I usually always seal all sides of the foam with 2 coats of: link

While this stuff is expensive, it really works to protect the foam from all kinds of damage and "seals" it. I do all of my sculpting, puttying and sanding prior to brushing this stuff on and allowing to dry between coats. I have found if sealed correctly (good thick coats usually gets 99.8%), I can spray paint the boards prior to any other work on river beads, roads etc.

This process provides a professional and strong finish that will outlast most use and protects our work damage.

Ha, Ha! Now you tell me. I helped my daughter with an Antarctica project a couple of years back using Woodland Scenics materials. My "ocean" ate my "continent." We switched to a plan B which worked out. I never did make another water diorama or board so I never resolved my original problem.

Xin Try using plaster soaked cloth to seal the rivers. The stuff that doctors use to make arm and leg casts from. That's what I use and I've never had a problem.
I use a couple of layers and I make sure to let the plaster cover the foam completely.

I use Elmer's Wood Filler to seal riverbeds and snd streams carved out of foam terrain boards, and have not had a problem with either Woodland Scenics Realistic Water or EnviroTex Lite resin eating through into the sealed foam.