It's Snow Joke...

[Damo1701]

Do you guys think mixing some Ceramite White (or some VMA White) in with some PVA will give a decent adhesive for using the citadel snow flock?  

 

I have used Caledor Sky as a pre-base layer, for areas the white is too thin in, just to avoid a too "black" look under the snow once the PVA dries.

[GrandMagnus]

I'm not sure how to answer your question other than that in my experience the citadel snow flock looks more like white grass than actual snow to me. I would recommend you use baking soda for snow. If you mix it with some PVA glue you can get a really nice thick snow, that's how I do it.

[Damo1701]

I'm not sure how to answer your question other than that in my experience the citadel snow flock looks more like white grass than actual snow to me. I would recommend you use baking soda for snow. If you mix it with some PVA glue you can get a really nice thick snow, that's how I do it.

 

I've tried that, however, effective it is in the short term, it does kinda go gooey in the longer term...  At least, that's what the stuff on my BA Terminator Sergeant says... LOL

 

I'll et some pics of what I have done, as I decided to give it a go, and, so far, it doesn't look too bad.

[GrandMagnus]

 

I'm not sure how to answer your question other than that in my experience the citadel snow flock looks more like white grass than actual snow to me. I would recommend you use baking soda for snow. If you mix it with some PVA glue you can get a really nice thick snow, that's how I do it.

 

I've tried that, however, effective it is in the short term, it does kinda go gooey in the longer term...  At least, that's what the stuff on my BA Terminator Sergeant says... LOL

 

I'll et some pics of what I have done, as I decided to give it a go, and, so far, it doesn't look too bad.

 

Strange, i've never had that problem with baking soda and I have some 3 year old minis standing around. 

 

I'd like to see what you've done.

[Teetengee]

I too am interested in this snow problem... Can I see some pictures of the baking soda method?

[Damo1701]

I too am interested in this snow problem... Can I see some pictures of the baking soda method?

 

It does look good when you first do it.  

 

Basically, you make a paste from PVA glue and Baking Soda.  Apply in your desired manner, either in clumps, or over the whole base.  Then, sprinkle dry baking soda while wet, for a fluffy look.  (Though, I think this is what has caused my problem, so possibly worth leaving out.)

[Damo1701]

This is what I did:

 

PVA glue

Vallejo Model Air White

 ^ Mixed together in a pot, and applied using the texture tool.

Dipped in a tub of Citadel snow, excess removed etc

 

http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae5/Damien_Smy/IMG_0571_zpsxzum0rl8.jpg

[Venerable Jazzman]

There a nice tutorial on the different results you can get here - 

http://fromthewarp.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/details-8-ways-to-base-with-snow.html

[Obeliske]

Snow is a passion of mine for basing. For more then 3 years I've been mixing, testing, and improving upon various things as snow. I've used everything from secret weapon miniatures crushed glass to baking soda to texture paints. If you tell me exactly what your going for on the base I'd be happy to be a wealth of knowledge about this exact subject for you. If your unsure grab me a picture :)

 

For myself I've always been after the perfect big snow method like we have here in Canada hence my experimenting.

 

A few notes as examples-

 

Crushed glass leads to some very nice and natural looking sparkles but leads to a very slushy look and feel to the snow.

Bicarbonate (baking soda) "can" yellow. I mixed mine with white glue and white paint and it worked perfectly for big natural looking snow but without pinning the models don't sit well on it and tend to come off (unless your willing to bury the feet under the snow and glue them to the base), I also found some of it yellowed over the course of several months (not enough white paint I'd guess).

GW's texture snow looks more like concrete and needs to be painted after the fact and IMO doesn't look very good unless used VERY sparingly.

GW's white snow flocking looks terrible in general and looks more like white grass (although this may be because we've all used their flocking for so long).

I've tried white sand and if mixed with white glue and molded properly this can turn out nice if used very sparingly but it doesn't lend itself well to big snow and doesn't have a fluffy look.

I recently bought some model train snow flocking and have high hopes for it (it looks like tiny beads of some sort) but have yet to play with it, I can try it out and let you know if you'd like :)

 

I'm also starting to explore the ice side of things, such as frozen over puddles and lakes for my model bases primarily using resin and making ice boulders using molds. I'd be happy to post pics for you in a few days if your interested in them.

[Damo1701]

Thanks Obeliske.  Very detailed there :)

 

I'm after something simple to use for my guardsmen, as there are going to be quite a few of them, so, something that might not look too good close up, but, tabletop will pass for snow.

 

I've tried just PVAing a few blobs of the citadel stuff over static grass, to make it look like there are patches of snow, either melting, or odd things that cause it to settle in some places and not others.

 

I like the look of snow patches to break up single colour bases, like mud, or grass.  Just adds that little something that rounds the model nicely.

 

I've used the bicarbonate of soda method, and am on the fence over it.

 

I haven't tried the Secret Weapon crushed glass...  Kinda worried that it might cause issues, as I have a 9 year old, and a 4 year old.  Can you shed any light on that?

[Obeliske]

I'm actually doing the same for my current AM army :P still looking for that perfect big snow effect. Hence the ice though to break up the snow (some of the dead grass clumps GW sells with a drybrushing of white on the tips sets things off fantastically as well). Once I affixed the crushed glass with the water effects they provided with it (honestly I think it's the same water effects GW sells) I had no issues with it coming off so I don't think there should be any issue provided you do the initial application away from your children (outside for instance). Something they fail to really call attention to is they suggest a respirator of some sort and gloves while working with their product (it is afterall tiny tiny tiny shards of glass).

 

I take it your looking for an end of winter kind of look? Lots of mud a little snow left and very very wet? If so bicarbonate may not be the direction you want to go as it just doesn't hold a wet look. Try instead using a white sand (not off-white but bright bright white, it's hard to find but does exist) with water effects and put a very light dusting of white pigment over it. That will leave the shine of the sand and wetness of slush without having grains of sand (the pigment should help to disguise them fairly well) as well it will avoid the crushed glass issue.

 

If you'd rather avoid sand in general you could get model train snow and give that a go instead of the sand.

[Brother Pheidias]

Alternatively, white sand mixed with watered down polyfilla and pva makes for some good slush-y texture, and with less water, can look like snowdrifts. That's cheap.