Making Scrap Steel
by Greg Condio

     This simple scenery technique for modeling scrap metal uses foam for a base and painted pencil shavings to represent shredded metal. On a local NMRA home layout open house tour I came upon a modeler who had a great way to make scrap metal from pencils. On my railroad I have a large steel mill complex and I needed some raw materials for the yards surrounding my basic oxygen furnace (B.O.F.) to complete the scene. Most steel mills get their scrap from recycling centers, automobile junk yards, railroad companies and steel convertors. The scrap is then melted in the furnace and eventually becomes new steel.
     Starting with my electric pencil sharpener, I ground down many No.2 pencils to produce shavings. After collecting a bunch, I put them in a small box. I also collect magnesium, copper and lead shavings from a local die maker.
     Next, I take 3/4" pink or blue foam insulation (available at local building supply stores in 4'x8' sheets) and cut 4"x12" (actual) pieces from it. Using a hobby knife, I carve these pieces into a mound shape. The foam mounds are then painted with black acrylic paint. Once they're dry I brush on Elmers glue and apply the pencil shavings and other shavings that I collected. When everything is set in place and dried, I spray paint the mound silver metallic.
     The mound is then placed near the steel mill and other metal
shavings are sprinkled around the ground. Figures, a crane and trucks
are added to complete the scene.

RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN / JULY 1999
DOWNLOAD PDF (209K)