Building the Canyon | Bandit Canyon Railway

It's time to put the canyon into the On18 Bandit Canyon Railway! This week, I sculpt a mountain of pink polystyrene foam insulation into a deep, serpentine Southwestern canyon. If you've been looking for a video on foam rock techniques, this is it! Sculpting with hotwire and wire brush, blending with Sculptamold and spackle, painting and finishing with acrylic paints, real rocks and dirt - it's all here.
Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave
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Music courtesy KZbin Audio Library, attribution given where available.
"Country Cue 1" courtesy of Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
"Dude Where's My Horse?"- KZbin Audio Library

[@geraldbrooks2763]

I think an old destroyed locomotive laying in the bottom of the canyon would look great.

[@tlow1324]

He’s like the Bob Ross of the model railroad world! I dig it!

[@robrossington7118]

Was going to say the same thing!

[@williamdickman7917]

Once again, another great lesson in scenery making, thanks Dave.

[@diyfireking]

Such excellent design. I'm excited to see more 🥰🥰

[@pwking1115]

Hey Dave! Just found your channel this morning and really enjoying the videos! Thanks so much!

[@RobertGoslin]

Another masterclass in sculpting and painting canyon country. Looks fabulous Dave, and nice to finally see the namesake of the layout in place. The switchback trail is a brilliant idea, adding another dimension to the story-line. Those bandits have gotta have some way of escaping. 🐎

[@cerisekappes580]

Really looking beautiful 😍

[@connorgrewal5885]

I would love if you did a "Soarin' over Thunder Mesa" video. A different way to show it off

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Ask and you shall receive kzbin.info/www/bejne/goaqZXigealpr9ksi=IZDDic14P-S-2vno

[@johnbanicki7232]

Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing your techniques.

[@FunAtDisney]

It is amazing how you take a stack of pink foam and turn into these wonderful scenes!

[@pennybehm1001]

Adding small amounts of micro glitter to the dirt helps give the feeling of life and mica that is found in all sand stone type rock. Looks great can’t wait to see it in person..

[@RobBean-wf9ie]

Thank you, Dave for taking the time to video this build and sharing. Beautiful job as usual, thanks again and God bless you and the family.

[@diceman2004]

Buckwheat says " Yoh Stywhoafoam skills are Oh Tay ! " .

[@garystrutt2078]

Dang you make that look easy. Great job.

[@OtterCreek]

Love your work Dave!

[@ToyManTelevision]

I’m learning. Slowly. 😅😅😅. The colors are perfect. Just PERFECT. 👍.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Thank you! You’ve got a mighty big canyon to practice on!

[@loispadgett6306]

Have been waiting with great expectations of this part of the build and you did not disappoint at all. I think it was even better than I imagined. Can't wait for the next step in finishing this layout. GOD BLESS 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖

[@dff19707]

I could watch you build scenery all day long. Incredible work. Thanks for sharing your skills with us. Also, just curious, did you have the windows open while you were working? I swear I heard a Bob White at 8:12.

[@seakr9838]

Awesome, subscribed.

[@allenlandis4504]

Another great show. Thank you very much.

[@heybabe8438]

You did it again wonderful looking layout !

[@Phoenixknight79]

I have a display case I am wanting to decorate up to look more like the Santa Fe landscape for my Santa Fe unit.... I would like to do up some small rock carvings in the display but not sure really which ones would be good to use, and after watching you do yours I'm like damn I'll never make it look that good.. lol

[@aussiefrenchman-hobbytable9960]

So cool , about to start my layout, wish you could do a quick build on a Rocky Mountain diarama using foam 😊😊😊😊😊

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Cool idea!

[@vincenthuying98]

Dear Dave, great video about the construction, painting and scenicing of the Bandit Canyon! Love the way you made the pull out section. Just wondering how you will add the inside effects to the mine entrance. Looking at the different shots and angles of the Bandit Canyon traveling layout, you shot this vid from, I had to think on what you recently said while announcing the Thunder Mesa 2.0. Such being your words on planning and providing more different angles and perspectives from, over and through the different layouts to give the impression there’s more than just the layout footprint. With the several backgrounds visible through the canyon this illusionary perspective is already coming to fruition, it looks awesome and beautiful, even in between the different phases of completion. In all humility I would like to name such an effect ‘a view opener,’ with all due respect. Cheerio

[@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711]

Yes another easy to watch masterclass, thanks Dave. Cheers Peter from downunder.

[@robertallan5222]

Hanging bridge from the trail to other side mine opening where bandits can hide😅

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

You read my mind

[@robertallan5222]

@@ThunderMesaStudio 😎

[@dylancolvil6300]

I love your work, you have gotten me back into model railroading,I started on on18 , I was wondering if the June Mimi meet is open for anyone to come to see in Riverside CA, I would like to see all of the layouts and meet you guys, i and from Hemet CA

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Contact Gary Beatty. He has a channel here and a page on Facebook for his Puerto Borracho Railroad. He’s the host and can give you directions.

[@davevan8864]

I agree the heat gun is the magic. Tried the foam rock thing a long time ago.....unhappy with results. After heat gun.....not up to your standard....but happy.

[@politicsandtrains]

What kind of heat gun do you use?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I like this one a lot: a.co/d/hKiOCcJ