suggestions for model material?

[crinno]

i am just about to make a site model showing how the water runs through my proposal and shapes the buildings etc...so i need to make a site model with water basically. bearing in mind there are a lot of contours to make as well any suggestion for a suitable material that wont break, crumble etc? i was thinking of timber and putting a coating like the waterproof spray you can buy for your shoes......any suggestions?

thanks a lot

[lireland]

What equipment do you have available? If you have a CNC router, go with MDF (long term submersion might warp it though) A laser cutter, I would use acrylic and some 5 min epoxy. With a vacuum former, layer chip and use that for the form (cardboard squishes and you loose all definition. You could make the inverse of the topo and pour plaster or concrete, remove the form and walah, a spiffy 50 lbs model. How about a cheese grater type tool and 2" rigid insulation? It will not be as accurate, but light, relatively inexpensive and should not degrade from water for several years. Plus there is the added benefit of melting the scraps in acetate for fun when you're finished.

You mentioned shoe water coating spray... why not shellac it? Go to Lowes or Home Depot and there are lots of spray applied water proofing things far less expensive than shoe spray. Hell, you could even make the base and coat it with a layer of water proof elmers glue.

Don't know if any of my ramblings helped, but there are a few ideas.