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Hi everyone,

I based my centurions a couple months back with baking soda and grey paint to give my base a sandy/asphalt look.
I checked the miniature yesterday.......the road based became a snow based......
I did not know that would be a problem. Seems to see a lot of recommendations to use baking soda as an alternative to real sand.
I re did the base but finished it with 2 coats of matte varnish and also toss in a dehumidifier into the display case.
Lets see if it'll work.

Anyone faced such an issue before? If so, any quick/home made remedies?

Your best solution for an asphalt sandy look is to use a really fine grain sand.

Baking soda is by far most commonly mixed with paint to make snow bases.

Kinda missed the point=).
The end results seems fine just that i'm surprised the baking soda had moulds on it.

When you use baking soda for the snow, do you finish it with a varnish?

you mean the baking soda had mold on it? like, fungus?

That seems very very odd. Was something else mixed in with it? because I don't think pure baking soda can mold, it can be used to kill mold, so I'm kinda surprised it'd grow on it at all o.O

But maybe I'm reading your post incorrectly

hahahaha my thought exactly. i was wondering how in the world would fungus grow on baking soda/sodium bikarbonate.

I only mixed Vallejo model colour grey and baking soda. a black wash and some light grey highlights.

I suspect something else going on. Could you possibly have mistakenly used yeast instead? lol

Not to answer a question that you didn't ask, but to add to the other poster's asphalt suggestion (for anyone else that may read this), try using a super fine grit sand paper for an asphalt tarmac/road. Easy to attach and uniform in texture\.


Ghidorah

Baking soda and baking powder are two very slightly different things. Is it possible you used baking powder, which contains small amounts of baking agents?

Otherwise it could just be the materials you used attracted moisture to the surface of your model. Sealing it should have sorted it.

Just checked, its baking soda for sure haha.
Rebased the model and the finished base is as per picture.
So previously the mould apperared on the grey areas.......giving it a snowy look.
Hopefully this double layer of matt varnish will do the trick this time


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just another curious note. The grey is vallejo model colour basalt grey 869 and the yellow is vallejo game colour gold yellow 07. The mould never touched the yellow. Maybe vallejo grey is fertile=p

I think its more of the sodium "bleeding" through. Ive based my models with baking soda mixed with white paint and glue for snow, and on the feet and legs I see almost a line of what im assuming it is salt creeping up. It can be washed with water. Im not worried about it since baking soda is a cleaning agent. It doesnt come back after I wash it.

Never heard of using baking soda used as sand just as snow when mixed.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Are you sure its mold? I thought baking soda prevents mold... could be wrong though.

Got the idea from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oKG5yni1ic

But he used superglue and baking soda. harder to get an even layer thus i only mixed it in paint.

Yup, pretty sure its mold because it was in patches and also furry/fluffy. Unless thats how the sodium bleeding mentioned by Maddok_Death.

it shows the tenacity of life.

I too am surprised that mould can grow on baking soda. Most pure chemicals prevent the growth of mould and bacteria by their tendency to destroy the cells by absorbing their water by osmosis. Even sugar will do this, that why jam can be left in the larder for weeks before it will eventually grow some scum on top..

Perhaps your figures are usually stored in a quite damp atmosphere.

Hmmmm.....it happened again.......

Jokes aside, I've had a similar issue because. I based with road sand, not realizing that it has some salt in it. Over time the salt leached out and looked identical. I sealed with an even mix of water/PVA/future and it cleared right up.

Bluedorian wrote:
Hmmmm.....it happened again.......

I dont think its ever not going to do what its doing as it appears the top layer is being rubbed off as you handle it.

i can see finger prints.

unless you start with a black sand kinda base its going to keep doing that.

why got try some black colored sandpaper in the right grit.

 Desubot wrote:

Bluedorian wrote:
Hmmmm.....it happened again.......

I dont think its ever not going to do what its doing as it appears the top layer is being rubbed off as you handle it.

i can see finger prints.

unless you start with a black sand kinda base its going to keep doing that.

why got try some black colored sandpaper in the right grit.

Got the finger print there when i matte varnished the base twice, so it was kinda thick when my clumsy finger touched it. After painting, my models goes straight into my display cabinet.
Just got my hands on some agrellan earth so i'll be trying the cracked earth look instead. asphalt........maybe next time=) I'll leave the baking soda for baking for now haha.