Hi Guy's
hope you can help with some suggestions. I am putting together a desert dio and have used finely sifted sand for the groundwork but, am really not happy with the results!
Although the sand is fine it still seems out of scale. Obviously I am after a much more realistic effect.
I have seen an article that prescribes granular florists earth (ground up) that produces the effect I am after but for the life of me I can not find any local suppliers. That said, I am interested in any alternatives.

Cheers
Lee

Lee what part of the desert are you after doing - most was aris soil like us here in aussie withe low scrub and wasouts and old creek beds(wadis) but only the LRDG and sas and a few others went over the actual dunes
I would use fine decomposed granite or the yellowist river sand mixed into the plaster work, dad & I used to do a lot of desert dios of the western desert
Hang on are you doing something modern in Iraq -forgot about that - I have great sand that I got for my sons sandpit it is almost white and very fine - as a landscape supply for a Ice cream containerful more than you will need

Ian,
thanks for your response. I am doing a WWII scene Western Desert. So I am after that arid low shrub type look.
I made the mistake of following some instructions passed onto me, that basically involved a sand, water and PVA glue mix. This method is great for the basis of groundwork and it dries like cement! I thought it would apply to a desert scene. I didn't mix it with any plaster! Perhaps that is were things have gone off the rails.

Lee

Flash

Maybe you could get yourself a mortar and pestel and grind the sand down.

Glen

LOL what you need is some of the fine coral sand we have up this way.