# Van's Super Scenic Dope Recipie?



## gafftaper

So Van, I went to tell a friend about your VSSD and when I did the search I found 3 different recipes. I assume that means you don't really have a recipe and sort of fake it. I thought I would post this on the boards instead of in a P.M. because your VSSD sounds like a cool product we all should mess with a little. Could you choose one for us to follow as a starting point and maybe comment on what happens if you alter the ratios. Thanks! 

Below are the recipes you have posted in the past. 

*Recipe #1*
"3 qts flat latex paint < any color, good place to use up all the left over paints from the scenic painters shop> 
3 - 5 tubes acrylic latex painters caulk ( often called Alex caulk) 1 cup Joint compound"

*Recipe #2*
"1 gallon latex paint
2 tubes Latex painters caulk. < not silicon>
1 cup Joint compound
1/2 cup water putty"

*Recipe #3*
"about 1 quart of latex paint ( this can be pretinted, neutral base, or a "waste" paint, as long as it's latex. 
About 4 tubes of Latex caulk. Do not use Silicone caulk. Some Latex caulk are called 'siliconized' and those are ok to use as they are still latex based.
About 2 cups of drywall mud. Adds thickness and aids in setup time and helps leave a harder finish when dope is cured."


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## Van

Ack ! You caught me! Actually the last one is the closest to what I usually use. ........ However, as I've stated a couple of times < I think > I play with the formula a lot, depending on the particular use. Recipe #3 is what I really like to use for rocks, etc. mix in some paper pulp and it makes a great coating for doing bark on trees. The thinner recipes < #2 and #1 > make much better coatings for general foam coating, ie, if you need to make fake wooden beams, or if you are using Styro-foam type Moldings. We have a company here, North West Foam Products, in Tualatin < too - wall - it - in > that can create any type of molding you just send them a profile in a DXF format and they cut it. < luckily for me they are huge theatre fans and trade me for tickets all the time> Anyway, although their product is great, it needs to be coated with something to fill and prime the surface. The thinner products work better, as they will flow and settled better, and they leave less "texture". 
I guess I should really standardize the formula, but perhaps this posting will help. I should point out too, that there are a couple of products out there which will accomplish similar ends, but they tend to be expensive:

Roscos "Scuplt or Coat" available though most theatrical suppliers

"Snow Roof" or "Snow Coat" an elastomeric coating used for coating roofs. I have used Snow roof as a base for VSSSD and added drywall mud for thickness, and then applied with a "hopper gun" this is effective for paving stones, brick, and, properly applied sandstone or stucco. 

There is also a product used by roofers to seal styrofoam and styrene insulation called "Lagging compound" it's similar to snow roof but stickier and smellier, it has a bit more ammonia in it. 

Most of these products are latex based and can be tinted with standard latex paint tints < available at most paint stores> Most can be thickened with drywall mud, or latex caulk 

Remember when using caulk that it has to be Latex not silicone. Silicone caulk will ruin your day. It mixes with nothing water based. and it can't be painted over. and it's nasty, sticky and stinky. 

I hope that helps .... feel free to fire away with the questions, I'll answer asap, but I'm heading into tech for the final show of the season. So feel free to PM me to check this thread and I will post here. 
Good Idea Gaff, keeping this in a public forum rather than just PMing.


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## vjfscenic

hi there, quick question about vssd for tree bark. does it have to be joint compund? is using dry 20 min or 5 min mud for recipe 3 going to work? if so would it dry faster?


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## gafftaper

I'm not sure if Van's back home from visiting his relatives yet. So there may be a delay in hearing from him.


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## Van

vjfscenic said:


> hi there, quick question about vssd for tree bark. does it have to be joint compund? is using dry 20 min or 5 min mud for recipe 3 going to work? if so would it dry faster?


You can use dry compound or fast setting Latex caulk < yes they make such a thing> However... Using dry compound, without adding atleast some extra water or paint will cause the stuff to dry too rapidly and it tends to be more brittle and tends to crack. If it's for trees that aren't leaned on or interacted with that shouldn't be a problem. If, however you need a tree that can be climbed stood on or walked over I would suggest using a mixture that has a bit more latex in it. this will give your coating a little more rubbery feeling and tends not to crack. 



gafftaper said:


> I'm not sure if Van's back home from visiting his relatives yet. So there may be a delay in hearing from him.



Sadly I have gone nowhere. I'm actually at the office today as we have Tech for a brand new script starting..... wait for it..... Jan ! Yeah ! Let's hear it for being on Salary !!!!!!!


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## Pauly

Hi...this is my first post, and I subscribed solely because of how excited I am about the potential for this mixture, so thank you for starting this post. That being said, I did have a couple questions. Consider it an intro to VSSSD  

For the caulking, is it the 10 oz tubes or the 20oz tubes? 40 oz of caulking vs 80 oz of caulking seems like it'd make a huge difference. 

I do plan on experimenting with the mixture to figure out what works best for my purposes, but to save a few headaches would you mind explaining how altering the proportions generally affects the final product? For example more caulking equals more strength or something to that effect.

Of the 3 recipes which is the most durable?

This one is probably super silly, but just to double check, when applying to styrofoam does it need to primed with anything first?

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom/caution when working with VSSSD?

I know that's a lot of questions, but despite how often I see it mentioned, there isn't much info for first time users like myself beyond those recipes.

Sorry for the long post, and/or if this was more suited for a pm




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free


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## lwinters630

Gafftaper, Van has stated in many posts that it is something to "adjust to taste". I guess it is like making pancakes, a little of this and a little of that, drop in a few Eggs (latex) to hold it all together.

Van, Did you drop one of the S's (vsssd - vssd) because it in no longer a secret?


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