This is one thing I have never learned to do well. For straight city streets, I use styrene and I’ve developed a good technique for painting and weathering and I also put a slight crown in them by gluing a thin strip of styrene down the middle of the underside of the road. The results look good to my eye. But building a curving country road is another matter. Cutting styrene to fit the contours of the land is problematic and I’ve used a number of different paving materials: plaster, joint compound, water putty, and WS Smooth-it, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get smooth roads without applying several skim coat layers to fill in the voids and then sanding down the high spots. If I try to smooth the roads with the putty knife while the material is still workable, the wet plaster will get pulled up into peaks or it will form clumps which ruin the surface when pulled with the knife. Does anyone have method for creating good looking, roadways without going over the surface multiple times, filling and resanding until it looks half way decent?
I use cork roadbed for a base and spread it with just a thin layer of joint compound and then use the tried-and-true wet sponge method to smooth it out. You still may have to fill in a gap or two.
John Timm
Here is a photo of some of my roads:
The road with the truck is a “concrete” road and the road with the Ford station wagon is a “gravel” road.
Both roads started with a plaster surface using a putty knife to form the wet plaster.
The concrete road has a layer of cardstock. I cut the cardstock to shape. It tapers into the background to simulate distance. A used an adhesive to install it. Then I painted with “concrete” colored latex paint (Household type). When the paint was dry, I used a black ball point pen for cracks and expansion joints. The yellow stripes are yellow tape cut to size. Finally, I washed in acrylic colors to weather the surface. The backdrop has the road painted into the distance, and the trees block the view of the transition into the backdrop.
The gravel road as well as the shoulder of the concrete road is simply a smooth layer of fine ballast.
I like it. Makes a lot of sense since the roadbed can be curved as needed and has the bevel already there (At least the HO roadbed I use does). It sounds like a variation of the WS Smooth-it method which uses a thing foam strip to form the borders of the road. I like the idea of using roadbed better since it would require less fill material in between. I’ll give this a try on my next road section.
One question, do you use read-to-use joint compound or the powdered kind. I use powdered joint compound for many applications because it has a longer working time than the stuff that comes in a tub and I can vary the consistency depending on how much water I add. I would think a thin mixture would work best.
I use Durhams Water Putty. It sets up pretty quickly, so I add a bit if white vinegar to it to give me more working time. (I used red wine vinegar once. It worked OK, by my layout smelled like a salad for about a week.)
The trick, which I credit to Bob Grech, is to use one of those 2-inch foam brushes. I keep a yogurt cup half full of water handy. As the putty starts to set up, I brush over with the foam brush, keeping it wet. This smoothes it down very nicely. When the water gets too dirty, I dump it (outside - not in the sink) and get some more. By working the surface for about 15-20 minutes after it’s poured, I get an even surface.
The putty holds a shape, too, so you can form a crown if you wish. It won’t settle into a flat profile.
I think the ticket here is to spread your material and not try to work it too soon. Just like concrete you need to wait awhile to let the material firm up for it to take a smooth finish. I have never liked joint compound too much 'cause it tends to crack when applied in layers over 1/16th thick. I like the Durhams idea the best and work it as it sets.
I use 1/8" Masonite for paved roads. I can cut curves, route a champfered edge before painting, and then use 1/16" white and yellow chart tapes for the lines. For country roads, I use fine ballast packed down smooth. I have never needed to sand the road. I mix a little grey into black to simulate asphalt in parking lots and alleys, and use buff with some brown [very little] for country gravel roads.
On that, the local club uses actual concrete or asphalt patch for the corresponding roads. Apply using the directions. Styrene boxes keep it in place until it’s tacky rnough to hold a shape. Hair dryers speed the prcess. Then carefully edge the styrene out without taking the concrete, use an xacto to help and smooth down the bits that do try to move.
Office supply stores sell rolls of cork that’s about 1/16" or 1/8" thick. It’s sticky backed and makes a great road base. Lay this down as your roadbed. Sand it smooth and then do a skim coat or two with Duhrams water putty. (or plaster) Adding a bit of vinager to the mix gives you longer working time as mentioned and keep your tools wet.
I recommend some staples or small nails to help hold the cork down instead of just relying on the sticky back glue.
Club Layout Project: A Paved Road for a One Horse Town.
I use the ready-to-use joint compound and only do a stretch of a couple of feet at a time. I put on just enough compound to cover the roadbed and smooth it out as best as I can with a wide putty knife to avoid ridges. Then I let it dry completely. When dry, I go back over it with a small, wet sponge.
Incidentally, I mix black dry tempera paint or India ink into the joint compound. Either way, it comes out looking like weathered asphalt.
John Timm
MisterBeasley, all I can say is WOW! I tried this method to repave the lumpy, wavy road I did yesterday and the difference was like night and day. The wet foam brush really did the trick. I still ended up with a few high spots from the original road surface, but it was a 100% improvement. You have to look hard to see the imperfections and I have a feeling after I paint and weather the road, those will all but disappear.
I didn’t have a 2 inch brush but I do have a large bag of 1 inch brushes which I bought in bulk at an art store. By accident, I discovered that if I worked across the road with the wet foam brush rather than along the length of it, I seemed to get a more even surface and that also automatically created a slight crown as well since the cross strokes seemed to wear down the edges more than the middle of the road.
Between the suggestion to use track roadbed to create the frame for the road and this suggestion to work the Durham’s putty with a wet foam brush after it starts to set, I am almost looking forward to the next section of road I build. In the past, that is something I looked forward to about as m
Almost forgot,my last little piece of road was done with Sculptamold,Love that stuff,a moistened art spatula will smooth that stuff up nicely, For dirt roads a little light wheel marks will help alot before painting. I also use that sanded designer paint you can get from HD for a nice gravelly texture. Get some color samples and see what you like best. A quart will do a lot of raods and you can modify the color with some of thse little 8oz. cans of latex paint. I learned that from a movie set designer. You just open all the cans and mix right on the work you’re doing. BILL
