Just wanted to stir the pot on what opinions are on building roads? Do you prefer styrene, cork, smooth-it or water putty, craft foam? Cons or benefits of ones you’ve tried? I’ve only done smooth-it and water putty roads myself. I liked the texture they created and took weathering and painting well. I need a section of road and concrete-layed in track on my shelf layout and trying to figure out what method to use. My conundrum is that I have track on pink foam only, no roadbed, so I’d like my roads to be flush with track without too much of a hump at a grade crossing. Any thoughts? It would be nice to not have to sand the smooth-it/water putty for once. I’m intrigued with folks who use styrene or craft foam sheets…
A new way to make roads is using a thin neoprene foam rubber sheet. It is about an 1/8" thick. I dont know much about it. but that is an option.
You dont have to sand smooth-it of plaster or such. Use a damp sponge to do the smoothing. no dust works well. No idea why an old method of smoothing plaster is rarely spoken of in the hobby for roads.
Shane
That’s a great point, I totally forgot about the wet sponge method. Good call!
I’ve tried a number of paving materials including water putty and smooth-it but haven’t been satisfied with any of them. They all set up too quickly to get completely smooth with a wet sponge. Invariably I have to end up sanding it. I’m going to try a new material, tile grout. I’ve watched on the home improvement shows how a damp sponge is used to clean it up and smooth it out after it sets up so I’m wondering if that will work for roads. I expect to test it out in the next few days.
Early on I used Paper Mache for my scenery base, I now prefer Sculptamold.
I smooth out the roadway with Sculptamold for the road base then when fully dry (could take a couple of days) I use Arizona Rock and Mineral Asphalt Power with white glue mixed 1:8 with water. I put a small pile of the Asphalt power in the roadway and add the glue mix to putty and use a 2½” wide taping blasé to smooth out the Asphalt. Works super good for me.
I use Arizona Rock and Mineral HO ballast for gravel roads, same mix.
And Arizona Rock and Mineral Tan Granite Power for dirt roads.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I’ve tried and like 1/16" cork sheeting. And you can get it in rolls with an adhesive-backing. It’s easy to lay out your road on it and it can be cut with either a good pair of scissor (Fiskars) and/or an X-acto knife. I used spackling to fill in the surface gaps & cavities of the cork material then painted it a grimy black to represent moderately weathered asphalt. It also worked for road sections between rails at crossings.
1/16" is 5.44" in HO-scale, which is a little thick for an asphalt roadbed. However, if you will be putting dirt on top of your foam (on either side of the road) to represent soil, that should reduce the height of the road enough to make it quite believable.
Tom
I use Durham’s Water Putty. There’s a bit of a learning curve to get the mixing and consistency right. I apply it using a small foam brush, which I keep wet as I smooth the roads. That’s a learning process, too. The putty is thick enough to easily build up a low ramp to match the grade level at crossings.
Adding a bit of white vinegar to the putty will retard setting time and give you more working time to get it smooth. White vinegar. White vinegar. Once I couldn’t find that bottle, and used red vinegar instead. My trainroom smelled like a salad for a week.
The putty is a light tan as it goes on. Once dry, I use a wash of gray craft paint. It takes the wash well. I use a gel pen to draw highway markings. By using a single-color gray, as I extend the road any new sections match the color exactly.
I’ve done many of my roads with Durham’s as Mr. Beasley does. Sometimes I have tinted the mix with a dab of artist’s acrylic tube paint. This just gives the finished look a darker color which can then be further painted or India ink stained.
In one of my recent “paving” jobs I made forms out of square basswood:
Crossing_grade_side by Edmund, on Flickr
This helped me keep the roadway going where I wanted it and provided a “strike-off” line for the level.
Crossing_grade-forms1 by Edmund, on Flickr
I used a $20 Amazon gift card as a trowel but you could get away with a $10 just the same:
Crossing_road-surface by Edmund, on Flickr
This is pretty much how it cured. I left the forms in place. Eventually the surrounding grass and clump weeds will hide most of the edge.
Crossing_grade-surface by Edmund, on Flickr
In another area I used black EVA foam, then airbrushed with dark gray. I masked some areas to look like patches of newer asphalt:
Chem_pave-tar4 by [url=http
[quote user=“gmpullman”]
I’ve done many of my roads with Durham’s as Mr. Beasley does. Sometimes I have tinted the mix with a dab of artist’s acrylic tube paint. This just gives the finished look a darker color which can then be further painted or India ink stained.
In one of my recent “paving” jobs I made forms out of square basswood:
Crossing_grade_side by Edmund, on Flickr
This helped me keep the roadway going where I wanted it and provided a “strike-off” line for the level.
Crossing_grade-forms1 by Edmund, on Flickr
I used a $20 Amazon gift card as a trowel but you could get away with a $10 just the same:
I didn’t know they made cork that thin, good to know! That could be a real game changer then to help create sunken, dirt covered track.
I have achieved excellent results using craft foam over .040" sheet styrene. I start with cardstock to cut out and tape together into tracing templates for the styrene. I concentrate on one side of the roadway at a time and tape the cardstock pieces together as I go. Once I have the cardstock template completed, I lay it over the .040" styrene sheet (that I buy in 4’ by 8’ sheets) and carefully trace the template to transfer the image to the styrene. Once marked up, I cut out the styrene “roadbed” and sand the edges smooth. I then lay out sheet of craft foam under the “flipped” styrene roadbed to use the roadbed as a cutting template for the craft foam. When all is ready, I prepare to glue the styrene to the layout surface using adhesive caulk. If I want a crown in the road, I first glue a 1/4" wide strip of .040" styrene down the center of the roadway. I also used styrene strips to help incline or decline the roadway at rail or other crossings. When all is ready, I glue the styrene roadbed into place. I then use spray adhesive to glue the craft foam pieces atop the styrene roadbed. I use either caulking or Woodland Scenics Foam Putty to fill in the gaps between the pieces of craft foam. The craft foam is available in black and takes craft paint quite well. I use fine tip paint pens to apply striping. Surface cracks can be added using a hobby knife and a fine tip black marker over the cuts to resemble tar patching.
Who wants to model this road?
The States Americans Are Fleeing (and Where They’re Going) (moneywise.com)
Give roofing shingles a try. I use black and the texture varies. For a smooth surface use the bottom side and paint to desired color. They are easy to cut, reusable, and curve right up the track. Can be used between the rails to complete grade crossings. Put a track nail in to hold in place. Also can be used for flooring in industrial buildings. Great for parking lots also. Just yesterday I found two packs that fell off a truck laying by the road. That will supply me to the end. Good luck!
That picture of a road in Door County, WI. has been everywhere! Different seasons as well.
I used drywall mud, much the same way Ed did his. Some areas I did as concrete pavement, some as asphalt pavement.
Mike.
Two methods I can mention are Plaster of Paris and thin foam sheets. I used the former and swtiched to the latter since it doesn’t require sanding. Both methods work.
I developed a great system for roads on my layout that looks very prototypical. I use 3 ingredients. 1 quart of white paint, 1 quart of black paint, and some Scenic Express fine ballast. I mix the paint together to the color I want, then add the light grey ballast until I get to a consistency that will make moderate resistance while stirring.
If I’m making a road, I’ll mask off the edges, then use a putty knife to put down a layer of the mix, then I use a 4" wide blade to smooth out the road. When I get done and before the paint dries, I pull up the tape and let it dry, which takes a few hours.
This leaves me with an accurate representation of asphalt in its various stages of weathering. The beauty of this method is that I can mix the paint to represent anything from brand new asphalt to 50-year-old asphalt just by changing the ratio of the paint.
I started using this method back in the late '70s and still use it today. The fine ballast gives me the proper texture for the road. The amount of pressure I put on the 4" blade will determine the smoothness of the road. After it dries, I can then paint the lines on the road, then finish the grass, gravel, or whatever else I need to represent.
I tried to insert an image, but it doesn’t work. I’ll try to figure it out.
[quote user=“josephbw”]
I developed a great system for roads on my layout that looks very prototypical. I use 3 ingredients. 1 quart of white paint, 1 quart of black paint, and some Scenic Express fine ballast. I mix the paint together to the color I want, then add the light grey ballast until I get to a consistency that will make moderate resistance while stirring.
If I’m making a road, I’ll mask off the edges, then use a putty knife to put down a layer of the mix, then I use a 4" wide blade to smooth out the road. When I get done and before the paint dries, I pull up the tape and let it dry, which takes a few hours.
This leaves me with an accurate representation of asphalt in its various stages of weathering. The beauty of this method is that I can mix the paint to represent anything from brand new asphalt to 50-year-old asphalt just by changing the ratio of the paint.
I started using this method back in the late '70s and still use it today. The fine ballast gives me the proper texture for the road. The amount of pressure I put on the 4" blade will determine the smoothness of the road. After it dries, I can then paint the lines on the road, then finish the grass, gravel, or whatever else I need to represent.
I tried to insert an image, but it doesn’t work. I’ll try to figure it out.
Hi John,
I use regular latex paint, just the cheap stuff. When it dries it is solid and it sticks to homasote or plywood so well you will have to pry it off if you want to change it. But it will come off in strips.
I would encourage you to use a limestone product like Scenic Express fine ballast or other limestone manufacturers. Woodland Scenics is crushed walnut shells, and I doubt if you would get the same results.
I bought some cheap plastic paint containers at Lowes and mix up a few colors and put the lids on. They will stay fresh for months. And you can make repairs with different shades so they look like real repairs.
It’s a very easy process to mix and apply, and when you finish it looks very realistic.
Have fun, Joe
Indeed, some years back a firm called Three Brothers offered roadway material which turned out to be nothing more than asphalt shingle material, but without the granules, so it was smooth on both sides. Perhaps on an actual “scale” basis the texture on the shingle material is too deep and if we were to drive on a full size equivalent it would like seem bumpy and noisy. But it effectively gets the idea of texture across and photographs well.
Three Brothers was otherwise mostly known for reissuing the old Holgate & Reynolds double deck suburban coach kits in HO.
I have used the stuff, but I have also been satisfied with the Walthers road system, which comes in versions for both concrete and asphalt roadways.
Dave Nelson
I purchased this on Amazon. Monta Products Road Tape. It’s out of stock now but another seller has it:
https://www.jamirinewsx.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=450290
I like it because it’s 3" wide (about 25 scale feet) and comes with curves. I don’t use the extra roll with the track ties.
Amazon has more of these from other manufacturers but I couldn’t find a 3" wide. There’s 2", 2.4", 3.5" and 4".