This is my first time trying to model a concrete street. Of course I want it to look nice. I’ve tried some different techniques but none seem to yield the results I would like. The material I am using is a flexible plastic with some texture,(Plastex Poly from Menards). I have sprayed Poly Scale concrete and it is too gray. The aged concrete Poly Scale looks a little better but kind of brown. I have scribed releif joints in for added realism. I am kind of new to weathering and I think I may be using the wrong product for this. I have been using soft pastels via Hobby Lobby and they seem too vivid and touchy to apply. I did airbrush some grimy black to show tire and oil marks but this seems to be too vivid even on my cheap airbrush most light setting. Guys this is a mess can you offer any help? This should be not so hard. Thanks
Try Doc Brians weathering powders or AIM weathering powders. If they seem too vivid, try aging the entire area by brushing the entire thing lightly, then darker streaks.
There’s an article about easy roads in MRR about a couple months back. (Maybe 6->7). That should help.
I found the article you are talking about it is out of the July 05 issue. I may switch from a concrete to an asphalt look. The author does tell us the paint he uses it is a mixture of Model Master Gull Gray and Sand. However, it does not give the ratio.
I think since this is being done in O’ it is a bit of a challenge. It takes a ton of Woodland Scenics smooth it to cover the wide streets that is why I wanted to try the plastic sheets. I’m sure a plaster like surface would look better. Since I already scribed my lines maybe I’ll cover the surface with something. What, I do not know. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
On a club layout I once was involved with the concrete-surfaced street that ended up being the quay in a port scene was made of (drum roll and bugle salute) concrete!
Actually, portland cement, mixed stiff.
It looked right because it was right.
I used plastic sheets and scribed them, then scribed in more cracks then painted it almost white with a drop of black,older concrete roads seem to fade to that pale gray color, then add grime strips in center of each lane and add different shades of black to simulate blacktop and tar patches and crack fillers, and expansion joints.
Here’s my technique for streets: I use .040 sheet styrene for the street, cut to size needed. Then I spray with Krylon Gloss Almond. Next I weather with an alcohol / india ink mixture. One or two coats, depending on how ‘dirty’ I want the streets. Then I coat with Matte medium to make it ‘dull’. Last, I use a pencil to make expansion lines, and then add yellow stripes down the center. I like the ‘almond’ base coat as a contrast to my ‘gray’ sidewalks. Once you have vehicles and figures on the street, not much shows anyway. Photos available.
Thank you for your replies. Today I decided to try the technique used in the MR article as I knew the materials were available at the store. To cover up my prior attempt, I found this self adhesive 2mm thick foam that can be painted. Everything is looking pretty good except for my weathering. I think I may be using the wrong stuff for this. I purchased what is called a soft pastel in black. I think it is too touchy. It either goes on too thick of not at all. One thing I learned through this experience is that the weathering needs to be very slight/light to look proper.
I gotta say you guys have a lot of good idesa.[:D]
my roads in the past have been similiar to what ecarlson uses and it is very easy to work with(styrene)my first railroad in 1965 i used just plain ole cardboard painted a concrete color.i’ve also used cork roadbed and plaster with pretty good results.wish i had a picture to show you.by all means experiment and take your time and enjoy yourself.don’t overdo it on the weathering.terry…
Most roads are asphalt covered so that is what I try for. Unless the asphalt is very new, it fades to a washed out gray. I use various mixtures of grays, off whites, and beiges to get the shade I am looking for. I use Hobby Lobby acrylics which are so cheap I can afford to experiment.
The trouble I found with most concrete paints is that they are too dark. I use Delta Cream Coat (Michael’s Art /craft store) acrylic paints. I use White as a base and add a few drops of Sandstone to tint it and a drop of Yellow. After drying thoroughly you can use anyone of the weathering methods according to your taste. If your base concrete color is light you can always darken it but not the reverse. I also thin the acrylics a bit with water to make it brush well.
Good luck Doc
Topcopdoc,
I agree with most paints being too dark. I have found that thinning tends to lighten them up a bit. It’s kind of a trial and error deal. I’m going for the asphalt look as I need to get this done for someone but in the future I will try to go for the concrete look again. A light concrete seems to look the best
Hobby Lobby craft paint 
Name is Barn Wood
Fresh concrete is fairly dark but it quickly lightens up to an almost off white. then dirt, tire rubber, oil, etc. will weather it. The brand of gray primer that I use is very close to what I am looking for so that is usually my base coat. Very old concrete yellows with age but most concrete roads will have ben repaved with asphalt long before that happens. I use the aged concrete look on things like loading docks and sidewalks.
Maybe a variation of this would work;
Try using wet and dry sand paper as the base. 800 to 1000 grit has a great texture for concrete and the more coarse grades (Down to about 200 grit) make for good Ashpalt. My local Hardware Store stoks the stuff in rolls that are (scale) Miles long. It comes in Dark grey (Asphalt) light grey(concrete) and green and yellow colours.
It’s cheap and easy to work with and takes weathering quite well. Just make sure you stick it down well so the edges don’t curl and don’t use a good blade to cut it - goes blunt in a flash.
in Michigan we use alot of rock salt on the roads .
try using table salt on your concrete .
it will weather up everthing
iceman
Have you considered laying the styrene in smaller sections, rather than relying on scribing the expansion. After a dry layout the individual pieces can be smoothed, roughed up w/ different grades of paper, even base coated before gluing in place. Modelling in “O” does give much more for detailing. Sewer covers, catch basins and curbings can all be done with so much more detail in your scale. I base coat with Floequil concrete or aged concrete, then dry brush and weather as needed.
Bob K.
When I built my HO module, I used 1/8-inch thick tan-colored kids’ craft foam painted with Dove Gray acrylic craft paint. It was very easy to work with and cut, and it embossed beautifully. I added some very light streaks of black and it looked pretty authentic. Nice thing is it’s dirt cheap, has a nice, even texture and takes paint well. It might be a bit too smooth for larger scales, though.