Hi,
I am wondering if anyone has used Woodland Scenic’s Smooth-it for making asphalt roadways? My LHS has it and I cannot find Scalecrete locally. Any advice using Woodland’s product?
Thanks,
Kevin
Don’t have the advice you’re looking for, but this is the method I used on my last layout and it worked so well I’ll be using it on the new one.
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/crowley/ashphalt_roads.htm
Thank you as I bought the foam sheet a week ago and have been searching for the thread, Grrrrreat timing. Thanks…John
In my old HO layout I made roads out of either styrene sheets or sculptamold, both painted grimy black. I used white and yellow colored pencils to make road markings.
Fellers,
HO-scale wise I used to use thin sheets of cork for anythink I needed a tarred or asphalt surface on. I’d spray it with flat black paint, then dust it with a spray of hot rod primer (a very dark grey) from a spray can. For smaller areas, I’d dry-brush it with hot rod primer.
Respects,
Gwedd,
What thickness of cork would you use for your asphalt surfaces?
Tom
Tom,
Sometimes I used 1/8" thick cork sheets. I bought these through the local hardware store. They were designed to be used to make cork bulletin boards for messages, etc. Most times, though, you could get 1/16" inch thich cork sheet. This was used in some furniture work, as well as for making drink coasters, etc. It came in rather larger sheets, about 24" X 36".
One other trick I’d use on streets was, once the street was laid down, to lightly run my hand sander over the edges to bevel it, or round it slightly where the road butts up against the sidewalk, or meets the curbing. Real roads are curved slightly (cross-section) to allow for water to run off, and this helped the illusion a bit.
If there wasn’t space to sand the edge after installation, then I’d just do it on a flat surface on my workbench. Either way it added some definition to the road as opposed to flat roads bumping into flat curbing, eyc. The natural surface of the cork gave a used. disfigured appearance the way real asphaalt/tar roads do.
I must say, though, that I like the solution offered above with palster as well. I’m going to give that a try at some point as well.
Respects,
I used the black sponge rubber trackbed to make mine. The HO strips are a bit narrow for major roads, but you can get wider strips. Rub on a few different coloured chalks - I use artists pastels - and you’re away. Only drawback is heavy vehicles will leave dimples in the surface but they disappear again, and if you move your traffic around frequently it’s no big deal.
The area in front of the garage is card, the road is trackbed. I add “repairs” with DAS modelling clay painted dark grey.
Mike
I have been making asphalt roads this week, I am using Water Putty mixed with a gray paint and just enough portland cement to stiffen it up. I made a form 1/8’’ deep, poured in the bixture and smoothed it with a credit card. When completly dry sand it smoothe and put some dirt along the edges for a sholder, set with glue/water mix. When that is dry add your choice of colored chalk to make the tire marks. Here is a pic of what mine turned out like. I still need to add the center and outside lines.
Hope this helps, Mike
Good job on the road, Mike! It looks very nice and realistic! [:)][tup] What road width did you end up with? I’m fluctuating between laying a 2-3/4" or 3" two-lane road.
I, too, have been looking into adding “road work” to my layout. With both Dr. John and Gwedd’s help and suggestions, I was able to locate some thin (1/32-1/16" thick) cork sheeting at Office Max. It’s actually made by the Contact paper people and has a self-adhesive backing to it. The adhesive backing on it seems strong but I’m still wondering whether of not I should use a contact cement - just to make sure it doesn’t pop up on me “down the road”.
I started experimenting with it last night. Cork is fairly porous and soaks up the Grimy Black PollyScale paint quite readily. I’ve found that if a lay down a thin layer of vinyl wall spackle, it fills in the tiny voids. Then, once sanded and painted, the spackle gives the cork a nice uniform look. I’ll try and post some comparison picks in the next day or two.
Tom
Finally! A good use for credit cards!
tstage, I really didn’t pay much attention to the width of the road as I was building it, I wanted two trucks to be able to meet on it. I turned out to be between 3 1/4’’ to 3 1/2’’ wide, the bridge across the river is 3’’ and is a little on the narrow side. By the time I get the striping done I think the 3 1/2 will be about right.
I am going to try to get away early this afternoon an go to Lawton to look for a fine point yellow marker to do the lines with. Mike
I used plaster of paris for a road I made on a small HO scale display.
I painted the plaster with a light gray acrylic paint mixed with sand. I think it turned out pretty good, but if I had to do it again I would mix the sand and plaster together and then paint that.
Hi,
Thanks for the great advice.
Kevin