Does anyone know of anywhere you can find templates for painting lines on roads, specifically in HO scale? I can tape them off and paint them by hand, but the taping and cutting tiny little strips out of the tape gets very old very fast.
Here’s an idea of what I am talking about. I’d like a template I can lay down to cover say 50 or 100 feet of road at a time and paint it all at once.
I don’t think any such templates exist. Some people use pin striping tape instead. You can buy thin rolls of masking tape at an auto paint supply store. That will save on the cutting.
What I wish I could find is a templatwe for the RXR at the grade crossings in HO. I’ve seen them for N, but not HO.
Try these people:
Phoebe Vet-THANKS!!! They didn’t have one, but I found a link to one through that site.
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/HO-Scale-Trackside-Accessories-S-and-S-Hobby/HO_TRS_643_1.html
If you use a straightedge ruler for straight road, you could use a sharp tip paint marker in yellow or white. For curves, you could either cut a curved template with cardboard, or used a “curved ruler,” which is available at art supply stores. It is like a square rubber strip that has metal in it, and is very flexible. You could lay it on the road surface, curve it to match the centerline, then hold it in place while you run the paint marker down the edge of it. I’ve used them for drawing other curved lines, but never lines on miniature road (I’d like to try it for that, though - if I had the space to create an empire!)
Also, I have made road printing (STOP, RXR, etc.) by creating the graphic in Powerpoint on a background color as close to the street as I can get it, then printing it in color, cutting it out, and gluing it down. I touch up the edges with a marker of the appropriate color so it hides the edge of the paper. You could even print them on sticky mailing labels and stick them down.
Courage8,
Good method. I do something similar. I’ve successfully used a diluted wash of matte medium or diluted white glue as a sealer over the entire surface after the insignia has been applied to the road surface.
chicochip
Thanks for all the sugggestions everyone!
Question, for anyone who has used the pinstripe tape, how easy is that to get around a curve?
Using “Chartpak” type tape, the thinner the better when it comes to curves, but practice with it before you try to stick it down; it stretches and can be very tricky to work with. (I personally prefer paint!)