Just starting to scenic an area with “gravel” ballast, and wondering what is the best way to level it, or smooth it out? The area has a freight house and factory on a siding, and a parking/loading area. I’d like it to look like a somewhat unkept gravel area, but not with brush marks, or finger prints trying to level the area…
I use a foam brush. That’s how I got it level in my power sub station. The gravel is Woodland Scenics btw.
I use a foam paint brush with two slits cut out for the rails.
Brent[C):-)]
I used a mixture of W/S fine ballast for the freight house lot.
First I “painted” the surface with diluted white glue and then using a teaspoon I gently spread the gravel by tapping on the spoon. After the gravel was spread I wet it down with alcohol and then with another diluted white glue coating.
Bob
That lot looks great Bob! I think I’ll give that a try and maybe add a couple of mud puddle’s.[tup]
Brent[C):-)]
Here’s a gravel road and parking lot on my layout:
I brushed 50:50 diluted white glue over the area and sifted fine sand over it. It took two applications of glue and sand. Once everything was dry, I dry-brushed a matching color of acrylic craft paint to represent tire tracks, compacted/dried mud and so on.
No additional smoothing was needed, as sifting the material onto the glue yielded a thin layer that was automatically smooth enough to work. Not that the sand I used was finer than most ballast, but following the same process with ballast (for larger gravel) should produce an acceptable smooth surface.
Thanks for all the helpful replies everyone…
Your road and parking area look great Rob! Looks like the effect I’m looking for definitely…
Get it as smooth as.you can. Hold a screwdriver by the tip and tap the bottom of the layout with the handle.
Not to get to far out ,but has any tried colored sand @ hobby lobby ,its for making those sand drawings in vase/jars I think oriental type art , any how its cheap @ 2.40 for a 11/2 # container about the size of a jar of peanut butter its very fine grains of sand smaller than river sand but larger than say plaster powder its made by "tea house studios " the only two usefull colors are brown and black the (black has a coal type glider to it) I use to texure tan latex paint (dirt look). but the black makes great coal spills in my yard area and I"M sure after glue down could be painted to look like any ho/n scale pavement /sand /fine gravel /processed wheat you name it , its finer than any ballest product/and cheap ,check it out …Jerry
Rob,
How exactly did you paint those mud spots and tire tracks on? I have some extra “neutral gray” acrylic paint I think would work…
I used some tan acrylic craft paint that was similar to the sand color I had. I dry-brushed the tracks with a stiff 1/8" or so brush, slowly building up the paint so I wouldn’t get too much on at once. That’s it.