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9 Responses to Best Materials For Making Roads
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You don’t say what type of road but the picture shows paved roads. I have had good success with Woodland Scenics Paving Tape and “Smooth It” plaster. All you need is a colour to finish it (Asphalt or Concrete).
Bill, I wish that was my railroad in the photo. The blog people must have added the photo to make the post look interesting. I am flexible on which road making methods to use. I just want ideas. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Dwight.
I tried several commercial products and found none to my liking. Working in the garage one day I was using some fine, black sandpaper. Works and looks great. And it’s a lot cheaper than the other stuff.
I haven’t done it myself but I heard that very fine emery paper (Black sandpaper) works well.
Robert
Although a lot of people discourage modelers from using joint compound, I used it with tremendous success before I read I wasn’t supposed to use it. LOL. I used foam tape for the borders and I applied a very thin coat. It required hardly any sanding and once it was dry I used my “grungy gray” weathering powder to make them appear old and worn. I also have a tip on gravel or “2-tracks” roads. Start with joint compound then use a popsicle stick with 3 rounded notches on it so the two “bumps” between the notches are the same width as a passenger car. The high parts should be the center and both edges. It will give a worn look where your tires go. Then you can put some green or tufts in the middle as well as on the edges.
For asphalt I have used P1000 emery paper, and lightened it with talc. But I’m a good-enoughist!
You guys are soooooo helpful. Appreciated very much!
The fine grit sandpaper seems like a good idea as you can lay it down to look like a freshly paved road surface or it can be wrinkled up to look like areas of asphalt roadway that are in desperate need of repair. The creases could be accentuated with a fine tip permanent marker to make the cracks look like deep cracks in the road surface. Experimentation is the key to finding out what may work best for your layout.
I am building an HO layout and planning on using a roll of asphalt roofing material I found in the alley. With some gray or black spray paint it looks good. Can also use some drywall patching compound if you need a smoother surface. It can be cut with a scissors or carpet knife and since it is 3 feet wide you can cover a large area. It can also be used for roofs (imagine that) of scratch built buildings.