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building asphalt roads

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  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Boston MA
Posted by vespa boy on Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:38 AM
There is more than one way to pave a road. Thanks for sharing your technique.

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  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: clinton twp, michigan
Posted by camo junkie on Thursday, March 12, 2009 12:01 PM
anytime Thumbs Up [tup]
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  • Member since
    November 2012
Posted by dioramator on Sunday, March 15, 2009 12:29 AM
I have found road surface is easily simulated by first sculpting the road profile with plaster of paris, then painting with black blackboard paint (it looks best if it is sprayed, but may be rolled on with a paint roller). cracks etc can be scribed into the plaster before painting. Add greyness and tones with (pastel) chalk dust.
  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: clinton twp, michigan
Posted by camo junkie on Sunday, March 15, 2009 12:23 PM
thank you for that dioramator. i find all input and techniques very helpful.
"An idea is only as good as the person who thought of it...and only as brilliant as the person who makes it!!"
  • Member since
    June 2010
  • From: Houston
Posted by bubbamoose on Saturday, September 30, 2017 11:00 PM
Hi I REALLY Want your info on making blacktop roadway like your photo!!! I tried for OVER AN HR trying to look up that info using the address U provided & it just will not WORK.... Could U e-mail or to me ? I'm making a Diorama for my old Tx Trooper partner from when he totalled our patrol car.... My e-mail is: barret.lee@gmail..com I'd really appreciate it#!! Thanks, Lee
  • Member since
    July 2017
Posted by crazypat on Sunday, October 1, 2017 3:23 AM
try using vallejo asphalt it works really well
  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Monday, October 2, 2017 11:38 AM

Hi!

 I just do this .400 Grit sandpaper , Cut to size and glued back down on the base .Then I paint the striping . If it's an old almost abandoned or heavy frieght road I tear the paper for my cracks and outline them with a technical pen and blend the line with alcohol !

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Monday, October 2, 2017 12:15 PM

bubbamoose
Hi I REALLY Want your info on making blacktop roadway like your photo!!! I tried for OVER AN HR trying to look up that info using the address U provided & it just will not WORK.... Could U e-mail or to me ? I'm making a Diorama for my old Tx Trooper partner from when he totalled our patrol car.... My e-mail is: barret.lee@gmail..com I'd really appreciate it#!! Thanks, Lee
 

 
Not sure if you'll get replies from the original posters, Lee.  This thread is eight years old, and some of them aren't around the forum any more.
 
I'll second TankerBuilder, try using 400-grit sandpaper.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Monday, October 2, 2017 5:33 PM

Try this: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/17438

I have built my blacktop roads this way. The results are really nice.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 12:23 PM

That's an interesting method.

It looks like it comes down to finding a ready-to-use surface that can replicate macadam in miniture, with little preparation or working other than to paint it, and then simulate wear and tear.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 9:39 AM

JohnnyK

Try this: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/17438

I have built my blacktop roads this way. The results are really nice.

 

Following are photos of the blacktop surface that I made. I think that the texture of the surface looks like real asphalt.

 

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Thursday, October 5, 2017 4:23 PM

Did you make those bases using the method described at the model railroad site you shared?

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Thursday, October 5, 2017 5:27 PM

the Baron

Did you make those bases using the method described at the model railroad site you shared?

 

the Baron

Did you make those bases using the method described at the model railroad site you shared?

 

Baron,

Yes, i used the same method described at the nodel railroad website. It is a pretty simple way of making an asphalt base. I also glued plywood to the underside of the foam to keep it flat.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: Toronto, Canada
Posted by Stuart06 on Friday, October 6, 2017 10:08 AM

Depending on the scale, I use cork board for 1:35 scale armour (should be good for 1:24 scale cars).

1:72 scale I would use sand paper.  If it is a tarmac, use 400 or 600 grit.  For rougher roads use lower grit sandpaper.

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  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Saturday, October 7, 2017 7:43 PM

tominthehat's technique has much to recommend it, particularly for larger scales.

But, also because there are two kinds of bithumenous roads. 

One is hot-placed asphalt, where aggregate (engineering term for specifically-sized gravel and sand) is completely coated in bithumen tar, and placed in a single-pass lift.  Which are between 1" and 3" thick in US practice.

The other is tar-macadam (also known as tarmac).  In that case a gravel surface is set over the compacted subgrade and shaped to the road contours.  Over that is sprayed a heavy coat of liquid tar.  A finish coat of graded aggregate is poured over that tar, and rolled into the wet tar.  tominthehat's technique with talus in the mix replcates tarmac really well.

In US practice, sometimes the two medthods are mixed.  For rural roads, the subgrade is often made four lanes wide and the entire surface tarmac-ed.  The actual road surface is then paved, two lanes wide in asphalt to render a paved shoulder.

Now, in US practice, asphalt roads get a significant crown, often as much as 6" for a 25' wide lane.  Two-lane roads are often built with a "bar ditch" (short for wheelbarrow) where the side of the road way are cut, and the spoil piled to the center of the right-of-way.

In US practice, rural lanes and highways have 12' wide lanes and a 12" wide center space (depending on era and state with a double or single line; amended with dashed lines).
Larger highways will use a 14' lane, and Interstate highways use a 16' lane.

Center stripes are yellow (at least after about 1940-50), and side stripes are white.  In the US at least.  In France, the center stripe is solid white, and the side line dashed white.

Interestingly, US practice changed on rural highways in the 80s, the center space was increased to 6', the better to help prevent head on collisions.  This was later increased in the late 90s to be 12' full feet with 'wake up" texturing (a 2" wide, 1" deep. 6" long every 6" on center impression cut or stamped in the pavement).

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Sunday, October 8, 2017 3:18 PM

JohnnyK

  the Baron

Did you make those bases using the method described at the model railroad site you shared?

Baron,

 Yes, i used the same method described at the nodel railroad website. It is a pretty simple way of making an asphalt base. I also glued plywood to the underside of the foam to keep it flat.

 

 
Cool, thanks!  I figured you did but I asked to make it clear.  One of the guys in my club (Lehigh Valley Scale Modelers) is looking to make an asphalt base for his 1/32 Phantom and I'm sharing the link with him.  Thanks for posting it!
 
Best regards,
Brad

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

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