Building a Module; HO Scale Photo Diorama
#31
Josh:

How do you like working with the Woodland Scenics road system? I tried it once and I thought the roads looked awful... your roads look way better than mine came out... how did you paint them, and did you "add" anything to get a more textured look to the road?

I saw a great idea in this months MR for roads... using photos of real roads, printed as decals, attached to styrene... I might give that a shot, but I am not sure yet. Luckily for my rural scenes following how it really is in Vermont, I will be able to create dirt roads which should be fairly easy to do.

--Rob.
Reply
#32
Beamish Wrote:Looks good. I always like to follow what you are doing and this looks like another great project.

Mike, thank-you Goldth

Welcome to the new gauge as well, glad you made it over here
Josh Mader

Maders Trains
Offering everyday low prices for the Model Railroad World
Reply
#33
RobL Wrote:Josh:

How do you like working with the Woodland Scenics road system? I tried it once and I thought the roads looked awful... your roads look way better than mine came out... how did you paint them, and did you "add" anything to get a more textured look to the road?

I saw a great idea in this months MR for roads... using photos of real roads, printed as decals, attached to styrene... I might give that a shot, but I am not sure yet. Luckily for my rural scenes following how it really is in Vermont, I will be able to create dirt roads which should be fairly easy to do.

--Rob.

Hi Rob, thanks Misngth

I LOVE the Woodland Scenics Roads System. The thing is, you have to be patient about the stuff, a few coats are required to get good results. and this means letting the road dry completely in between each coat. I usually do 3-4 coats, a rough coat, a medium/smooth coat, and a smooth/fine coat, and if need be a touch up coat in some spots that may be bugging me lol. Patients, Patients, Patients, Patients is the key to getting good results with the stuff. I personally like the stuff and i will continue to use it for ALL my roads and loading dock areas.

Water is good when your working with the Smooth-It. Mix it to the consistency of medium to thick soup, making sure there are no clumps remaining in the mixture, pour it in between the path of the roads you layed out with the paving tape, smooth it out with the styrene smoother that is provided in the paving tape, and let it dry, but make sure there are no raised areas that are higher then the paving tape sides. If the mixture begins to harden on you, add some more water, and keep a glass of water near you so you can continue to clean the smoother off, this also adds water to the newly poured road and further helps to smooth it out. After it is dry, you can pull the paving tape up or leave it place for the next coat, it doesnt really matter. Come back with a thick mix and do another coat on the road. Mostly you are just filling in "dips" and such like that. When that dries, come back with a even thicker coat to do a smooth coat and a touch up coat to areas that might not meet your standards lol. If you have not removed the paving tape you can now do so, it should come up fairly easy leaving you a nice straight or curved road.

If you do not want to paint the roads, mix a color into each mixture each time you do a coat, that way you will not have to paint it.

Word of caution, Smooth-It can go fast, buy lots and use only what you think you will need for the job, you can always mix more but you CANNOT save mixed Smooth-It, even under a lid, it hardens and is un-usable after a period of time lol

Need a road thats wider then the smoother will smooth and fit across? For roads wider then the smoother, lay an extra strip of paving tape down the center of the road, pour in the mix and smooth it out, after it dries, pull ul the tape and then go on with the next coat, filling in the strip where the tape was in the middle of the road.

I am thinking of posting a tutorial on how i make my roads when i start my modules for the M&ET :mrgreen: which should be soon
Josh Mader

Maders Trains
Offering everyday low prices for the Model Railroad World
Reply
#34
Josh

I am glad to see you brought this one over, I remember the thread when you built it. I would love to see your tutorial for making roads. I could also use one on how you make the concrete with the rails, like in your roster thread. I want to do some of this in my diesel service area modual 8-)
Jim

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://dieseldetailer.proboards53.com/index.cgi">http://dieseldetailer.proboards53.com/index.cgi</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.okmtc.com/community/index.php">http://www.okmtc.com/community/index.php</a><!-- m -->
Reply
#35
Sarge Wrote:Josh

I am glad to see you brought this one over, I remember the thread when you built it. I would love to see your tutorial for making roads. I could also use one on how you make the concrete with the rails, like in your roster thread. I want to do some of this in my diesel service area modual 8-)

Thank-you Sarge Goldth

Once i start making some modules for the M&ET with roads on them, i will be sure to go step by step on making the roads and do up a nice little tutorial on making them.

Im sure ill have to do a grade crossing on the first couple im doing as well, so ill include that in the same thread for how i did the grade crossings that you mentioned from my shelf layout Thumbsup
Josh Mader

Maders Trains
Offering everyday low prices for the Model Railroad World
Reply
#36
This has been a great thread with lots of tips that I'll use. I'm planning on having a fair bit of paved area on my layout, and it's been good to get a few pointers from you.

-Dr.J
Reply
#37
That's a really nice module! I really like the way everything ties together and it's a good looking place to showcase a new engine or car too. HO has some great looking and detailed vehicles...I wish Nscale had more of them. Really great job on the roads too. I've used spackling compound before for roads but wasn't as patient as you were, so mine cracked. After filling in the cracks and resanding the affected areas, they looked pretty prototypical, but it was dusty work. The WS roads look better, more even and certainly more straight than the spackling compound. Is there much sanding involved with the WS's?
Mark

Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Reply
#38
Josh-All I can say is WOW!! Super job. Although I'm taking a different approach with my roads I've picked up some good hints from your construction techniques. Keep up the good work. Bob 2285_
Reply
#39
DrGeologist Wrote:This has been a great thread with lots of tips that I'll use. I'm planning on having a fair bit of paved area on my layout, and it's been good to get a few pointers from you.

-Dr.J

Thanks Dr. J for the nice comments Goldth Im glad i could help you with a few ideas :mrgreen:


Herc Driver Wrote:That's a really nice module! I really like the way everything ties together and it's a good looking place to showcase a new engine or car too. HO has some great looking and detailed vehicles...I wish Nscale had more of them. Really great job on the roads too. I've used spackling compound before for roads but wasn't as patient as you were, so mine cracked. After filling in the cracks and resanding the affected areas, they looked pretty prototypical, but it was dusty work. The WS roads look better, more even and certainly more straight than the spackling compound. Is there much sanding involved with the WS's?

Thanks TN!! Goldth

This and my CAT module have been the most fun projects ive ever done and i really enjoyed building them. I think thats one of the major factors that drew me away from another layout and made me stop my shelf layout and instead model the M&ET module style.

I used to use Drywall Compound for my roads too. It worked okay for me, but like you said they would crack sometimes and alot of sanding was required most of the time, at least for me lol. The WS Smooth-It is really great stuff if you can have some patients with it lol. There is a bit of sanding involved between coats of the Smooth-It, but, no sandpaper is required, instead i use a putty knife and scrap raised sections being careful not to dig into the dried material, as it is very soft even when dried. If you dig to deep with the knife, just fix it in the next coat, no big deal.

Like i said above, i will be doing a tutorial on how i make my roads and crossings when i start my M&ET modules, i just keep getting delayed on them lol, so hang in there, the tutorial is coming soon Thumbsup Misngth


foulrift Wrote:Josh-All I can say is WOW!! Super job. Although I'm taking a different approach with my roads I've picked up some good hints from your construction techniques. Keep up the good work. Bob 2285_

Thank-you Bob Goldth Glad i could also help you out with some construction techniques, i look forward to seeing some progress of your roads as well :mrgreen:
Josh Mader

Maders Trains
Offering everyday low prices for the Model Railroad World
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)