Pavement Swatches

[qc]

In the near future I plan on preparing a display base that will include some paving...some concrete, some asphalt. I had heard of several methods on producing scale concrete, but figured I try them all for comparison sake and to have swatches for future reference.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y144/qclex/pavements/

I've used 5 materials:
Fine Ballast: by woodland scenics (look for it in railroad area in hobby store)
Gold Bond: was looking for plain talc powder (which comprises the majority of GB) but guess ev'thing has a brand name now (look for it at the grocery store)
Baking Soda (found at grocery)
Stucco: a matte medium produced by liquidtex that has small bits of sand in it thus mimicking stucco once dried (look for it at michael's)
Corn Starch (also at grocery)

Each swatch is typical styrene brushed over with liquidtex acyrlic medium matte. Then a ample amount of the testing material thown on top and allowed to dry overnight. A soft brush was used to remove all un-attached material and swatches were shaken and tapped for any loose material. A small area of each swatch was then masked off and lightly sanded with 200 grit sandpaper, thus making a slightly smoother texture. This 200 sanding shows on some of the rogher textures but doesn't on others.

Each swatch was painted with tamiya sky grey and given a misting of Testors Dullcote.

Results.

I was pleased that each gave a different texture, and believe all have uses in some scale or use.

The items shown adjacent each swatch are a US dime and a small figure and military vehicle in HO (1:87 ) scale.

I'd like to hear of others experiences with these materials and/or other methods and materials to reproduce scale paving.

HTH

[Joseph C. Brown]

A few years ago, FSM magazine had a short article about using clean cat litter and an Elmer's style glue to replicate asphalt. Mix a batch, and squeegee it smooth.

Having a mid-40's memory (gaps, lapses, and distractions), I can't recall if the author was advocating a scale or not, but I think that the author was an treadhead, so, maybe for 1/35?

[TER-OR]

Durham's Water Putty is also nice.

I've used it to replicate asphalt in 1/48. I did have to sand it with my orbital sander, and paint with Grimy Black, but it looks very nice when done.

[Jeff]

If it is a small area I use sand paper. Usually wet and dry sand paper. It takes paint well and looks pretty good. I have used it for figure bases I have also used it to simulate tar paper roofing.

[Stu Pidasso]

*SNIP* about using clean cat litter *SNIP part 2*

AH! There's my problem...

[Bomech1]

Nice swatches. The ballast looks pretty chunky. Have you tried mixing it with whiteglue to obtain a rough asphalt look possibly? Just my thought - oh look a shiney object.................
Brian

[Lt. Z0mBe]

*SNIP* about using clean cat litter *SNIP part 2*

AH! There's my problem...

Wow! This diorama of a mutant sewer rat being fended off by a Patlabor seems so real...it even smells the part...

Z0mBe

[haywire]

If it is a small area I use sand paper. Usually wet and dry sand paper. It takes paint well and looks pretty good. I have used it for figure bases I have also used it to simulate tar paper roofing.

I'll second that swatch.

[Chacal]

*SNIP* about using clean cat litter *SNIP part 2*

AH! There's my problem...

You can always make an Arrakis diorama... (I'll just leave it at that)

[Cmdr.Bubbles]

Ok this place looked like the best place to put this. I need to model a stretch of two lane blacktop that has been chewed up by a crashing U.F.O. . The scale I am using is /72 (The aliens are freakin' huge GAME OVER MAN!) . The ship is crashed into the side of a hill and has pushed up under the edge of the highway. So I want a partially intact road but with lots huge chunks sitting at up ect.

Example
Another

My idea is to make the thing out of layers of a mixture of sand, small railroad ballast, and flour. Mix in a little paint for color and then do 3 or 4 layers of the stuff between wax paper. Once its dry whack it with a hammer. and then rebuild it on the base.

Any suggestions?

[Kylwell]

Black CA makes the best tar patches (asphalt crack filler) ever. Drys a matte finish (the Japanese stuff at least), leaves a slight rasied area, and drys irregularly. Looks great.

[Lt. Z0mBe]

Ok this place looked like the best place to put this. I need to model a stretch of two lane blacktop that has been chewed up by a crashing U.F.O. . The scale I am using is /72 (The aliens are freakin' huge GAME OVER MAN!) . The ship is crashed into the side of a hill and has pushed up under the edge of the highway. So I want a partially intact road but with lots huge chunks sitting at up ect.

Example
Another

My idea is to make the thing out of layers of a mixture of sand, small railroad ballast, and flour. Mix in a little paint for color and then do 3 or 4 layers of the stuff between wax paper. Once its dry whack it with a hammer. and then rebuild it on the base.

Any suggestions?

Have you experimented with some drywall spackle? I've got a home under construction, and while priming drywall this week, I was thinking about it. You could tint it too.

Also, what about mastic for tile? It too can be tinted, and is "rockier" than spackle.

Finally, consider tile grout, both with and without sand. It comes in a variety of colors.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

[Cmdr.Bubbles]

I may play around with a few mixtures to see what I get. The Dio I was doing however may not need it. once the basic land forms were in place the road just seems to be too much. But who knows....

[Kylwell]

Here's another thought. Roll some Aves or MagicScuplt into a flat. Cover with plastic wrap and press coarse grit sandpaper into it. You could even put the ruts fromm studded tires and wear into the asphalt if you were so inclined.