Hard Standing

[Davenport]

Hi all,

 

Just wondering how do you guys build hard standing concrete effect  for a engine shed?

Tks

[Mol_PMB]

I've got a fair bit to do as well, representing tracks set in concrete. I'd also welcome ideas.

My current plan is to use 1.5mm card just below the level of the rail tops, paint it pale grey and dust on talcum powder to give a bit of texture.

Other ideas welcome!

[David Holman]

Think that sounds about right. Even in 7mm concrete has zero texture, so card and talc should work well. The difficult part with concrete is the colour. Humbrol concrete just isn't right, but then the shade varies according to age, weathering, dry or wet.

 Tullygrainy's probably the master. Let's wait to read what he suggests!

[Tullygrainey]

 I wish I had the definitive answer to that one! The challenge, as David says, is that there's no 'concrete' colour as such since age, texture and weathering affect the colour and appearance of concrete in widely varying degrees, not to mention the ingredients used to make the stuff in the first place.

My experiences in wrestling with this suggest to me that a single flat colour won't look convincing. A mixture of shades in the finished surface will look much better. I generally use cheap artists' acrylics from tubes in three colours - Mars Black, Titanium White and Raw Umber. Mixed in different proportions, these can produce an infinite variety of suitable tones. The process is distinctly trial and error. I just prod away until it looks right to my eye. Thin washes allow different colours to show through in random places on the final surface. I think we're agreed too that talc can add a bit of texture. Some dry brushing using the raw colours and sometimes some yellow/green to hint at moss or algae also contributes to the overall look. 

For largish areas of concrete, remember that it will likely have been laid in bays, with lines of tar between the sections. For modelling this, I scribe lines into the card surface and run black paint into these. Cracks can be modelled by drawing lines with a pencil.

I'll leave the last word to the Grand Master, Gordon Gravett in his book Modelling Grassland and Landscape Detailing (Wild Swan, 2013). "For concrete slabs, I use Humbrol matt enamels: No.110 Natural Wood, No. 64 Light Grey, No. 34 White and just a touch of No. 81 Pale Yellow in varying proportions".

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Tullygrainey
typo

[Georgeconna]

14 hours ago, Davenport said:

Hi all,

 

Just wondering how do you guys build hard standing concrete effect  for a engine shed?

Tks

I tried clay and it failed. Air dry stuff, All cracked up. Went carboard in the end. 

had this pop up on my feed recently. Loads of others.

 

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Georgeconna

[murrayec]

Air dry clay needs to be done on sealed surfaces in small sections to avoid cracking, like laying the real thing!

Card is much easier and it can be painted with varying shades of grey, again it can be marked/embossed with pencil lead to imitate construction lines. See link to the Greystones layout timber yard below;-

Eoin

[Broithe]

6 hours ago, Tullygrainey said:

 there's no 'concrete' colour as such

Concrete, like tarmac, is never the same colour as another piece.

They used to say, of the US colour TV system, NTSC* - Never The Same Colour...

In real life, patching hardstanding will never merge in, even over considerable time. If you ever need to hide a body under some, put it in from the side, without disturbing the visible surface.


* OK - color, in the example given...

[Horsetan]

1 hour ago, Broithe said:

..... If you ever need to hide a body under some, put it in from the side, without disturbing the visible surface.......

*makes notes for future reference *

[ttc0169]

21 hours ago, Davenport said:

Hi all,

 

Just wondering how do you guys build hard standing concrete effect  for a engine shed?

Tks

I used artists grey card-suitably weathered,worked well for me. 
 

[Darius43]

I have used 2mm thick card painted with BR rail grey enamel.  The concrete inside the real shed is likely to have a non dust/non slip coating so no need for a textured finish.  
Outside the slab surface may be tamped in real life for grip and frost protection so perhaps apply the talc to external hardstandings with slab joints scribed in with a sharp knife.  

Cheers

Darius

Edited 5 hours ago by Darius43