Road Markings

[Paudie Riordan]

Hi Guys.

 

What's best to use for road markings and box Junctions etc , outside of buying transfers? Any help is appreciated

 

Thanks

Paudie

[Broithe]

For the white markings, these 'correction pens' are quite good.

 

 

..and 'flexicurves' can still be had from some stationers, they're a great help in making the lines 'flow' properly..

 

 

The white markings that result can be a little too clean, but it's easy enough to dull them down a bit.

[Weshty]

The white markings that result can be a little too clean, but it's easy enough to dull them down a bit.

 

That's the thing. A road is not matt black and white markings. Best advice, go outside, take a photo and then look at the result. Multiple shades of mid and light grey. Very fine black wet and dry sandpaper is useful as the road surface that you can then airbrush to get that graduated look. The off white marking (white and tiny bit of brown) can then be finely daubed on.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Weshty

[Broithe]

That's the thing. A road is not matt black and white markings.

 

No two pieces of tarmac are ever the same colour - the range of shades is quite extreme, if you do actually look at them - and there's usually a shading where the tyres have 'polished' it a bit, too - as in your picture.

[Weshty]

In fact it might be better to look at variations of blue-grey, rather than grey. Particularly if the road is made of limestone chippings as a lot of smaller non-asphalted roads would be in the Republic.

[heirflick]

For the white markings, these 'correction pens' are quite good.

 

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..and 'flexicurves' can still be had from some stationers, they're a great help in making the lines 'flow' properly..

 

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The white markings that result can be a little too clean, but it's easy enough to dull them down a bit.

 

great tip there Broithe:tumbsup:

[Broithe]

great tip there Broithe:tumbsup:

 

You can hardly see it - the cap is still on....

[heirflick]

You can hardly see it - the cap is still on....

 

[dave182]

and the 2014 IRM award for worst one liner goes to...

[Broithe]

[David Holman]

For road colour, sadly Humbrol Tarmac is no longer made, but Precision paints do an equivalent. As the others say, road colour is highly variable and is much darker when wet too. For that, Humbrol Clear Cote is good, as it darkens whatever you use very nicely. Either fine wet and dry paper is good for a Tarmac surface or paint the surface in gloss grey and sift on talc. Leave overnight and brush/vacuum off. Extra layers of paint and talc can be used to add the inevitable repairs, trench fills etc.

The white lines could be done by cutting a stencil and painting throught it, but the are commercial road markings too, including ready printed roads ready to lay.

You pays your money and makes your choice. Perhaps the one thing to ensure is any markings are really sharp, which is where the ready printed ones can be advantageous.

[Glenderg]

One option is to use cheap tile adhesive, which comes in a dark grey colour. Add a couple of drops of blue cartridge ink and stir vigorously. The finished texture looks superb, and scraping or working an area with wire wool will highlight it like a worn surface. Years since I did it, but when I ripped up the layout in September, it still looked decent enough. Even where I'd spilled RailZip looked good as diesel splashes etc. Richie

[Broithe]

Don't forget a few(?) pot-holes, puddles, man-holes, shores, etc - with all the different coloured repair patches.

[jhb171achill]

Or a squashed badger? .....

[Broithe]

Or a squashed badger? .....

 

Or a shot one, if you're doing a UK West Country layout - at £4,000 a hit - you could have a person shot for that much..

[minister_for_hardship]

Or a squashed badger? .....

 

A mate from the uk was shocked at the amount of roadkill on Irish roads...'why doesn't someone from t'council go round picking them up?'

[jhb171achill]

At the risk of misguiding this thread away from the original point, I once saw the Gardai having to shovel up the remains of a very large dog which had come to grief at the Mad Cow roundabout..... stomach churning.

[Paudie Riordan]

Thanks for the replies lads. Lot to think about there. How do you model roadkill! lol

[RedRich]

Plastikote Suede is another option worth considering and should be available in DIY stores. I've seen it used on a few layouts and it looks really impressive when painted.

 

Rich,