How To Model Roads – Part 2

This article comes from fellow club member Tim who walks us through the process of modelling tarmac roads.

Next, use the army beige to lightly highlight across the surface, again at an acute angle. Also go a bit heavier at the edges, this will help as we move on to weathering the slightly dirtier gutters.

Allow about an hour to dry.

Repeat the method but this time using the Matt black spray, go very lightly, we are looking to add wear where wheels would have run and polished the surface.

Leave again overnight for it all to settle and dry out.

Tip, if you have overdone either of these colours just knock them back with a light stone paint colour and start that part again. Literally just a flick over.

As I was fixing this to my MDF flyover section this is where I coated the base surface with UHU glue, you do have a bit of working time so don’t worry you can manoeuvre into final place then weight down and leave overnight.

Tip, if you are transitioning between the 3mm foam board and a lower surface prepare the edge of the foam board. I do this by applying a light scribe about two inches from the end that will meet up from the underside of the foam board. Peel back the paper then lightly scribe with a scalpel a checker pattern on the exposed foam. Lay flat on a work surface and gently angle your scalpel and create a ramp in the foam board. The checker pattern will help you stay square and at the same angle. You are looking for the last two cm to be upper paper only. When you glue this down, stretch it out to make a smooth transition and secure with glue then masking tape to keep the tension.

Use a small roller such as a wallpaper edge roller and with at least an arms weight pressure roll across all of the road surface several times. This both helps the glue and most importantly knocks the texture back just enough to avoid spikes.

Weight the road board down and leave for at least an overnight to fix!

Tim will be back on Wednesday with Part 3!