I have started modeling a road, and I came to a realization that I am going to need some stripes. A little research later, and I discovered that road lane and shoulder stripes are 6 inches wide. That comes out to .0375", or .95mm....had an idea of a 1mm paint pen, but no one local has them. What do you use for the white lines?
I tried all sorts of things. Finally went with the easiest: a white art pencil sharpened to a fine point
I use 1/16" model airplane decal tape which is 10" N-Scale. I'd prefer 1/32" (5"), but I haven't found any yet, even on Amazon.
Years and years ago I had some dry rub/transfer stripes that worked nicely. The art pencil idea seems like a good one, probably easier to apply. -Mike
On the roads pictured below, I actually masked-off the striping and then painted them in (the top photo with an paint brush and the bottom with an airbrush). The masking was a serious pain, especially with curves and with trying to maintain equal stripe width. Keeping the paint from bleeding under was also difficult, especially using whites and yellows.... Next time I'm going to try simply painting the yellow and white haphazardly in the general area of the stripes on the road base, then apply thin strips of pinstripe-type masking tape where I want the lines and then paint the road surface grey. This should be WAY easier and I believe the gray would cover well with minimal bleeding. Wish I would've thought of that before!
Line O Tape makes pinstripe tapes 1/32" wide 120" long. That scales to 5" in N scale and looks very good. Very easy to apply as well.
I used decals. I coated the road surface with clear coat, laid the decals, then sprayed over again with clear coat. Overhead by Adam Henry, on Flickr
I use chart tape. For striping roads, 1/32-inch chart tape is the correct width for N-scale, and 1/16-inch is good for HO. Here is a vendor that has both sizes: Graphic Vinyl Chart Tape Yellow Glossy 1/32" x 648" Graphic Chart Tape Yellow Glossy 1/16" x 648" Both of these have a glossy finish, but assuming you'll apply a clear matte spray to seal everything, the glossy tape works fine. I used 1/32-inch yellow and white tape on the road pictured below. - Jeff
Tamiya tape, Tru-Color and an Airbrush. Tedious but since most of my layouts are modules, not too big of a deal.
Well, that solves one problem, but it creates another one. Where do you find legal tender small enough that the tiny workmen who run that thing can carry it home on pay day?
