grit and N scale roadway

I agree & would love a short tutorial on using this material. Looks very much like the roads and lots around here.

 

sure, I'll put one together. with step by step pics, but basicly here it is.
you paint on a layer of full strengh white glue where you want the road, give the glue a minute or so to self level a bit, then apply a light dusting of the sand to just cover the glue.
in about three-five minutes the sand will have sunk into the glue and look like wet mud, and have you thinking what did I do?, this is a mess! no fear, all will be well.
at this point dust on another layer of the sand until you can no longer see any wet spots.
I give it another couple of minutes or so, and top with more sand if any wet spots show thru, may take three or four coats for the sand to form a solid matrix, and the dust in the sand to absorb the excess moisture from the glue.
when the wet spots no longer show up, I give it one last dusting, and allow to dry over night.
after everything has set up, this stuff will be like concrete, and you pick up any loose sand with the shop vac.
I recommend doing the road after the other area scenery is finished, as the scenery cement will stain it dark brown, see edge of lot in second pic, but even the staining effect can be usefull.

 

Thanks!! This is now in the "to do" list.

 

tim, if you pop out to the Train Haus, you can see it in person, the layout is there.

 

Puddington,

What did you use for the sidewalk in that picture of Millar's Irish House?

 

I have used fine grit sandpaper as a base over styrene, then paint/weather it for gravel roads or parking lots. Latex contact cement works well to hold the sandpaper to the styrene. The grit holds chalks very well. I like the fine-tip markers for tar lines.

Dave
Cache Valley & Northern RR

 

I've found that paper to styrene using contact cement eventually dries up and starts to curl at the edges. But then, I've found that with everything else I've tried. Scarifying the styrene helps, as the grooves form a mechanical bond that seems to hold better.

 

sidewalks

Marc: I used good old fashion styrene - if memory serves I took the sheet, cut the desired shapes; scored the joints in, took a file and "damaged" the surface with cracks, then sanded it roughly. I then painted with with "aged concrete" and after instalation I weathered it with powders and a dirty wash.... or I might have just had 10 Canadian-Irishmen like myself spill the dregs of a good pint of Kilkenny over it and got the same effect....naaah, it was the first method, we'd never waste Kilkenny....:tb-wink:

 

Thanks Puddington, the sidewalk really looks great in that photo. I would have never guessed that it was styrene.