Simulating tarpaper roofing over styrene

[Anonymous]

I have scratchbuilt several lineside structures out of styrene and need to roof three of them with tarpaper. What is the best material to simulate tarpaper and what adhesive would I use?

[lonewoof]

Kleenex painted black does a pretty good job of looking like tarpaper. I'm not sure what you'd stick it to styrene with; maybe contact cement? or use a paint that slightly dissolves the styrene and let that stick the tissue down...

[orsonroy]

I've used both the Kleenex method and using masking tape. Both work well. I generally use the Kleenex method on freight cars and masking tape on buildings.

[Sperandeo]

Builders In Scale makes a good tarpaper sheet that's red on one side and black on the other. It's paper and has nice texture and color. I've used it on styrene roofs by first drawing spacer lines on the styrene, then covering the styrene with double-faced Scotch tape, and finally laying strips of the tarpaper onto the tape following my guide lines. This is neat, fast, and permanent. You can contact BIS at P. O. Box 460025, Aurora, CO 80046-0025, or phone [phone].

Happy Thanksgiving,

Andy

[Big_Boy_4005]

Contact cement doesn't go on very smoothly, and the solvents in it tend to attack plastic.

3M makes a product called 2 mil Hi-tac. It is a double sided tape without the tape. It comes on roll with a waxed paper backing. You simply apply it to the area where you want to stick something, peel off the backing, and stick what you want on.

This product can be tricky to find, check art supply stores.

For tarpaper, I have always been a fan of fine grit, black, wet-dry sandpaper. The 2 mil Hi-tac method works well for this, or 3M 77 spray adhesive works well, but it can be messy.

[CBQ_Guy]

Good ideas here and I especially like Andy's of using the double sided Scotch tape. That's a keeper.

On the old layout I used the masking tape strips on one small building I scratchbuilt. The tape must have been old or defective because eventually it started to delaminate from the styrene sub roof of the structure. I tried re-gluing using some white glue. I knew it was for only porus materials -- the masking tape was, but the styrene wasn't -- but I tried it any way . . .

. . . it didn't work!

Sometime after that we moved and the layout is still all packed away in the basement, so someday I'll have to revisit this roof again. This time I won't be trying to use white glue!

Thank, Andy for the good alternative.

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

Contact cement doesn't go on very smoothly, and the solvents in it tend to attack plastic.

Contact cement comes in BOTH solvent and latex-based versions. (3M makes them both) ONLY use the latex-based stuff on the styrene and that should take care of the issue.

Tom

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the advice. I had used kleenex for military dioramas in the past but was unsure how to adhere it to plastic. The fine grit sandpaper sounds promising. As for masking tape, I have some buildings my father-in-law built in the 60's using tape for the roofs and it all peeled off years ago, so I would avoid that route. Thanks to all and Happy Thanksgiving. R

[Anonymous]

fine grit sandpaper painted grimy black, cut it into strips and overlap it, it looks great

[pbjwilson]

Wet dry sandpaper comes in a grey / black. For O gauge structures I've used 400 grit cut into stips and overlapped. It weathers nicely with chaulk.

[Jetrock]

Just make sure to cut the sandpaper with the sand side down! Otherwise you'll burn through a lot more X-Acto blades...

In a pinch I have used other colors of sandpaper, painted Grimy Black, for tarpaper roofs, and electrician's tape painted flat black to kill the shine.

[CNJ831]

In reality, fine sandpaper, Kleenex, and masking tape are all overkill and out of scale for representing tarpaper roofing in HO scale. From the distance we view our models real tarpaper would appear absolutely flat and void of any visible texture. By far, the Builder's In Scale product is the best for representing tarpaper in HO scale.

CNJ831

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: I had used kleenex for military dioramas in the past but was unsure how to adhere it to plastic.

If you decide to go with the kleenex method, I believe the technique is to paint the plastic with black paint, and while the paint is still wet lay the strips of kleenex in the paint. It should absorb the color and the paint itself will make it stick.

Regards

Ed

[mrgstrain]

IF you want to use tape try electrical tape but use the friction type (rough on both sides) not the smooth stuff.
Larry

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNJ831

In reality, fine sandpaper, Kleenex, and masking tape are all overkill and out of scale for representing tarpaper roofing in HO scale. From the distance we view our models real tarpaper would appear absolutely flat and void of any visible texture. By far, the Builder's In Scale product is the best for representing tarpaper in HO scale.

CNJ831

Hmmm...how about colored construction paper cut into strips?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Why not AMI Roadbed. I have not tried it for that but, you can scribe it and it is fairly sticky. Just maybe too thick? Unless you stretch it first.

Have a safe holiday

[Anonymous]

I'm with the Kleenex method, probably not fast enough for most, but I (a) cut the Kleenex strips, (b) "paint" the styrene with a 50-50 white glue/water mix, (c) lay the Kleenex strips, (d) let dry and (e) stain the strips with solvent based Grimy Black.

I've got a 15 year old chicken coop with no separation problems and more recently did a roof this way on one section of an O.L.King & Sons (Walthers) coal yard.

Brian Schofield-Bodt
Shelton, CT

[Renzetti]

All those ideas are great, but as someone said there not to scale. I really don't think you'll find a material that will be to scale unless you use a coarse textured older style letterhead paper.
I personally use black craft paper, the kind your kids use in school. Rough up the surface of the styrene with fine 240 sand paper and use a spray on contact cement made for photographs. Mine have been on for about ten years and still no signs of lifting.

[Davidson Ward]

I would have to say that very fine grit sandpaper works very nicely for me. The idea of using that and/or the double-sided tape is great! Good luck, a good roof = a good model!

[CNJ831]

As Andy suggests, the use of double-faced Scotch tape can be an excellent method to attach tarpaper or non-selfsticking shingle strips to a styrene roof...I've used this method myself many times. However, in some instances caution must be exercised in applying the tape. If you are using thin styrene sheet (under 0.030"), the tape should be applied to the styrene so that it is "relaxed". If stretched taut (and double-faced Scotch tape will most definitely stretch) there is a tendency over the course of the next week or so for the entire roof to bow or curl and ruin the appearance of your model.

CNJ831

[seg57]

That paper that comes in shoe boxes (I don't know if it has a special name) works well. To burnish up the smooth styrene, use fine grit sandpaper, maybe 200 grit. Spray adhesive on the burnished styrene holds the paper in place. However your strips must be precut. Overlapping adds realism. If painted black, drybrush with grimy black or PollyS Pacemaker gray. Then drybrush again with Antique White.
Tony
http://www.paonline.com/seg57

[Anonymous]

I use Kleenex cut into strips, paint the roof with grimy black, then lay on the strips of Kleenex with more paint. When dry use gloss black around the edges of the strips to look like tar, then weather with chalks.

[Anonymous]

I have not done this but it might work: (1) Paint the flat roof with flat black paint. (2) with a very fine brush and a rulerheld above the roof, draw the lines between the "sections" of tarpaper with gloss black paint. I too have used fine grit sandpaper attached with styrene glue and it worked fine.

[jrbarney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sperandeo

Builders In Scale makes a good tarpaper sheet that's red on one side and black on the other. It's paper and has nice texture and color. I've used it on styrene roofs by first drawing spacer lines on the styrene, then covering the styrene with double-faced Scotch tape, and finally laying strips of the tarpaper onto the tape following my guide lines. This is neat, fast, and permanent. You can contact BIS at P. O. Box 460025, Aurora, CO 80046-0025, or phone [phone].
Happy Thanksgiving,
Andy

Happy Thanksgiving to you Andy, and to everyone else. We'll have leftovers for a week.
The URL for BIS is:
http://www.builders-in-scale.com

Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[bogp40]

All the above methods sound great for rolled roofing (slanged tar paper I guess), But if your roof is flat, try doing a tar and gravel roof. The 3M 400 grit wet or dry contact cemented to the styrene is a good base. Adding fine ballast/ cinders or whatever you like. Use roof top details, show repairs etc.
Just a suggestion for an alternative for detailing your structures.
10 and 12 gauge copper wire steaked w/ brown and pullman green works great for downspouts.

[mikebonellisr]

As renzetti suggested...The key to adhearing kleenex,black construction paper, tape is to first rough up [sand] the styrene.Then the contact cement or spray cement will have a better bite.My tar paper roofs have been holding,some for over 10 years