How do you build an old sidewalk?

[electrolove]

I wonder what method gives the most realistic result when building an old sidwalk from 1940, 50, 60? Is it just plaster and the right color?

[Anonymous]

I suppose you could use plaster,then scribe in cracks ,but I' ve used plastic, some kits,IHC's and older Concor had sidewalks built in the base. I scribe them where the building front is and snap it off. Then scribe cracks,gouge pieces out then snap each piece apart, then break some individual ones apart again. Then I take a piece off .010 styrene sheet and glue back together,sort of like a jigsaw puzzle ,it doesn't lay perfectly flat but the effect gives you an old sidewalk. Then I paint with aged concrete,let dry,add washes of whites and brown to reflect dirt and age,fill in some cracks with elmers glue and ground foam. Finally add a wash of india ink and alcohol , put back on front of building. For more effect leave one square untouched and give it a pale gray color to represent a repair.If your building does't have sidewalks, you can use sheet styrene and scribe yourself.

[MisterBeasley]

I did this because I'm a cheapskate, but I liked the results so much that I'm glad I took this path. I bought 1 sheet each of Evergreen styrene with about a 2 mm grid, and a 1 cm grid. (One is called "sidewalk" and the other is called "tile.") I made a latex mold from each of them, and then used hydrocal to make castings. Besides being a cheapskate, I'm also a novice at making molds, so they didn't come out very even, but that's the good part. When I lay them down, they develop cracks, and the hydrocal surface is much nicer when painted than the styrene was. I use flat gray spray primer from a building supply place (Lowe's in the US) and then enhance the surface with a very thin India Ink wash.

[electrolove]

Sounds interesting, do you have any pictures of the finished result? I have never heard of Evergreen before because I'm pretty new to this. Is Evergreen the best brand when it comes to styrene? I will look at their homepage.

http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/ Seems to be the right page...

QUOTE: Originally posted by MisterBeasley

I did this because I'm a cheapskate, but I liked the results so much that I'm glad I took this path. I bought 1 sheet each of Evergreen styrene with about a 2 mm grid, and a 1 cm grid. (One is called "sidewalk" and the other is called "tile.") I made a latex mold from each of them, and then used hydrocal to make castings. Besides being a cheapskate, I'm also a novice at making molds, so they didn't come out very even, but that's the good part. When I lay them down, they develop cracks, and the hydrocal surface is much nicer when painted than the styrene was. I use flat gray spray primer from a building supply place (Lowe's in the US) and then enhance the surface with a very thin India Ink wash.

[electrolove]

Sounds very cool that they don't lay perfectly. Do you have any pictures to show?

QUOTE: Originally posted by BXCARMIKE

I suppose you could use plaster,then scribe in cracks ,but I' ve used plastic, some kits,IHC's and older Concor had sidewalks built in the base. I scribe them where the building front is and snap it off. Then scribe cracks,gouge pieces out then snap each piece apart, then break some individual ones apart again. Then I take a piece off .010 styrene sheet and glue back together,sort of like a jigsaw puzzle ,it doesn't lay perfectly flat but the effect gives you an old sidewalk. Then I paint with aged concrete,let dry,add washes of whites and brown to reflect dirt and age,fill in some cracks with elmers glue and ground foam. Finally add a wash of india ink and alcohol , put back on front of building. For more effect leave one square untouched and give it a pale gray color to represent a repair.If your building does't have sidewalks, you can use sheet styrene and scribe yourself.

[dehusman]

Actually for the 1940's you could also use brick. Holgate and Reynolds and Plastruct both sell plastic sheets of brick texture.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

not yet. but will go digital very soon.

[Jetrock]

I used the Evergreen styrene as well--I don't know if it is the "best" brand but it is common. It is sold as pre-scribed sheets of various dimensions--sidewalks where I live are around 90-100 cm wide so I use styrene with a grid of about 6-8mm square.

Here's a photo with some of my sidewalk:

I wanted to simulate a sidewalk with a "green strip" between the sidewalk and the curb, common where I live. I used a strip of Evergreen styrene two squares wide, cut to the length of the sidewalk. I cut out a portion of one side to make the "green strip", leaving connector pieces for walkways and driveways.

I then round the outer curbs with a file. I take a piece of .060" square styrene (about 1.5mm) and bend it gently around the corner of the curb (I sometimes use a lighter to soften the styrene, but this can be tricky) and glue it in place with plastic cement. I use the file again to round off the curb somewhat.

I use a sharp X-Acto knife to chip at the sidewalk, creating pavement cracks, creases, irregularities, and even kids' initials (what kid can resist writing their initials in wet concrete?) on the squares.

Once the sidewalk unit is complete I primer it with primer-gray spray paint. I prefer the really cheap spray paint, it adds a bit of texture to the styrene. I then paint it with Woodland Scenics concrete dye/paint, but you could use any suitable color.

Finally I give it an ink wash--a spray of India ink in alcohol, in a 1:60 ratio. This brings out the lines between the sidewalk blocks and the cracks.

After that is dry, I fill in the "green strips" I cut in the sidewalk with Woodland Scenics ground foam, the same way that I would otherwise apply grass. Depending on how high-class the neighborhood is, I will either carefully keep the grass off the sidewalk or allow a little bit to run on (am I modeling a rich neighborhood with carefully-cut grass or a run-down neighborhood that is not often mowed?) I might also run a little bead of glue between two blocks of sidewalk and add a little grass there to represent where grass has intruded between a crack in the pavement. Where appropriate, I add trees or shrubs to the mowstrip.

[Anonymous]

I give up...old concrete?

QUOTE: Originally posted by electrolove

I wonder what method gives the most realistic result when building an old sidwalk from 1940, 50, 60? Is it just plaster and the right color?

[electrolove]

BigRedneckRob:

Yes old concrete.

[Anonymous]

What would be wrong with using portland cement? You could probably use it right by itself...or add some sand at the very least. You know, the Protland cement comes with no gravel added. You add your own ballast. using sand might make it just right. You know, you can't get any better than simulating concrete with concrete. Just a thought.

[Jetrock]

Only problem is that 1:1 scale cement doesn't look that good at 1:87 scale. Take a close look at cement: in fact, hold it under an 87-power microscope--that is how real cement looks at HO scale. Plaster works better for such things, and styrene works well too. Some real-world materials just don't scale well, and plaster is one of them.

[selector]

Electro, I posted a reply to this a couple of days ago, but it seems to have disappeared!

It is a bit aside from the general direction of this thread, so far, but have you considered a boardwalk? Board sidewalks were used extensively until the late 60's in many parts of North America. it would be some work to model one, but you could leave some space aside for when you get around to it. It would be a nice touch for a steam layout.

[electrolove]

selector:

Do you have a picture to show? I'm really not sure what you mean by boardwalk. It seems that the time period is right for that so I'm curious.

[selector]

Electro, try this site. Click on a couple of the photos to get a larger view.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/neighbors/queenanne/album.html

I'll look for better ones.

[selector]

http://www.tvdsb.on.ca/glencoe/welcome/History%20of%20Glencoe/pic.htm

[selector]

http://showcase.netins.net/web/marjned/kamr.html

[electrolove]

Ok, this seems to be what we in Sweden call 'perrong'. You stand there and wait for the train when you want to travel, right? Looks like it's made of wood?

[Anonymous]

Portland cement though, is VERY fine with NO aggrigate added. If you use sand, that would be about right for HO gravel, don't you think? I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. It was just an idea. I mean, if you can use the real thing wherever you can......

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock

Only problem is that 1:1 scale cement doesn't look that good at 1:87 scale. Take a close look at cement: in fact, hold it under an 87-power microscope--that is how real cement looks at HO scale. Plaster works better for such things, and styrene works well too. Some real-world materials just don't scale well, and plaster is one of them.

[selector]

In some of the photos, EL, you are seeing a 'platform'. People wait for trains on the plaftorm.

However, down village and town streets, there were wooden sidewalks. Two beams would be laid parallel, about four feet apart, and then planks of wood would be laid across them at 90 degrees, spaced about 1/2" to 1" apart. Imagine your track, inverted, and the ties brought closer together. That would be like a wooden sidewalk, but with wooden 'rails'. These sidewalks were used extensively in all over N. America for nearly two-hundred years, ending only in the mid-60's.

[electrolove]

selector:

When did they start using concrete instead? Here in Sweden it have been concrete or similar as long as I can remember.

[Anonymous]

As far back as I can recall must sidewalks in upstate NY were concrete, if there were wooden ones here I suspect they went to concrete during great depression,wpa ,, projects, but that's only a guess on my part. Some upstate sidewalks were and some still are bluestone slabs but mostly concrete,you can try plaster but I like plastic,just sribe in lines and cracks, then paint.]

[selector]

Yes, concrete began to appear in larger built-up areas in the late 20's. But many towns had some boardwalks until much later. I was offering this as an alternative, or as an additional variation that would be interesting to model, especially in a small, turn of the century, village near a mill or mine.

[electrolove]

selector:

Yes it's a very good idea. I just was a little interested in the history behind it. Thanks [:D]

[selector]

History? No problemo!!

http://www.detnews.com/2003/wayne/0311/21/b03-328497.htm