How to make HO highway lines?

[Driline]

What is the best way to make believable HO scale yellow or white highway lines?

1) Make a stencil and spray them on?

2) Use thin graphic arts tape?

3) Lay masking tape down either side and paint between?

???

[SpaceMouse]

I've heard of all three. Of course, I have grass between my ruts instead of lines. But the one I would use would be to spray the center yellow or white, put down my tape and then spray the blacktop color.

[loathar]

I've been using masking tape and an airbrush to do mine. Once I tape the lines out, I spray it with my road color first. Then when it's dry I go back over it with white or yellow. This keeps the white and yellow from bleeding under the masking tape and gives you nice sharp lines. If I want a dashed line, I just go back with a brush and paint road color over the stripe.
I found it's better to just use a light coat of white or yellow. It doesn't look realistic if you paint your lines too dark.
I wish they would come out with a dull finish stripping tape. All the tape I've seen was shiny.

[Driline]

I've been using masking tape and an airbrush to do mine. Once I tape the lines out, I spray it with my road color first. Then when it's dry I go back over it with white or yellow. This keeps the white and yellow from bleeding under the masking tape and gives you nice sharp lines. If I want a dashed line, I just go back with a brush and paint road color over the stripe.
I found it's better to just use a light coat of white or yellow. It doesn't look realistic if you paint your lines too dark.
I wish they would come out with a dull finish stripping tape. All the tape I've seen was shiny.

Thats still not clear to me. "Once I tape the lines out". I'm not sure what you are saying?

[2021]

I've always used 1/16" drafting tape with excellent results. Since I do the 50's I use white tape for bothe road lines and railroad crossings.  Been on for over three years with no problems, but make sure surface is clean before applying.

Ron K.

[UP2CSX]

You can buy yellow and white striping decals from Kadee. I think they have just about the right dull color for striping that has been down for a while. For newer striping, nothing beats 1/16" drafting tape although that's getting harder to find at places like Office Depot since the advent of computerized drafting.

This drafting tape on a brick street, a particularly hard surface to cover:

This is the Kadee striping decals on a concrete colored road, I think it has a more worn look than you can get from drafting tape:

[loathar]

I've been using masking tape and an airbrush to do mine. Once I tape the lines out, I spray it with my road color first. Then when it's dry I go back over it with white or yellow. This keeps the white and yellow from bleeding under the masking tape and gives you nice sharp lines. If I want a dashed line, I just go back with a brush and paint road color over the stripe.
I found it's better to just use a light coat of white or yellow. It doesn't look realistic if you paint your lines too dark.
I wish they would come out with a dull finish stripping tape. All the tape I've seen was shiny.

Thats still not clear to me. "Once I tape the lines out". I'm not sure what you are saying?

Paint your road the color you want first. Let's just say black. Let it dry real good. Lay down two parallel strips of masking tape about 1/16" apart down the middle of your road. This 1/16" gap represents the stripe down the middle of the road that you will paint white or yellow. Paint a coat of black on this 1/16" gap first. Let it dry.  Then paint your yellow or white on top of that. Putting a coat of black on first will keep the white or yellow paint from leeching under the masking tape and gives you nice clean, sharp lines when you remove the masking tape. Understand?
You can vary the 1/16" to whatever looks good to you. Use the same method to make double yellow lines too.

[Joe Hohmann]

I've used a "artist's pencil", also called a "grease pencil". Joe

[Driline]

I've been using masking tape and an airbrush to do mine. Once I tape the lines out, I spray it with my road color first. Then when it's dry I go back over it with white or yellow. This keeps the white and yellow from bleeding under the masking tape and gives you nice sharp lines. If I want a dashed line, I just go back with a brush and paint road color over the stripe.
I found it's better to just use a light coat of white or yellow. It doesn't look realistic if you paint your lines too dark.
I wish they would come out with a dull finish stripping tape. All the tape I've seen was shiny.

Thats still not clear to me. "Once I tape the lines out". I'm not sure what you are saying?

Paint your road the color you want first. Let's just say black. Let it dry real good. Lay down two parallel strips of masking tape about 1/16" apart down the middle of your road. This 1/16" gap represents the stripe down the middle of the road that you will paint white or yellow. Paint a coat of black on this 1/16" gap first. Let it dry.  Then paint your yellow or white on top of that. Putting a coat of black on first will keep the white or yellow paint from leeching under the masking tape and gives you nice clean, sharp lines when you remove the masking tape. Understand?
You can vary the 1/16" to whatever looks good to you. Use the same method to make double yellow lines too.

I Have SEEN the LIGHT..!

[mls1621]

I used the drafting tape method on my N scale layout and am well pleased with the outcome, but I used an alternative method on a road bridge.

For my asphalt roads, I apply a strip of tape down the center of the road.  I then apply the yellow mat finish tape on either side to maintain proper spacing.  Once the outer stripes are laid, I remove the middle strip. 

When applying the middle strip, if it's no perfectly straight, no problem, the trucks that paint the stripes normally wander slightly.  Below is an example.

For the bridge, I painted a yellow patch down the center of the roadway.  After it dried, I laid tape strips down as described above.  Then I sprayed the entire roadway Floquil concrete.  Once that dried, I removed the tape strips leaving the yellow stripes on the road.

The picture below doesn't illustrate the effect as well as I'd like, due to the glare of the overhead lights on the asphalt road bed on either end of the bridge, I hope it gives you an idea of how it worked out.

[Driline]

I used the drafting tape method on my N scale layout and am well pleased with the outcome, but I used an alternative method on a road bridge.

For my asphalt roads, I apply a strip of tape down the center of the road.  I then apply the yellow mat finish tape on either side to maintain proper spacing.  Once the outer stripes are laid, I remove the middle strip. 

When applying the middle strip, if it's no perfectly straight, no problem, the trucks that paint the stripes normally wander slightly.  Below is an example.

For the bridge, I painted a yellow patch down the center of the roadway.  After it dried, I laid tape strips down as described above.  Then I sprayed the entire roadway Floquil concrete.  Once that dried, I removed the tape strips leaving the yellow stripes on the road.

The picture below doesn't illustrate the effect as well as I'd like, due to the glare of the overhead lights on the asphalt road bed on either end of the bridge, I hope it gives you an idea of how it worked out.

I like your drafting tape method. I will try that. I'll look for some at a local supply store. 1/16 yellow and white.

[jktrains]

Driline,

I have used the following method.

I first paint the middle of the road yellow, white if you modeling the '50s and earlier.  I then use 1/16 charttape.  I lay one stripe down the middle of the road.  I then lay another stripe on each side of the middle piece.  The middle piece works as a spacer.  Now pull up the middle spacer piece.  Make sure the tape is down securely and then paint the road your ashpaly or concrete color.  One dry remove the charttape.  You know have lines that are painted and you won't have to worry about them peeling up.

PM me if you want me to send you some pics.

 

jktrains