Has anyone ever used drywall joint compound for making roads. I just used some of WS Smooth-it for forming a road and I am not that happy with mess and clean up required, the results were less that I expected. I have used lightweight joint compound for many things on my layout, but never thought of using it for roard until now. Anyone who has experience in this, I would greatly appreciate your input. Thank You.
Well, if you used joint compound for many things on your layout, then you should already know that, if put on too thick, when it drys, it shrinks and will crack, creating crack patchs, which might not be too bad for a older patched concrete road. At least you won't have to add cracks, when weathering. Experiment.
Frank
Really glad you asked this question! I've always wondered why experienced modelers pay twelve bucks for a half gallon of Hydrocal when you can get a 5 gallon pail of Sheetrock mud for another buck. Will be interested in the answers you get.
I have and I thought it came out great. Since it is water soluable, even after drying, you can use a sponge to smooth out any imperfections, or easily add a little more if needed. It's easy to sand too. For painting though, you need to use a solvent based paint, unless you are airbrushing.
Paul D Really glad you asked this question! I've always wondered why experienced modelers pay twelve bucks for a half gallon of Hydrocal when you can get a 5 gallon pail of Sheetrock mud for another buck. Will be interested in the answers you get.
Hydrocal and drywall mud are two completely different compounds. Hydrocal will support itself when dry and is rock hard. Water will not soften it when it has cured. Drywall mud is for filling seams and holes and is weak. It will also soften again with water after it is dry. To make it stable, you have to paint it. If applied too thick it will take forever to dry and will crack. Drywall mud is sandable, but hydrocal is not.
As for using drywall mud for roads, it is OK for surfacing them and making them smooth, but not for building them up.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
pirate For painting though, you need to use a solvent based paint, unless you are airbrushing.
For painting though, you need to use a solvent based paint, unless you are airbrushing.
Are you trying to modle asphalt? Go to the thread below and scroll down to where I explained how I modeled asphalt using craft foam.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/228662.aspx
Steve S
Thanks for that, gandy. Clarifies a lot. Have just been thinking that a half gallon of Hydrocal will do a few roads but a 5 of mud will build half the Appalachian Trail. I'm doing a downtown scene too, and figure on having a DPW truck with asphalt patch and two laborers with shovel & rake patching potholes. Something we've all seen, though not as often as we'd like! Thanks.
gandydancer19 pirate For painting though, you need to use a solvent based paint, unless you are airbrushing. Not so. House painters use latex. Latex paint is acrylic, so regular craft paints will work. I wouldn't use acrylic MRR paints though, as they are too thin.
That's true, but house paint is very thick. I would use a thinned paint for a road, to maintain the texture, so I would at least test a water based paint first.
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm58/rschissler_bucket/IMG_0249_zps4ddb7596.jpg
PS. Is there any reason why I can't post a picture? There is no icon to do so.
I use it for everything. I mix it with saw dust and acrylic paint to get my version of Ground Goop (Sassi) I fill gaps in my foam with it. I gave all my plaster away. No more clogged drains. Easy clean up . And it gives time to work. It carves great for block walls.
I also use drywall mud, only I buy the bag of powder, 20 minute set. I used it for all paved areas. You can get it in different set times.
Steve, nice work, it looks great. I did the same with the mud. It is soft, but easy to shape and finsih. I primed it first, than different paint to get the look of weathered concrete, or asphalt. If you look at my links, below, the hyway overpass, and the retaining wall is all drywall mud, along with any of the paved areas.
Mike.
My You Tube
gandydancer19Drywall mud is sandable, but hydrocal is not.
Hydrocal and other setting-type plasters are indeed sandable. For various construction applications, such as filling deep areas, setting plasters are used instead of standard drywall compunds that air dry. Hydrocal is readily sandable in plaster structure kits too (along with casting plaster, dental stone, etc.). For something like building a road, setting plaster may be more difficult to work with, but could also be used for the entire road and sanded for the finished surface.
Rob Spangler
Another material that can work for asphalt is sanded tile grout. It has the advantages of being the same color all the way through, and of a long working time to eastablish the final shape.
This road was made from grout and weathered with acrylic paint. Cracks were added using a drafting pen with waterproof ink.
Here's a closeup of some tile grout asphalt showing the variations in texture. This is HO scale.
I guess I have to use Chrome to post a picture: Here are my roads with drywall joint compound:
Pirate,
Nice job and scene!
Rob Spangler,
You did a great job, of the blending of the backdrop and road.
I tried a lot of different road building techniques off layout before opting for the WS Smooth-it as road base.When I used the Smooth-it, I used milk carton stock to make the equivalent of concrete forms and built most of the roads up with several thin pourings. Air bubbles whipped in as the Smooth-it was mixed tended to become natural potholes- the ones I liked, I kept-the others were sanded out and covered with the next pouring. When the roads had the desired shape, I sealed the smooth-it with a coating of my ballast mix adhesive and painted it with craft store acrylic paints. What I learned was that I was talented enough to make a mess out of any given technique. Off layout practice is worth a try on something like this that gives so much character to a layout.
Don H.
Hi everyone. Newbie Semafore here. I am intrigued with this topic, and I am amazed at the photos of model asphalt. I wish to achieve such deep detail myself. Thank you fo r raising the discussion.