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Premixed Colored Tile Grout for Roads?

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  • Member since
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Posted by wp8thsub on Sunday, February 9, 2020 10:08 PM

richhotrain
Rob, I sent you a PM. Rich

PM answered!

Rob Spangler

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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, February 9, 2020 6:10 PM

I've used sanded and unsanded grout in my scenery for years, since I was a Kid.

Roads and rocks mainly.  And Barren un-grown areas with a few Tufts.

It's real interesting when you use sanded grout to create a gravel road and depress grooves in it while it's still drying.  Then use unsanded grout in a slightly different tone or two for the wheel depressions.  It adds natural shadowing and creates the seeing is believing effect on your layoutYes

And the thing I liked about grout, ... it dries flat as all get-out.

 

Nice!

 

P.S.  Those are some of the best looking asphalt roads I've ever seen Rob.  I never have tried that before.  Very impressive!

 

 

TF

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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, February 9, 2020 8:41 AM

wp8thsub

 

Pax 1

by wp8thsub, on Flickr

 

Grout works about the same regardless if it's pre-mixed or you mix it yourself.  To some extent it can be sanded if you need to address surface irregularities, but doing so changes the texture.  All of my asphalt (in HO) is sanded grout.

 

 

Rob, I sent you a PM.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, February 8, 2020 1:54 PM

Rob: That looks fantastic. Great job on the road modelling.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, February 8, 2020 1:36 PM

I did a test section with grout once on a plank of wood, just to see how it would turn out. The colour I used was a light grey and then I experimented changing the colour with the airbrush, India ink and acrylic paint washes. It turned out great and like painting rocky terrain the more shades and colours you use the better it will look.

I also practised road lines while I was at it.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by NVSRR on Saturday, February 8, 2020 9:39 AM

You can get pogments for grout so you can vary the color tone.   That should work well in texture and color of asphalt.   

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  • Member since
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  • From: US
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Posted by wp8thsub on Saturday, February 8, 2020 8:45 AM

 

Pax 1

by wp8thsub, on Flickr

Grout works about the same regardless if it's pre-mixed or you mix it yourself.  To some extent it can be sanded if you need to address surface irregularities, but doing so changes the texture.  All of my asphalt (in HO) is sanded grout.

 

Rob Spangler

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Saturday, February 8, 2020 8:27 AM

I haven't, but it seems like a good idea and very doable.

Tile grout comes in 2 varieties, sanded, which means it has a very fine sand mixed in, usually used on floors for durablitity, and non-sanded, meaning it's just plain grout with no sand added.

I'm not sure which would work best for you.  Either one I suppose.

I would think it would be sandable, to a point, as I don't know why you'd want to sand it.

Spread out as a road, depending on how thick you lay it, you might even get some shrinkage cracks, just like real black top roads get.

I used drywall mud for mine, and painted it after, along with weathering.

I'd be anxious to see how this grout works.

Mike.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 83 posts
Premixed Colored Tile Grout for Roads?
Posted by darrel480 on Saturday, February 8, 2020 8:12 AM

I am considering using premixed gray tile grout to make asphalt roads on my n- scale layout. Seems it would saving mixing and the color would be the same. Has anyone tried this?  Can it be sanded?

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