First and foremost, I would highly suggest looking at prototype photos. You'd be surprised how much you can learn just by looking at historical photos. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Get inspired by quirky prototypes that bring detail to your modeling, instead of just leaving things plain and boring.
As far as roofs, I usually simulate rolled tar paper by layering strips of masking tape. I typically paint it a grimy black color and then use some white or very light gray dry-brushing to add highlights. The white accents help make the plain black roof pop and look more three-dimensional. Also it helps make it look less fake.
Alternatively, if you don't want tar paper, you can use a piece of fine-grit sandpaper cut to the size of your roof and glue it down. This simulates flat roofs which are typically covered in small stones for deccoration, especially if the roof will be visible from above. The best part is that you can find sandpaper in virtually any color you want. (and of course you could always paint it)
Again the prototype is your blueprint. Have fun
As far as roof details go, on a building that small, a couple of vent pipes and a kitchen ventilator are a good start. Maybe an air conditioner unit.
In N scale, any texture would be minimal. I would think strips of 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper would be good, as would construction paper or masking tape. I would go over everything with a coat of diluted white glue.
For paint, I would mix dark brown and black craft paints and apply it with a 1/4" wide flat brush. I might even stipple some texture into the paint with the bristles.
Then I would drybrush with the dark brown and paint the vent pipes Elephant Gray.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks everyone. I will try to use some of the techniques you have described to weather this building.
Stef
The roof is very likely to be black tar paper strips, maybe 2 feet wide. Some flat roofs also have pea gravel sprinkled on top of wet tar (which is moped over the tar paper).
For weathering, I would take a very thin blackish wash and just brush downwards, and then take a soft rag and go over it to pick up the excess. Keep all your strokes going downward, as gravity would do on a real building.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Nice model. Simulated tarpaper can make for an interesting roof. Strips of gaffers tape was used for Raymonds Welding shop's roof, but have also used masking tape & construction paper with good results.
Regards, Peter
I use Rust-Oleum textured speckled black spray paint in a rattle can for flat roofing. It gives good results. I spray it on the roof before assembly.
I usually touch it up with some weathering powder after assembly. Otherwise, it looks too new. Various roof accessories look good, too.
Clean the spray nozzle well after use, or it will clog and the can will be hard to use after that.
Also, look at the insides of the walls above the roof line, sometimes called a parapet. But that seems like over-glorification of a simple short wall. One thing about Walthers buildings and others is that many have this. The flatness bothers me, so for brick structures I cut thin strips of brick sheet, paint and mortar them, and glue them to cover up those inside short walls, just above the roof. You could do the same with clapboard sheet for your wood building.
I look down at roofs on my layout, as many do, so I think we need to treat our roofs as important scenery, not just afterthoughts.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
OvermodTarpaper (fine sandpaper) roof, angled for drainage. Shiny tar stripes at the seams, weathering to cracked dull black much as on roads, perhaps with some 'patches' where newer material was poured on....
I agree - rolled roofing can be applied in either vertical or horizontal rows, with the joints generously tarred. Run it up the inside faces of the parapet walls, too.
I'd suggest very fine wet/dry sandpaper, but you could also use black craft paper, available at any dollar store. If the roof has been in place for some time, paint the sandpaper to kill the sparkle - a not-quite-black would give it some age, then add the tar effects along the joints.A vent for the kitchen, on the back wall, or on the roof would be a good detail to add, tooYou definitely need a vent pipe for the sewer, while air conditioning could be either roof-mounted or on one of the side walls.
Depending on how the restaurant is heated, a chimney or vent pipe, low on the wall, as used nowadays, with gas heat, would be a good detail to add.
Another easy-to-add detail would be electrical service, as on this DPM kit...
You can use wire or Evergreen styrene rod to make the conduit, while a short length of clear styrene from the window sprue can serve as the glass on the electrical meter.
Depending on the scenery effects around the building, if there are areas adjacent with exposed "dirt" or ground cover other than grass, a light misting of paint along the bottom of the walls might offer a realistic look of splashed-up dirt.You might want to add some eavestrough to the rear of the roof, too, with at least one downspout. This one empties into either a sump or the sewers...
...but you could also run it to empty on the ground, away from the building. I used Evergreen channel for the eavestrough.
Wayne
Tarpaper (fine sandpaper) roof, angled for drainage. Shiny tar stripes at the seams, weathering to cracked dull black much as on roads, perhaps with some 'patches' where newer material was poured on.
At the edges of the parapets all around, and as a drain trough along the low side, metal flashing. In the old days this would be galvanized steel (probably now with some patch rusting), newer would be thin aluminum. Copper would be too expensive for this kind of building.
Flashing around the sewer vent stack, the furnace pipe, and any exhaust from cooking equipment.
Note that if there were air conditioning, much of the equipment would be here. The easiest way would be to put it on stringers covered with more tar paper and sealed with more tar...
The restuarant would have a vent for the sewer (a vertical pipe coming out the roof) and probably a vent for the kitchen (on the roof or thru the wall on be ack or side by the kitchen.
The roof would have dust or dirt on it, light washes of greys and browns. There would be seams or tar lines at the joints in the roofing material. If there are trees nearby there would be dead leaves (brown) in the corners.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Here in the UK I would do the following.
A used, damp tea bag wiped all around it. Tops and bottoms of the sides. In and around the window frames. The roof and the sign.
Let it dry, then redo two, three or even four more times.
Never tried a used, damp coffee bag, but I would think it would work.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
No one has any idea of what kind of roof and weathering I should use on this building? Your help would be greatly appreciated because I don't know if I should use tar and rocks roof ...
Hi everyone!
I have started another modeling project. I am building a little N scale restaurant from Walthers’ Jim’s repair shop kit.
It’s an easy project but I decided to put more time and effort in painting details. I am very happy now but I still need to add more windows glasses and paper signs in the windows.
I almost forgot than I also need to finish the roof. I don’t want to let it with just dark paint. I was wondering what kind of roofs those kinds of buildings have normally? A few weeks ago, I built a tar and rocks roof but I am not sure if this could fit on this small building.
And what about the weathering of this little restaurant? I don’t want it to be very like the other buildings I have built so far. I want it to be fairly clean but I don’t know what kinds of weathering I should use.
Thanks for your help and for any other suggestions you have.