Color for streets/sidewalks?

[Anonymous]

My local hobbyshop recommended Folquil concrete for a street color but this looks too brown to me (maybe I'll just add a bit of grey to it) What colors do you use for the streets? I think I'll stick with concrete for the sidewalks but I'm just curious what everyone is using.

Thanks!
-Dale

[Anonymous]

Hi
I use Polyscale concrete and overwash with India Ink and alcohol.

[Anonymous]

What exactly do you mean by overwash? And do you wait for the paint to dry?

Thanks!

[ssgauge]

I've had good luck with a Floquil concrete and reefer white combination...both waterbased. I then rub a little real dirt on to take away any "shine."

[Anonymous]

I found a sidewalk kit made by Busch. This has several pieces in exactly the right concrete color so you can fit it around and type of building arrangement. The pieces are plastic and are very easy to use. Check under Busch in Walthers catalog unless, of course, you would rather build your own. Personally, I found they saved me a lot of time and look good.

[BruceJob]

Hey, DT...

Sounds like your hobbyshop recommended Aged Concrete...it has a brown tint, while Concrete is more gray. I agree that it's a little too brown, but I've had good luck by adding about 20% Reefer White as suggested in a previous post.

Try .030" styrene sheet, with curb and expansion lines scribed in and paint with Floquil Concrete as the base color. Allow the paint to dry and apply a wash of india ink & alcohol.

"Wash" referes to a mix of a teaspoon or so of india ink in a pint of alcohol. Apply with a brush and allow to dry. You'll find that very little color is left on flat surfaces, but the pigment will settle into the crevasses, nooks, and crannies.

Regards,

Bruce J.

[preceng]

Woodland Scenics makes a nice product for both asphalt streets and concrete. Fini***hem up with a nice wash and some dirt.

[Anonymous]

Where do you get india ink? I forgot to ask my hobby store. Is it usually available at a hobby place? Oh, and Folquil is water based? I didn't know that doh!!

Thanks for all the help!

[eastcoast]

some of my streets are a mix of dark colors to reflect age
and the sidewalks are messy dirty light ghost grey with dirt
and mud mix to reflect a shady part of town.

[Anonymous]

India Ink, Hobby Lobby for sure. That being said, concrete varies in color by age and where it came from/is. Around here some of it has a reddi***int due to clay in the soil staining it and by clay being introduced with the sand and or rock. This is esp. true of the old concrete made before the local companies got big and began importing rock and sand from other places. Fresh concrete here now is the standard gray but on roads it slowly turns reddish due to bubba's dirty 4X4. In the 1980"s and before the roads would also have a black (gray) strip in the middle of the lanes from oil leaking from seals. Today this black streak had almost disappeared. In the 40's and 50's it was really black and greasy and was the basis of the old "wiped his bike out on a greasy strip" saying. Tires also effect the color of roads. Sometimes they leave a gray trail, and other times they keep the concrete fresh and polished looking. Then there are scratches or burnouts. Ant there is exposed aggegrate where colored creek rock is exposed in colored concrete. Concrete road is hard to color correctly, I think water is easier myself. I lean towards asphalt to avoid it. When I must do it I use plaster and stain it with acrylic washes. FRED

[Anonymous]

I use Krylon gray primer in a spray can. It's cheap and looks great.

John