Wood Grains going through my roads!

[WCfan]

Ok, I want to start putting roads in before the end of this weekend(not likely). I didn't put a foam base down(I feel pretty stupied now). So I'm afraid that the wood grains will show up through the road. Any way to prevent this? I don't want to lay plaster roads because I can't raise the road any higher than it is. I was thinking of putting a thin layer of Drywall compound down, but was afraid it would crack. I also though of using chalkboard paint too, would that even work?. And suggestions?

[cacole]

Just a couple of thick coats of latex paint should hide the wood grain sufficiently.  If you want to have an asphalt road, use a dark gray color, and for concrete use something like antique white.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Just a couple of thick coats of latex paint should hide the wood grain sufficiently.  If you want to have an asphalt road, use a dark gray color, and for concrete use something like antique white.

Have you thought about glueing down fine grit (600-800) sandpaper, rough side up?

[bogp40]

Just a couple of thick coats of latex paint should hide the wood grain sufficiently.  If you want to have an asphalt road, use a dark gray color, and for concrete use something like antique white.

Don't use a latex (acrylic) paint for the initial coats. Some grain raising will occur from the first or couple layers of paint. Any imperfections are difficult to sand with fresh acrylics. Water based primer, such as Zinzeer, Bin etc will bond well and is sandable. You can tint the primer to a light gray if desired. 2-3 coats and the roads will be ready for weathering w/ washes.

I personally would use Durham's water putty. You can apply a very thin coat and even flex a 3" putty knife as you spread it to show a slight crown in the road. The beauty of using a putty, plaster or spackle is that cracks pot holes and other road imperfections can be added.

[ShadowNix]

I second Durham's water putty...that stuff rocks and is easy to use... very nice!

Brian

[modelmaker51]

You could use "Vinyl Spackle" It will expand and contract with the wood and resist cracking. You can add craft paint, (acrylic), to the spackle, I used Apple Barrel's "Pewter Gray", (Walmart), for my asphalt roads.

[loathar]

That vinyl spackle works good in thin coats. I bought some Rustoleum texture spray paint to make a few roads. It's a fine texture like 400 or 600 grit sandpaper. You can build it up in coats too. Really looks like asphalt after it's painted the right color. (I haven't found it in back or grey yet.)

[Medina1128]

And what's wrong with cracks? I see that you live in Wisconsin. You should be used to cracks in the road by now. A little India ink wash (India ink and rubbing alcohol) and you have perfect cracks.

[cwclark]

You'll have a much nicer road if you make your own road out of matte board or 0.30 sheet styrene plastic sheets. There are also other products out there for building roads. I believe woodland scenics came out with a product for building roads too. Wood is really hard to cover with whatever you do with it. Here's a picture of a road i built using matte board, india ink, cement gray paint and 1/6" pin striping. The cracks and patches are colored in with a fine tip sharpee felt tip pen. click to enlarge...chuck

[Dave-the-Train]

What's stopping the road being raised? ... and, if needed, dipping down to a grade crossing?  Blame the county for keep re-surfacing the road and making it high.

Another solution would be

• sand the road flat.
• treat with thinned paint -to soak into the wood.
• sand again.
• retreat with less thinned paint.
• sand again
• paint.
• Then make potholes.

[WCfan]

And what's wrong with cracks? I see that you live in Wisconsin. You should be used to cracks in the road by now. A little India ink wash (India ink and rubbing alcohol) and you have perfect cracks.

No, I mean BIG cracks. Not hair line ones. Like the 1/4 or 1/8 of an inch one, on my layout.(When I work on scenery I'll probably put my hand on it by acciedent) That would be like a good foot in HO scale world.

[cmrproducts]

Mat board works well and takes paint without causing too much of a problem if spread on lightly

BOB H - Clarion, PA 

[selector]

Cardstock might work, as long as you can find a way to colour it without making it swell.  Wood putty or almost any putty would work, but so would acrylic latex caulk spread thinly.  Or get a sealer/primer of some kind and spray the surface with a couple of blasts, allowing each coat to dry over 6-8 hours.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

On most of my layouts I've used poster board to make the roads. This time around I'm taking a couple of steps back and using plaster poured into molds, like I used to do in the 70's and early 80's.

[reklein]

Once again I'll second cwclark,However, if you use the primer you can get Kilz in a gray. Drywall mud spread to transparency will also fill the grain. Is easy to sand if needed,actually you can smooth it out nicely with a moist sponge. It wont crack if spread so thin. Also the Durhams rockhard will work spread thin too but not so easy to sand.My

[bogp40]

Once again I'll second cwclark,However, if you use the primer you can get Kilz in a gray. Drywall mud spread to transparency will also fill the grain. Is easy to sand if needed,actually you can smooth it out nicely with a moist sponge. It wont crack if spread so thin. Also the Durhams rockhard will work spread thin too but not so easy to sand.My

Durham's will stand up better to the crack problems that seem to be causing some trouble. The putty will hairline crack and will not crumble like the softer joint compound will. Some small cracks may actually be desireable, if not the plywood joints should be taped and then covered w/ putty.