Curves in Highways

Do you want to paint them on, or cut and paste them on?

I should have been more specific. I am going to cut the curves, once I decide what to use. Some considerations are foam core, roof shingles, or roofing felt underlayment. 

i usually use corrugated cardboard, [old boxes] as a base for the roadway

choose the width you want, depending on number of lanes, and if you want a shoulder, then your curve radius.

glue this down, then apply a layer or two of plaster cast gauze for strength

then apply spackling compound and let that dry

use a damp sponge to smooth out the spackling/roadway surface

them mix a few drops of white paint in some black paint, [acrylic paints] to get an asphalt looking color and paint the roadway

once dry apply some blue painters tape to form your lane lines and fog lines

paint your lane lines and fog lines white, and if modeling a modern roadway your center double lines yellow

I use peel and stick floor tile. Find something with the texture you want, cut with scissors and choose a latex paint. A small paint roller works good after I apply paint with brush.Tile is flexible and a heat gun does a nice job helping to conform to shape. 

I initially made my roads out of Masonite, but cutting it was kind of a pain with the dust and anything that requires an accurate fit might be difficult.  I started using black Foam Core and like to work with it better. I cut it with a foam core cutter I got at the craft store...highly recommended! It just requires some specific steps to prepare (as outlined in my blog post link below) because painting only one side of it causes it to warp.  So far I have found the best way is to get a good template cut on the foam core, then prime both sides and let it dry before hot gluing it to the table.  If you use any water-soluble glue and later flood  the area with matte medium when doing scenery or ground cover, it flows under the foam core, releases the glue, and the road can warp up and come loose.  Some how I know this.  Also don't use a combination of superglue and hot glue or it makes napalm that never comes off your finger as it burns into the skin.  I speak from experience.  

My blog posts on how I made roads:

http://bobotstrains.blogspot.c...road-less-taken.html

http://bobotstrains.blogspot.c...and-out-of-town.html

Bobot.......wow what timing!!!! Thank you, Thank you! I am painting the foamcore grey and sealed the edges with white glue but have really been struggling with how to do the stripes. Now I can wait to hit the NAPA store for the pin striping tape and the get the chart tape.

Be careful not to stretch the vinyl pin striping or finger it up too much.  Also best to apply in 60-80 degree room.  I put pin-striping down yesterday and came back today and it started peeling up.  I hit it with my heat gun and time will tell whether it'll stick or if I need to redo it, but it's super easy and fast.  Also I trying to find out if Woodland Scenics makes O-Scale double yellow line in dry transfers.  That masking and painting thing I do takes a while because you have to wait for the paint to dry for each layer.

I did not see that you sprayed dull coat over everything when done to take off the shine and seal everything down. This may prevent the tape from peeling up in the future.....

I could not find any local distributers for the striping tape so I had to order it online. Guess my base coats will have plenty of time to dry!

I've used Chartpak brand graphical design tape from a local art supply store. Must be available on the web somewhere, too. 

Jim

taping will work for a while but then it comes up.

Better way is to paint the road with a wide yellow line and white lines first in the general area where you want lines then apply the stripping tape over the white and yellow paint where you want the lines. Then paint the road covering over the tape. When the road is dryer pull up the stripping tape and the white and yellow lines remain.