I'd like to model some decaying asphalt for a diorama in 1:35 scale. There are plenty of methods for making relatively new or well-kept asphalt, but I want to model something that looks like it hasn't been repaved in thirty years- with the spidery cracks that have severely worn away. The primary difficulty I'm having is making that worn-away effect really old asphalt gets, where the individual pieces have rounded over and worn away around the cracks. My thought was to painstakingly scribe the cracks into tinted plaster which has been mixed with fine sand, then go over the cracks with an air eraser. However, I don't yet own an air eraser, and before I run out to buy one, I thought I'd see if anyone here has tried something like this before.
Interesting. How about if you poured a layer of plaster/sand the thickness you need. When set up break it/snap it. You could then round the edge with sandpaper etc and finally re-assemble like a jig-saw puzzle.
Bexley --
Check out the series of experiments Chuck did making slabs for his 1/24 diorama, starting here ...
http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=446.105
Cheers,
Dallas
eTraxx- The problem there is I'm looking at probably 800 (or more, that is just a guess) individual pieces- the area I'm looking to cover is about 4" by 5". I have used a similar method for medium-decay asphalt, but this stuff really needs to look destroyed. (The diorama is actually a post-apocalyptic Mad Max sort of setting, so the asphalt is really truly abandoned.) I had thought of laying a piece of cheesecloth into the form first, so that when I break it up, all the bits stay in position. This photo is close to what I'm looking to do, but the wear on the cracks would be far worse. I can't find a good reference pic- I'll have to take a trip up to the abandoned parking lot a few miles away with a camera to really show what I mean.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos1.blogger.com%2Fblogger%2F1544%2F963%2F1600%2Fcracked_asphalt_160796.1.jpg&hash=1b2834bc291b9825096b2446ef66626a48fdcc53)
Dallas- I did see that. It is how I'm planning on doing the curbs and sidewalk, but the wear on asphalt looks much different.
Thanks to all for the input!
That looks like a really really bad 'crackle-paint'. Ok. Second suggestion. Take my first .. break up into manageable sizes, round edges a bit or not and glue back together. Then, buy crackle medium. That is used for faux furniture projects .. but .. I betcha you could get something similar using grays and blacks.
Well, when I realized I would need an air eraser anyway to do the distressed concrete, I picked one up. I will photograph my test runs, and if I come up with something that looks good, I'll do an SBS on it.
Again, thanks for the help!
I may give it a try tomorrow .. you've got me interested .. and .. I picked an air-eraser up today myself at Harbor Freight :)
Bexley --
If you have some photos/links showing the effect you're trying to model, that might help produce some more suitable ideas ...
And, if you come up with a suitable approach in the meantime, post pix of that! ;D
Cheers,
Dallas
I was curious and experimented a bit. Poured a thin layer of plaster mix (2 parts plaster and 1 part Spectra Lock Sanded Grout (powder)). When it set I glued some wedding veil to the back with yellow glue. That way I could flex and crack it but it would stay attached (more or less). Colored with AI wash. White glue/water to lock in place. Painted gray acrylic, black acrylic wash, sprinkled brown dry tempera paint and scrubbed that into the cracks with a brush and tap water. Sprayed with matt. Not too bad for the first experiment. The car is a 1:48 Matchbox 1912 Simplex straight out of the box.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Simplex%2FImage21.jpg&hash=508aacb9d2b48284dd4af31a59950a9e7044816e)
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Simplex%2FImage22.jpg&hash=829ea1cbb89a065923279ef8dea07e15ec53b925)
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Simplex%2FImage19.jpg&hash=2e2e82ca5be00d8bb1f11343c9e9636683c3b000)
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Simplex%2FImage20.jpg&hash=febfbc2f6c6b4891d37d4bff380c99a4e58c2bd3)
That's mighty close to what I'm looking for. I've been too busy to experiment (or to drive over and get those reference photos) but I hope to get a chance to play with some plaster tonight. (At least, I'd better, as the diorama is for a contest and I've only got three weeks left...)
I was trying for texture using the sanded grout mixed in with the plaster. Thing is .. that may have been better if I had used straight plaster. What I would have liked to get was the plaster to hold tightly onto the wedding veil material when flexed and cracked. Gauze might work also. Whatever .. so you can get the 'asphalt' to crack but remain in one piece.
I get you. I had even mentioned above trying something similar, by pouring the plaster over a piece of cheesecloth, so that it would be imbedded in the bottom side.
I'm off to a good start, though. I mixed up some plaster, and added a generous squirt of Woodland Scenics black liquid pigment, giving me a nice medium gray. I also added several clumps of sand which I had sifted through a piece of window screen. (I used the batch that passed through the screen, not the stuff I sifted out.) I poured this out onto a teflon cookie sheet. When the plaster was still soft and malleable, but had firmed up quite a bit, I used a piece of 50 grit sandpaper to press in a rough texture. The texture was a little too rough, though, so I used my finger to smooth it down a touch, and it came out looking really good. Once it was solid enough to remove the sheet I did so, and then began cracking it into small pieces. At this point, I'm not going to concern myself with the spidery patterns; I just want to test the basic idea. (Also, I appear to be out of cheesecloth, and I think to really get that fine texture I want, I'm going to need to be able to crumble it much more, and so I need that backing material.)
It looks really nice. The sand really gives the broken edges an asphalt texture. Also, the sand prevents the plaster from cracking in straight lines or gentle arcs, like it usually does. The cracks are crooked and look just like they do in teh road. I am optimistic, so long as I can find a way to wear down the edges to look like they've seen 150 years of exposure and a nuke or two. :)
(Sorry for the lack of photos- I went to take some, and discovered the camera battery was dead. It's charging now, and I will take photos before I begin the next step.)
Nice work! I'm looking forward to the next round of photos. -- Russ
This is probably nowhere near the level of age you're looking for, but the technique
may be worth playing with....
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages54.fotki.com%2Fv514%2Fphotos%2F6%2F698387%2F2502941%2FDscn1130-vi.jpg&hash=e193153dbaf79bfcba3d784b9b84d7b97d357b41)
My friend Narayan Khandekar mixes carborundum grit and white glue, spreads it on waxed paper
and freezes it in the freezer. When hard, he peels it off the paper and breaks/cracks it and
applies it to the base.
You might be able to add several layers to get your desired effect. I suspect any appregate would
work (aluminum oxide powder, fine sand, etc.)
Just a thought.
Good luck.
Tried something different .....
1 - Poured a thin layer of plaster .. no coloring.
2 - When set laid a single layer of gauze
3 - Poured another thin layer of plaster
4 - let that set up and dry
5 - put the 'road' on a sponge and pressed all over to crack it
6 - Used Air Eraser to texture and erode the cracks
7 - Sprayed AI on both sides .. let dry
8 - Still had white in the cracks so used AppleBarrel Black Acrylic as a wash all over and down into the cracks. Let dry.
9 - Dry brushed FolkArt Steel Gray Acrylic
10 - on left third of road I brushed on Brown pastel powder (scraped from stick) then 'mopped' over with tap water
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Talbot%2FRoadBrown.jpg&hash=804e3ac00b39d4da0ed8575295b595290bc0f6a9)
11 - center third left as was in step 9
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Talbot%2FRoad1.jpg&hash=4debdc66b53d31f8e845f3a7357e1348911c4eb7)
12 - right third of road I brushed on Black pastel powder (again, scraped from stick) and 'mopped' over with tap water
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Talbot%2FRoadBlack.jpg&hash=cb25f4c4e772a47f6601eaa5fce12b010884d88a)
.. and .. yes it's flexible .. no kidding!
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi856.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab130%2FLCRRinHO%2FScenery%2FRoad%2520and%2520Talbot%2FFlexible.jpg&hash=6a8b9a5b78e204ad001c8b86995d5c855c6d2d98)
Neato-cool ... and I suppose since it's so flexible, it could be laid over a rough surface if desired to give more of a Mad Max disaster setting ... and chunks broken out completely, etc. Nice work!
Cheers,
Dallas
Thanks Dallas. Couple additional thoughts ..
1. You don't have to crack the road up like I did. That was just to test the method. It pulled up 'crackless' .. ha.
2. I used an Air Eraser to texture the surface. I did that across the road surface and to erode the cracks. I'm thinking .. if I put down a layer of sandpaper .. and poured the plaster over that you would have instant texture!!
3. This is pretty easy and you can see how flexible it is. Seems to me .. that you could pour your roads (simple forms of stripwood, clay etc.) .. distress them as much or little as you wish .. paint, stain etc. all on the workbench. Then, simply pick up the strip and glue wherever you wish. Note that as flexible as it is, it will conform to the layout contours.
#3 means .. you could 'detail' your road on the work bench .. spin it as needed .. do all sorts of 'hooah' things .. then place it wherever. Seems to me that would beat the heck out of trying to create a road at arms length on the layout. The more I think about it ... the cooler that last bit is.
Man, I love this forum.
I'm glad to see the gauze idea works. I think the only thing I might try different is to mix sand into the top layer of plaster. The cracks look too... like broken china. Too straight. The sand seems to cause cracks to run in crooked lines. (Though, without the sand, I think that'll be a great way to model a dried cracked lake bed, as the cracking looks spot on.)
I have the day off tomorrow, so I hope to get a good test run in. (And photos! I promise!)
Now THAT is COOL! -- Russ
Quote from: Bexley on July 15, 2010, 12:58:10 AM
<snip> .. I think the only thing I might try different is to mix sand into the top layer of plaster. The cracks look too... like broken china. Too straight. The sand seems to cause cracks to run in crooked lines. (Though, without the sand, I think that'll be a great way to model a dried cracked lake bed, as the cracking looks spot on.) ... <snip>
I'll have to try that. Seems reasonable that adding sand would cause the plaster to fracture in random directions. The thing to watch out for is proportions of sand/plaster. Need to keep notes on that as to the results. Enough to make the random fractures but not so much that the plaster won't bind everything together.
I want to try using sandpaper for the bottom of the 'form' to create texture and combine that with your sand idea.
I would think that the sandpaper might bond to the plaster, though. (Or not- won't know until it's tried.) I pressed the sand paper into the top when the plaster was mostly set but still a bit soft, and that worked pretty well.
Also- no reference photos. I went up to the lot today to take pictures, only to find it had been bulldozed. Maybe for the better, though- I also noticed when I got there that the lot was part of the outskirts of an Army reserve base and a munitions storage facility. Loitering about the edges of such a place taking photos might not have been wise. ;)
Gauze test number one is setting up right now. I think I may have mixed the plaster too thin, and didn't add enough sand. (I was low on the sifted sand, and forgot to bring some home from work. I thought I had enough, but I think it was too little.) But we'll see.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vpe-studios.com%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2F2010%2Fnukeandsmile_wip%2Fnukeandsmile_wip_001&hash=f43a764d24b79328b5516393841e9ef512b5d15a)
This was from my first test. I didn't continue messing with it, as the plaster was too thick (3/16") and I wanted to try a test with gauze. But it did show me I was on the right track. This was the plaster, mixed with some sand that had been sifted out using fiberglass window screen, and some Woodland Scenics black liquid pigment. I should note that in this photo, the plaster is still somewhat damp, and it lightened up considerably after drying out. But the cracking is about what I'm looking for, though the pieces are much bigger than I'd like. (The two squarish pieces in the center are about 1/2" by 1/2".) After it had set up a bit, I pressed the surface with 50 grit sandpaper. I smoothed it down somewhat wth my finger, as it was a little too rough.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vpe-studios.com%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2F2010%2Fnukeandsmile_wip%2Fnukeandsmile_wip_002&hash=d77ab6e93f868969d657550acbb5c1d3d61c9c16)
The gauze, soaked in the plaster and pigment mix, spread out on a cookie sheet. I added the sand after doing the gauze part, to make impregnating the gauze easier.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vpe-studios.com%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2F2010%2Fnukeandsmile_wip%2Fnukeandsmile_wip_003&hash=9fae6f338a7659b66d9579b08d811da4e20e3aee)
And the layer of plaster/pigment/sand. I spread it to about .080 thick, give or take. Once this has set up a bit, I will press the surface with sandpaper.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vpe-studios.com%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2F2010%2Fnukeandsmile_wip%2Fnukeandsmile_wip_004&hash=bfe2e9d5f942413f9a50a3ad184c895ede32691f)
Here is the sheet of plaster, textured, dried, and cracked. There is actually a lot more cracking, but since the gauze backing holds the pieces in place, many of the cracks all but disappear when the sheet is laid flat.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vpe-studios.com%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2F2010%2Fnukeandsmile_wip%2Fnukeandsmile_wip_005&hash=373dbb3333f0fd456f2dc3657be9a25a598cdc7b)
Here it is bent a little, to show off the cracking better. I don't think I will be able to get what I'd really like, as some of the smallest pieces would be 2" by 3" in real life, and getting this plaster to crack into pieces that are .057" by .086" is likely not going to happen. But it does give me very much the effect I'm going for. Either later tonight or tomorrow, I will go at the cracks with an air eraser and see what I can do.
My overall hope is that having all the pieces stay connected like this means I can lay it over colored Celluclay, and have the pieces not only keep their positions relative to each other, but conform to the surface of the Celluclay. (Of course, most roads, crown aside, are fairly flat. But my goal is a very old weathered destroyed road, where the roadbed under the asphalt has deteriorated.) My big concern is the gauze showing where the erosion is most prominent, but I think that the exposed fibers can be worked into the Celluclay and become invisible.
My other plan is to pour this using a form, sort of. As I want the road to be flush against a concrete curb, I intend to use either some basswood or a piece of styrene as a form to get one straight edge, which would be glued up against the curb. I also want to embed a manhole cover. I think I will have to glue the cover to the gauze first, then pour around the cover.
My biggest concern at this point is that the Celluclay, covered with "asphalt," curbs, and concrete sidewalk sections, will take weeks to dry- weeks I don't have. I may have to go with plaster as a base.
Hmm ... might not be the exact effect you have/had in mind, but dang that looks good!
Looking forward to the updates ...
Cheers,
Dallas
I like the effect in that last photo - the pavement is cracked to a degree that makes sense. Looks like a parking lot that has been in use for 30 years without resurfacing. Thanks for posting the tutorial! IMHO, some of the earlier examples in this thread were just too extreme, looking more like cracked hardpan in the desert than aged asphalt.
Mark Layton
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vpe-studios.com%2Fimages%2Fphotos%2F2010%2Fnukeandsmile_wip%2Fnukeandsmile_wip_006&hash=33a98eba545cb88fda731ac2bab4e99c48080a7d)
Here is the plaster after eating away at the cracks with an air eraser. I also rubbed in some ground up dark gray pastels, to make them stand out more. I'm very happy with the effect. I think the only thing I will really change is using the sandpaper to texture the plaster. When I rubbed in the pastels, the texture picked it up in a weird way and leads to the speckling. Other than that, though, I think I've worked out what I need to do. When I do the real thing, I'll probably use a lot more variation in the pastel/pigment colors as well as some washes. I'll probably also remove some of the little chunks entirely.
Looks quite good. Congratulations. -- Russ
Great experiment, great SBS.
A win win for all of us!
-Marty
Very nice result, thanks for sharing all this research process.
Ya know, Bexley, that last shot looks like a really boring photo of an old busted up street ...
(Rather than someone just trying to "model" an old street ... so ... WOW! nicely done)