Use for Used Sandpaper

Before I chuck them in the trash, I'm wondering if anyone can think of a model railroading use for used sheets of 20 grit sandpaper. They are about 12x18 inches. I have them from a floor sanding job I did a few weeks ago.

Thanks, Dave

Reply to
Dave Rutan
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If you paint the right lines on them, could they be a model dirt/clay tennis court? (If you want to model that scene?)

Or I suppose they'd have a bit of a rocky texture - maybe for some sort of paper-mache rocks?

== Quote from Dave Rutan ( snipped-for-privacy@nac.net)'s article

Reply to
Mr Daniel Bella

If you paint the right lines on them, could they be a model dirt/clay tennis courts? (If you want to model that scene?)

Or I suppose they'd have a bit of a rocky texture - maybe for some sort of paper-mache rocks?

== Quote from Dave Rutan ( snipped-for-privacy@nac.net)'s article

Reply to
Danny B

On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:36:30 -0400, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and Dave Rutan instead replied:

Soak them in water and apply them to molded mountains as a base for adding vegetation and such. If your layout is too complete for that (heh-right) give them to someone who is just beginning the scenics on their layout.

-- Ray

Reply to
Ray Haddad

Depends a bit on the scale.

Fine grit paper that is worn out makes OK concrete if glued to a surface and painted right. But, 20 is a bit coarse for that I would think, depending on how big the scale you're working in and how worn out it is.

It might make a nice sub-surface for a gravel road or gravel parking lot or some such, with lots of pot holes.

A very worn tar roof maybe?

A rocky bottom for a stream or pond, before you pour in your transparent plastic layer?

Reply to
gl4316

As some others have mentioned, it depends on the scale, but how about O scale roofing materila? I've seen plenty of roofs with tar & stone on them. A coat of grimy black paint might make it look pretty convincing. I'd guess that 20 grit would look way too big in HO scale though.

dlm

Reply to
Dan Merkel

Of the suggestions thus far, I best like the idea of using it for a pond bottom. The grit is definitely to coarse for any normal kind of HO texture.

Reply to
Dave Rutan

Paint them the appropriate color and use them for ballast under turnouts. Eliminates gluing the points when applying ballast.

Tom

Dave Rutan wrote in news:46707f7f$1 snipped-for-privacy@nntp2.nac.net:

Reply to
Tom

In message , Tom writes

Brilliant idea. I just have to make sure that the sandpaper is really

*used* under the tie bar mechanism.

Reply to
Mike Hughes

I used to make asphalt pavement with new and slightly used fine grit aluminum oxide paper. It looked great. A little masking and some thickened yellow paint and you could make a nice parking lot.

Roadways were easy too.

I don't know what you could make from the rough stuff.

BDK

Reply to
BDK

I used 50 grit to do the sytrofoam shaping for my layout. 20 would probably be even better.

Reply to
Wayne L

How about a stone border around a house to keep down the weeds or a rock garden?

Dave Rutan wrote:

"Before I chuck them in the trash, I'm wondering if anyone can think of a model railroading use for used sheets of 20 grit sandpaper. They are about 12x18 inches. I have them from a floor sanding job I did a few weeks ago."

Reply to
newyorkcentralfan

Never thought of that... that should work pretty well and I doubt if the sandpaper would get clogged up.

dlm

Reply to
Dan Merkel

This 20 grit would probably leave lines in Styrofoam. The texture reminds me of an O scale pebble strewn parking lot.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Rutan

I shaped the syrofoam on my little layout with the 50 grit sandpaper after doing the bug cuts with a knife and a hacksaw blade. It was a bit messy but the layout was in the cellar and it only took a minute or so to clean up with the shop vac. Then I covered the syrofoam by spreading that super light spackling compound with my finger, then I did the sandpaper again; 50 grit if needed, or 100 grit if I didn't want to make more major contour changes. It was easy, although I don't have the hard shell finish that plaster or hydrocal produces. If I drop something on the spackling it leaves a mark that take a few minutes to repair (not counting the drying time for the spackling, and paint).

Wayne

Reply to
Wayne L

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