Roadway - Lane Markers

For reasons only known to me, I have spent a zillion hours crafting the main roadways for my layout from styrene. They are extensive, airbrushed, concrete w/expansion joints, and ready to fit (and they do fit well!). However, I am at a loss as to how to produce the various lane markers and parking lanes needed. Roads vary from heavy city to rural.

Am looking for ideas on lane markings that don't require extensive masking and respraying(don't want to risk any creeping overspray or paint removal from masking tape).

I know I'm not the first person to do this, so how about some fresh ideas???

Reply to
Lvrsd9
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Graphics tape / chart tape.

What scale are you in?

I've seen it done for HO, but N might be a little tough.

I've seen this stuff in real world measurements of 1/16 inch wide, which scales out roughly to 6 inches in HO. Go look ( carefully when no traffic is on the road) at your local street / highway. Most of the lane markers are 4 to 6 inches wide stripes.

If you can't find 1/16 wide, lay down 1/8 or 1.4 on a very very clean glass sheet. Cut with a brand spanking new # 11 blade or a brand new single edge razor to a 1/ 8 or 1/16 stripe. Patience and practice.

-- Jim McLaughlin

Please don't just hit the reply key. Remove the obvious from the address to reply.

Reply to
Jim McLaughlin

I've used pinstriping tape intended for model cars with great luck. It comes in widths as narrow as 1/64". After it's down, I rub a bit of elmer's glue over the top along the length with my fingertip, when fry it kills the gloss shine of the tape, and helps prevent it from lifting up and peeling in the future.

Don

Reply to
Trainman

Lvrsd9 wrote in rec.models.railroad:

Model Railoader talks about this. Here is a snip from:

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"""Stripes are a necessary detail for any road or parking lot. Scale Scenics makes several different colors and styles of road stripes in HO scale. For other scales, various width stripes can often be found in hobby shops that deal in model airplane supplies.

While all of the Scale Scenics stripes have a self-adhesive backing and could be applied directly out of the package, I?ve found that an additional light coat of spray adhesive helps them stick better to the road surface. Just be careful when applying the stripes so that you don?t pull the paint up from the road surface if the stripe doesn?t go down correctly the first time. Usually, if the paint is thoroughly dry and the stripe segments are applied in lengths of about 2 feet or less, there will be no problem with paint lifting.

If an area of paint does accidentally lift off the surface, lightly sand the area with No. 600 wet/dry sandpaper and then carefully touch up the spot with some more paint and a small brush.

Other markings such as speed limit restrictions, stop warnings and railroad crossing indications can be applied using S&S Hobby Products brass stencils available in HO and N scale. If you?re really into detailing, tar lines can be added using a fine black ink ball point pen. Again, practice this on a scrap piece of road before starting the layout."""

Reply to
Rosco

Somewhere I read a suggestion to use colored art pencils (we used to call them pencil crayons) to make your road markings. I have not tried it but it think they would be much more realistic on a model road than chart tape or similar things. After all, it doesn't take very long for the road markings to be worn and weathered so small irregularities in the pencil marks would be very realistic.

Just a thought or two.

Dale.

Lvrsd9 wrote:

Reply to
Dale Gloer

The prototype uses stencils so why not you? The stencils used for things like the stop stencil are somewhat complex in that they allow for the spraying under the ties for the good ones while the cheap ones are generally just a piece of plywood with 2x4 on top to hold the inside pieces down. The center stripe is a timed spray with a shield on the sides for some while others it is just the spray. That will be a little more difficult but making a stencil for that (curved and straight!) where you march the line down the roadway will do fairly well. The solid lines can be done easily with the pinstriping tape that has the section that you pull out.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

Reply to
Bob May

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