Can anyone plaz tell me how to make a street out of materials you could find in a home improvement warehouse or department stores. This would trully help me out. #:-) #:-)

NERVRECK

Depends on what kind of street you are looking for.. For cobblestones, you could use dried lentils glued to a base, then fill the spaces between with plaster.. Paint and weather as you see fit.. You could pour plaster, and when it dries, scribe it to look more like a bricked street. Concrete or pavement, could be done the same way.. Then painted for effect. Here are a couple links for you to look at.. Hit the search button as well.. You should be able to find everything you need.. Hope this helps

Mojo



https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/315 https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/36903&page=1

Here is another good article on how to build sidewalks, roads etc. Don't forget - you can take a vertical wall and lay it on its side and it's a road

Distraction
Making a wall and floor
Use wall deal for a road
Great road feature

Mojo u have made my days easier thanks alot. I just have one question you wouldnt happen to know where i can buy lentils would you. :-)

You can get lentles at the grocery store. Have to say I don't know which isle - maybe the where the pinto beans are..... I'd ask.

lintels are beans! lol i wouldve never known thanks slodder.

Cork always works well too! cut it up and glue it down, fill the cracks with dry wall mud.

I agree with Paul cork does work super!! if u have seen blockhaus buildings and streets u ll understand . It needs some patience in cutting the small pieces but then its amazing

I have to agree that cork streets are very nice, also if you have the patience try the lentils they work great too. Cheers Kevin

my way
cut strips of cork
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/blockhaus/CORK1.jpg
sanding strips

cut strips in bits

glue it


regards
Carlos

Here's one more way: Drywall.
Cut your piece, soak in hot water for about 45 minutes to loosen the glue. Scrape off the cardboard (for a street, you only need to do one side). While still wet, take a putty knife (about 1" is a good size) and start scraping the plaster off to whatever level you want the street, either down the middle (2 sidewalks) or just one side(1 sidewalk). When dry, carve in your bricks. For cobblestones, cut the bricks deep and then work them with a wire brush till you get the cobble shapes. Finish off with a wash, paint, etc. (I tried to get pix, but the lock to my workshop is frozen right now, but I'll try later). Hope this helps.

Art

No offence to other methods, but pay attention to Blockhaus, his articles and methods are awe inspireing if it was'nt for him I would'nt have my current addiction. Cork may look time consuming with all the little cuts to glue on but the results are solid gold woody material, please check out his articles believe me its tedious but well worth it. - Cheyenne

O.K., as promised, here's a pic of a drywall street. Not counting the soaking time to loosen the glue, this took me about 10 minutes. It's not finished, or to scale, but it'll give you some idea of what it looks like (the yellow color is from my shop lighting-it actually dries white.).

Art

Nice look Art. Me I am to lazy so I simple pour Durhams Water Putty and then carve away.





Little paint and drybrushing,a few washes of Inida Ink and Burnt Umber and a little more drybrushing and


John

John:
I like that. Do you have to work at the "broken" brick look, or is it a natural result of the carving? And where do you get the Durham's-I never heard of it. I might give this a try on my next street, whenever that might be, but the drywall is still good for buildings and other stuff. Thanx for the pix.

Art

My answer to almost everything that is to be carved.... balsafoam...

Cheap
Easy to work with
Fast
Realistic surfaces....

most of it come from the natural carving process. But It is easy to work with if you need addtional dame or "wear & tear" -- at least for about an hour +/- After that is get harder and farder. It is sill carvable, cutable and sandable, but a little harder to work with.




I buy mine at Home Depot. you will find it with the plaster, drywall mud, spackle and putty. I have bought it a Lowes, Dixieline and a few other HArdware stores. Durham's Water Putty - used by plumbers.

One other tip/benefit... if I just mix to much up, I spread on on an appropirate scale thickness on a piece of saran wrap - glad bag, ziplocks etc - and once it dries a littel I cut out bricks with a palette knife- dry and toss in a bag for future use

OR any excess or dried up left overs I just toss in a ziplock bag and one it completely dries, a couple smacks against the counter or with a hammer and "INSTANT RUBBLE"

I also mix a little base color paint into my wet batch to color it throughly, since Durham's natural color is a dark yellow.

Here is a picture of the can in the background.



John

Thanx, John. This'll go in my idea file for future reference.

Art

I'm with Art on this one, i use drywall for all my bases, and most of my buildings that I make. Its very easy to carve, and any extra chunks you get from cutting off are perfect for rubble, if you have a construction site near your house, go there when they are working and ask for some spare drywall, they shouldnt charge ya for it, or go to homedepot where they store their drywall and find some damaged pieces and ask if you can get a mark down on them (very very cheap)

glad to be of service
p.s. that durham putty does look like something worth trying. thanks

-ciao
Shain