I have seen various methods for creating airfield tarmac over the years but have never saved the instructions nor tried any. From anyone’s experience, what is a good method to use and which will yield a good result for a 3D base (as opposed to the 2D paper ones). The diorama will be for an AH-64 Apache tied down to the tarmac either stateside or in the Middle East. Also does anyone have the measurements for the concrete squares formed by the expansion joints in 1/48?
Thanks,
Daniel
Hosted by Darren Baker
Creating airfield tarmac

rommel21cw

Joined: July 05, 2005
KitMaker: 84 posts
Armorama: 49 posts

Posted: Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 03:52 PM UTC

Mosseman

Joined: July 25, 2005
KitMaker: 153 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 05:28 PM UTC
Sheet 'o' tar

bodymovin

Joined: July 28, 2004
KitMaker: 544 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 06:09 PM UTC
Hey there daniel what i did once was take a piece of plasticard...or sheet styrene, and i rough it up a little with rough sand ppr. Then i spread a very thin layer of wall spackle on it with a trowel for texture. You can scribe in some lines for the separate blocks of tarmac, and take some static grass and put some growing out of the cracks if your going for the rugged airfield look. Hope this helps.
Ian
Ian

Tiger314

Joined: July 28, 2005
KitMaker: 16 posts
Armorama: 16 posts

Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 09:33 PM UTC
This was made in an easy (!!???) way. Interested in a "how to" description?


slodder

Joined: February 22, 2002
KitMaker: 11,718 posts
Armorama: 7,138 posts

Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 09:43 PM UTC
You can use some fine grit sandpaper cut into squares and glued to a flat base.
you can use a sheet of styrene as the base etch in the grid.
you can use a sheet of styrene as the base etch in the grid.

Ripster

Joined: June 01, 2005
KitMaker: 970 posts
Armorama: 0 posts

Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 09:44 PM UTC
I've seen people on Armorama use sandpaper for this and it looks pretty convincing to me. Try different grades until you find the suitable one for your scale

Ripster

Joined: June 01, 2005
KitMaker: 970 posts
Armorama: 0 posts

Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 09:44 PM UTC
Doh! How's that for great minds thinking alike?! 


Grumpyoldman


Joined: October 17, 2003
KitMaker: 15,338 posts
Armorama: 7,297 posts

Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 09:51 PM UTC
Frank, that looks excellent, feel free to submit the how to. If you need any help on how to do it feel free to PM me.

tanky

Joined: February 03, 2006
KitMaker: 45 posts
Armorama: 21 posts

Posted: Friday, August 11, 2006 - 06:28 PM UTC
Quoted Text
This was made in an easy (!!???) way. Interested in a "how to" description?
I would be interested to know how this was made looks first class...and you say it was easy...lets hope so as this will be my first attempt at anything like this and belive me with my skills I need easy.

bodymovin

Joined: July 28, 2004
KitMaker: 544 posts
Armorama: 0 posts
Posted: Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:29 AM UTC
I made one before I found out about sandpaper where i had a sheet of styrene and then troweled some drywall compound (used to patch holes in your walls) and make it smooth. You can then score some cracks into it later.

FabioMoretti

Joined: November 10, 2004
KitMaker: 135 posts
Armorama: 104 posts

Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 07:23 AM UTC
I used cardboard, the effect is very good
The same material of beer coasters cardboard

The same material of beer coasters cardboard


HONEYCUT

Joined: May 07, 2003
KitMaker: 4,002 posts
Armorama: 2,947 posts

Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 11:28 PM UTC
Nice idea Fabio
(And nice beer)
Brad
(And nice beer)

Brad

FabioMoretti

Joined: November 10, 2004
KitMaker: 135 posts
Armorama: 104 posts

Posted: Friday, October 31, 2008 - 03:43 AM UTC





VenomOrca

Joined: June 20, 2003
KitMaker: 209 posts
Armorama: 169 posts

Posted: Monday, February 23, 2009 - 10:13 AM UTC
When you've gone through a yellow legal pad, about 8"X11", use the cardboard that backs the paper. Or I've even heard of some folks using thick Bristol board and the like.

parrot

Joined: March 01, 2002
KitMaker: 1,607 posts
Armorama: 1,581 posts

Posted: Monday, February 23, 2009 - 10:54 AM UTC
What a great idea Jon.
The backs of sticky notes would work great and around my office I I will have an unlimited supply.
Already in the perfect size,no cutting needed.
The backs of sticky notes would work great and around my office I I will have an unlimited supply.
Already in the perfect size,no cutting needed.

zhengwei4226

Joined: January 17, 2011
KitMaker: 29 posts
Armorama: 26 posts

Posted: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 05:27 PM UTC
Hey Daniel, an idea to make tarmac is to use Tamiya's Texture Paint "pavement effect." It comes in two colours, light and dark grey. I've posted the website addresses below:
http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87115darkgray/index.htm
http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87116lightgray/index.htm
Hope I have helped!
http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87115darkgray/index.htm
http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87116lightgray/index.htm
Hope I have helped!


retiredbee2

Joined: May 04, 2008
KitMaker: 757 posts
Armorama: 518 posts

Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 07:06 AM UTC
I like all those great ideas using cards and fine sandpaper. I will try the very fine sandpaper next time. What I have done with some realistic success, is to take a perfectly square piece of plexiglass and scribe the squares. Then spray paint a light grey. Weather it and place random oil stains. Then I make a wooden border for it with molding. The exact size of the squares is not written in blood. If they appear way too large or way too small, then they probably are. Use common sense................Al

VLADPANZER

Joined: December 20, 2010
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 549 posts

Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 07:24 AM UTC
I use sanded down plaster (for texture) and then paint it grey, I then add the seams using a syringe, finally weather it as needed.
Check out the bottom of this page:
http://armorama.com/forums/169651&page=1
Regards,
Check out the bottom of this page:
http://armorama.com/forums/169651&page=1
Regards,

mmeier

Joined: October 22, 2008
KitMaker: 1,280 posts
Armorama: 1,015 posts

Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 07:42 AM UTC
I tried thinly rolled out "air curing clay". One type called Granitex comes with a slightly grany texture. Roll out thinly, cut the squares and leave to dry. The stuff shrinks a bit producing nice expansion joints.
For more "tarmac" feeling you can paint this with an underlayer of a Granite color (again textured) and then spray over that in the desired final color.
For more "tarmac" feeling you can paint this with an underlayer of a Granite color (again textured) and then spray over that in the desired final color.
![]() |