Has anyone tried using fine emery paper for roads and parking lots? If you have, how well could you paint lines etc?
IMHO, the scale of the emery board, even for a gravel lot is a bit coarse. I just use styrene. For painting lines (if white) I use fine drafting tape to mask off the lines, then paint the rest concrete or grimy black, maybe lightened. Even asphalt really isn't as dark as we might think. Pull up the tape and you have very crisp lines. For cracks and expansion joints, I simply draw them on with a pencil. There are some road decals out there for center lines. I got mine at Loose Caboose in KC, but must be available elsewhere. those were suprisingly easy to put on and get straight, plus they have the road xing, rr xing and other unique details required.
I've seen examples of sand paper for roads and roofing, in larger scales. But don't recall anyone in N trying emery for roads. So, you may be a pioneer. Why not try a small piece of it? Put together a few scraps of scenery on your work bench and play with painting, etc. It it doesn't work, you don't need to tear off part of the layout. Plus you're only out a a small amount of cash and time.
Use wet or dry 400 grit, One way is use with the backing side up . it is black already . Another way is to do wear lines on the grit side take fork or something the width of car in the scale you are modeling along with some water on the grit side and drag it around thru the water in the shape of the road at the widths that are to scale for what ever scale you are modeling , it will burnish drag lines in the grit and make it look like heavy wear , paint or stipe the center line , then a thin coate of dull cote and there ya go.
Steve - if you want the added texture, you might try looking in the body work section of an auto supply store. They have finishing emory papers available in ridiculous fineness (like 1200 or 2400) for paint finishing, and these come in larger sizes than what the hobby shops carry.
