Source for scale cobblestone street?

[Harry P.]

Ok, this may be sort of a weird request... but I want to put my 1/12 Bentley Blower on a "cobblestone street" base. The kit includes a molded plastic base, which I can use as the "base" for a base , but the problem is that it's in two pieces with an obvious seam right through the middle of it... and even if it didn't have the seam, the molded-in "cobblestones" look pretty lame. Ideally I'd like actual separate pieces that I can lay down in whatever pattern I want, sort of like a mosaic.

I thought maybe a place that sells dollhouse supplies, but I could't find anything to scale.

Any suggestions?

[ZombieHunter26]

It may take a bit of time, but I could suggest a technique.

If you have it lying about, take some plaster of paris and aquarium pebbles (this site http://www.purewater...com/coated.html has all sorts of colors you could mix for effect) and make a base from it.

make your base, section off the areas you need cobblestoned, and layer about 1/8th of an inch thick with the mixed plaster.

evenly disperse the pebbles over the plaster, pressing them into it as you go. try to keep the surface even, no jagged points sticking up, and let dry.

if you find that the color doesn't suit the effect you want, primer coat it with a light earth tone, and give it a flat clear coat once dry.

once that's dry, you can give it varying coats of darker earth tone washes.

It's a long shot, but with some practice and some patience, you can make your own cobblestone streets.

[Joe Handley]

There's an interesting suggestions about 4 posts down on this forum thread (it is from a sibling magazine to that other mag though)

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/102695/1194232.aspx

I'm sure there's larger beans or even beads out there to use. Just can't think of anything usable at work right now outside of Woodland Scenics EZ Water pellets, which are more of a yellowed clear material, but can't sayif or how well it will take to being painted.

[george 53]

Harry, Plastruct makes a 7x10(i think it is)cobblestone sheet that looks GREAT as a road. I don't know for sure, it COULD be Evergreen Plastics too, not sure, but i got some a while back, and it worked great for what i needed it for. A little drybrushing with some dirty colored wash and it looks even better!

[Dr. Cranky]

Harry, you can skin this cat in several ways. If you want brick style cobbles, you can cut them out of cork and then glue them down and apply your plaster. If you want them round, it's easier than that. Get a back of split peas. Yes, you heard right. Split peas. And glue them down and then add your plaster . . .

It sounds like you are going to be a in for a bit of fun.

If you are thinking of some other irregular shape, then you can cut the pieces out of matt board, glue them down, and flow the plaster in . . .

Show us your results.

[Art Anderson]

Harry,

There's new kid on the block in the realm of styrene sheets--JTT Architectural Model Parts--I have their brick street sheets (7.5" X 12"), pretty sure they have cobblestone as well. These sheets come 2 to the package, and in a WIDE variety of scales, up to at least 1/16 or so in some styles. I'd be willing to bet that at least one of the many hobby shops in your neck of Illinois carries JTT, if not, online.

Art

[Harry P.]

Thanks for all the tips, guys. Now I have several options!

[Harry P.]

  On 1/9/2012 at 3:14 PM, Art Anderson said:

Harry,

There's new kid on the block in the realm of styrene sheets--JTT Architectural Model Parts--I have their brick street sheets (7.5" X 12"), pretty sure they have cobblestone as well. These sheets come 2 to the package, and in a WIDE variety of scales, up to at least 1/16 or so in some styles. I'd be willing to bet that at least one of the many hobby shops in your neck of Illinois carries JTT, if not, online.

Art

I found them! They even have a sheet of moon craters! But no cobblestones...

It's looking like this will be a DIY project...

[Dr. Cranky]

That's the best kind, Harry. This way the end result is all pride and joy!

[Ryan S.]

I picked up one of these from Michaels during Christmas to display my models on. It's a pebble-stone mat from the Christmas Village stuff:

I found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Lemax-Christmas-Village-Landscape-Display/dp/B00436JBDO/ref=pd_sim_ac_1

might be small under a 1/16, but looks good to me under 1/25

[sjordan2]

Do you have a picture of the style of cobblestone you're looking for?

This company makes metals and laminates for interiors, but I can't tell what scale the cobblestone is. I'm guessing the pop-up windows are close to actual size. Check #217, #218 and #221.

http://www.cpsgarten...-200-Series.php

Let me know what you come up with - believe it or not, I've had the same idea for years of using cobblestone surfaces for some of my classic builds, including the Bentley.

One of my thoughts was to print out to scale the kind of pattern I wanted, tack it to a plastic sheet or a very thin layer of quick-set, fireable modeling clay, then start using a scribing tool. I used the clay process to help my daughter put adobe bricks on a scale hut for a school project and it looked great.

Edited January 9, 2012 by sjordan2

[MikeMc]

http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/Noch-Wall-Brick-15-x-11/item528-67760.html

[Harry P.]

  On 1/9/2012 at 6:50 PM, sjordan2 said:

Do you have a picture of the style of cobblestone you're looking for?

Something like this:

I've found a lot of stuff, but it's all either too small in scale (mostly HO), or the sheets themselves are too small. I need a surface about 6x18. It's looking like the only way I'll get that look is to scratchbuild it, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get the individual stones (without sitting there and trying to actually cut each individual "stone" out of some sort of material).

[Erik Smith]

What about real stones? I have purchased bags of 3/8 stones (like pea gravel) for landscaping - some of them are nice, flat river type stones (crushed stone will not work). Check at home improvement places (Home Depot) and look in the garden section.

Then use mosaic tile glue and mosaic grout. Finish like you would a tiling job or glass mosaic. I am going to check my garage and see if I still have some of the gravel around and I know I have a bag of mosaic grout.

[Harry P.]

Thanks for all the tips and ideas... but I think I've found exactly what I was looking for:

http://www.oakridgeh...sheet-1-pc.html

Actually, I didn't find it... one friend told another friend what I lwas looking for, and presto!

Thanks, Mark and Mark... the SoCal "M&Ms"...

[Erik Smith]

Plastruct makes everything.

[Harry P.]

  On 1/9/2012 at 11:19 PM, Erik Smith said:

Plastruct makes everything.

Yeah, they sure do!

[southpier]

  On 1/9/2012 at 6:58 PM, Harry P. said:

Something like this:

....

that's exposed aggregate, not cobblestone

[Harry P.]

  On 1/10/2012 at 12:28 AM, southpier said:

that's exposed aggregate, not cobblestone

No, that's not exposed aggregate.

This is exposed aggregate:

http://members.shaw.ca/bomr/ExposedAgg.html

[Sixx]

  On 1/9/2012 at 1:29 PM, Dr. Cranky said:

Harry, you can skin this cat in several ways. If you want brick style cobbles, you can cut them out of cork and then glue them down and apply your plaster. If you want them round, it's easier than that. Get a back of split peas. Yes, you heard right. Split peas. And glue them down and then add your plaster . . .

It sounds like you are going to be a in for a bit of fun.

If you are thinking of some other irregular shape, then you can cut the pieces out of matt board, glue them down, and flow the plaster in . . .

Show us your results.

Oh man, Doc beat me to it!!! That's what I was gonna suggest. I've seen military builders use it, very realistic!! I've got a bag of split peas, was gonna do that ....one day!! LOL!! Edited January 10, 2012 by Sixx