| When working with Z scale model trains, the best | | | | basswood in hot water for a few minutes and |
| strategy to make your layout particularly | | | | you will find that it bends even more. |
| impressive to viewers is by having a high degree | | | | To keep your wooden forms in place you may |
| of realism in the layout scenery. Due to the small | | | | want to add some light glue, tape, or something |
| ratio employed in Z gauge, the "amazement | | | | heavy on top to keep them on your layout while |
| factor" of your train layout will not come from | | | | you put the putty in place. Mix your water putty |
| size, but from attention to detail. Here is a | | | | using one part water to three parts putty. Once |
| method on how to create extremely | | | | the putty is properly mixed, begin adding black |
| realistic-looking roads within your Z scale layout, or | | | | acrylic paint to it until it attains the road color that |
| any scale model train layout. | | | | you are interested in. Once you have the color |
| This technique utilizes water putty instead of | | | | you like, start filling the form in with the putty. |
| plaster to build a road within a model train layout. | | | | Keep a putty knife on hand for this task, as well |
| Water putty dries harder, doesn't shrink, and you | | | | as for cleaning up anything that falls outside of |
| will find it is much easier to work with than | | | | your forms. Once the putty has dried for one |
| plaster. Start with some strips of basswood, | | | | day, remove the wooden forms using an X-acto |
| which you can buy in precut strips or cut on your | | | | knife to cut them away. |
| own into 1/16th inch strips. You are going to use | | | | Keep in mind, if you are building a road across |
| this wood as a temporary form to hold the putty | | | | your train tracks, you must be very careful to |
| that will comprise your road. | | | | keep putty away from the tracks. It's a good |
| If you are building a two-lane road, the | | | | idea to use some tape over the tracks during the |
| proportions in the real world are usually about 18 | | | | road building process, and leave enough space so |
| to 24 feet wide, which means about 1 inch to 1.3 | | | | there is not a ridge that your cars will bump |
| inches wide in Z scale. Draw the shape of your | | | | against when they cross over the road. You can |
| road on your layout in pencil, then lay the wood | | | | sand and shape the road after the putty dries, so |
| down by wedging it between two brads that you | | | | don't obsess too much over this step until the |
| carefully nail onto your foundation. Follow the | | | | road has dried and you have removed the |
| curve of your road, adding a new set of brads | | | | wooden forms. |
| every 2 or 3 inches. Bend the basswood as you | | | | By now you should have a beautiful looking |
| go to create the curves. This type of wood is | | | | realistic road, adding depth and beauty to your Z |
| quite flexible and should bend easily, but if you are | | | | scale layout. |
| going for a sharp curve you can soak the | | | | |