"Airfield/Tarmac/Motor Pool/Parking Lot" Topic

I've been looking at some TMP threads about making an airfield for 15mm (sci fi), like this one from 2010:

TMP link

I'm interested in any suggestions for making a multi-purpose generic area of "pavement", specifically tarmac/macadam, for use as a motor pool area, an airfield, and a parking lot (possibly with successively more and more markings).

This is for several near-future/sci fi squad/section skirmishes to take place at various locations in and around a military museum and airfield, mostly outdoors, with the occasional quonset hut. Mostly at the motor pool, the airstrip/apron (near but not in the hangar) a parking lot for vintage vehicles and armor, and the "near future/sci fi" public parking areas.

To fit on a card table, for solo wargaming, for repeated engagements, maybe later used for roadways.

Ideas?

I use craft foam from Michael's. It comes in black and I overspray lightly with grey spray paint and add random brown stains.

I have a few 8x11 sheets and a couple of large 30"x30" sizes. Both sides are useable so one side is generic and the other is marked in white lines for streets.

I've done one for aFoW table, cut my own 3mm mdf and painted grey. Worked fine.

For pro terrain look at Gamecraft and Mad Mecha Guy, at least these are the two guys I'll be looking to buy from soon.

If you want asphalt use coffee grounds. Paint the surface with any color, coat with coffee. When dry paint black. After it dries dry brush with dark grey.

Artist's mat board for the desired color, and then draw in any lines, etc. between the concrete sections, carefully.

Spray paint any striping, desired, and then weather to your tastes, as well.

some of the roofing material works rather well, the asphalt type ones anyway. Smooth side up, cut to shape, spray black, light drybrush of a dark grey and then use yellow or white for your markings. You can make a lot of it out of a couple sample ones and they're relatively cheap for what you can make out of them.

Hardboard all the way

link

Try Military Modelling or Continental Modeller. They have a whole series of articles by Emmanuel Nouaillier about how he creates buildings, tarmac and concrete for model railway and military modelling displays.

See;
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Tony

Nice linkage there Tony, cheers.

I have also found this site – that may be of use;

link

Tony

320grit sandpaper, ideally in belts for the long sections. You want USED sandpaper, and then you're going to put a couple layers of paint over the top.

Wee Scapes actually makes asphalt mats that are akin to their grass mats. The asphalt ones are quite nice and run about $3.75 USD for a roll.

Wow. Thanks guys, that's a veritable plethora of options to research.

Let's see, that's: craft foam, MDF, coffee grounds, artist's mat, roofing material, hardboard, sandpaper, architectural mat and a slew of awesome linkage.

This'll keep me busy for a while. Decisions, decisions…

To the hardware store!