"Looking for ideas: 1/600 scale tile roofs" Topic

I have a wide selection of 1/600 scale buildings to use for shore terrain in 16th-17th C. naval games, and I'd like to "back date" some of my later era buildings to look older. I think adding a roof tile texture would do it.

I'm starting with buildings like these from Bay Area Yards, and a few overscale lead buildings from other sources with similar roof textures (smooth, board texture, tin sheet texture, etc.).

I'd like to wind up with roofs that look at least passably similar to the Pico Armor buildings or the buildings from the Valiant Ramming Speed range. I admit these two lines do not match each other, but at this scale I don't think it will matter – all I really need to do is make a texture that looks like a zillion tiles from a foot or more away and paint with a dark wash will complete the illusion.

The most obvious solution I've thought of is to lay on a coat of putty or acrylic modeling paste and texture it with a tool, but I'm pretty sure that would be slow going and drive me slowly mad. I'd prefer a fast method. Quick and dirty is okay.

The next most obvious is to print out a tile pattern on paper and glue it down, but I think the contrast alongside actual physical textures would be noticeable. I'd prefer a real texture.

Any ideas from the peanut gallery?

- Ix

First thought is to visit a craft store and look for those plastic sheets for threading stuff through, sort of tiny waffle sections but larger sheets of the stuff – not sure if you'll find them small enough but its the only thing I can think of.

I don't think you'll find any plastic grids at the craft place small enough for 1/600. Maybe window screen or other metal mesh stuff?

Doug

at that scale.. there would be no texture on a roof. Paint it, wash it with a colour, highlight the ridge.. and move on.

(same as oversized rivets on tanks that are an inch across in reality.. that appear as scale baseballs on 15mm models..)

I would go the putty/texture route but you can buy a 1/700 or 1/800 Japanese castle kit on ebay. Use a piece of the roof to make a mold to cast the roofs you need and then use the castle pieces to make some more buildings.

Maddaz111 is right. At that scale there would not be any definitive texture. Anything added would be cartoonish, at best (unless you want your tiles to be 3' wide). Best bet is to paint it and then use a wash to suggest the texture.

Start with a thin layer of green stuff and press on it with a stiff toothbrush to get the roughness to give it some texture.

id ignore those saying texture is unnecessary even though it will be out of scale it is still essential as otherwise the eye interprets it as smooth. At game range the eye/brain gives the texture the benefit of the doubt and interprets as you wish (I.e. the rough texture of a tiled roof)

You can see roof textures well below 1/600th scale.

These are from the Langton 1/1200th (though actually rather larger than that) ancient ranges.

press on it with a stiff toothbrush to get the roughness to give it some texture

Good thought – a stippled effect might work nicely!

Doug

How about rolling air dry modeling clay out on a sheet of waxed paper, real thin, and then scribing it with a mustache comb? Let it dry, then just slice into roof sized squares and remove the waxed paper. Glue onto the building with white glue (PVA).

I use DAS modeling clay. If it starts drying on you while you're working with it, just hit it with a bit of water to extend the work time.

You could make all the roofing you need in one sheet. Good luck!

Start with a thin layer of green stuff and press on it with a stiff toothbrush to get the roughness to give it some texture.

Okay, now we're talking business. That's a good idea.

Maybe I can improve on that with a template that presses in one or more rows of tiles, and just march it down the roof one press at a time.

id ignore those saying texture is unnecessary even though it will be out of scale it is still essential as otherwise the eye interprets it as smooth. At game range the eye/brain gives the texture the benefit of the doubt and interprets as you wish (I.e. the rough texture of a tiled roof)

I concur – down to about 1/1200 scale. At 1/2400 scale, my eyes aren't good enough to make the attempt, let alone perceive the result.

- Ix

How about rolling air dry modeling clay out on a sheet of waxed paper, real thin, and then scribing it with a mustache comb?

LOL! You realize you just told me to make an actual tile roof, right? Heh. If I make it from the right brownish-red shade of clay, I don't even have to paint it…

This is also an experiment worth trying. Good idea.

- Ix

What about using cable ties. Have seen them used in small scales for stairs.

Not sure if that would work for roofs, but for stairs, that's a fun idea. I'll remember that.

- Ix

lol Yellow Admiral! Yeah, I guess I did!
I just thought it was a good way to make dozens of lines with one stroke. Dont know how the cross hatching will go, might have to do those lines by pushing down with a flat stylus. But the comb is a start anyway. If it wont "draw" the clay without tearing, you may have to lay it flat and push it in.
I'm building a 10mm barn right now, so I'm gonna try it when I get to the roof part.
Fingers crossed!

> What about using cable ties. Have seen them used in small scales for stairs.

Brilliant! Thanks for that. I have been thinking of making crops but wanted the rows to be straight – using zip ties I can do the whole thing in one go. Using them for stairs on my paper buildings too.

There also might be a type of fabric tape that would work for something like that.

"id ignore those saying texture is unnecessary even though it will be out of scale it is still essential as otherwise the eye interprets it as smooth. At game range the eye/brain gives the texture the benefit of the doubt and interprets as you wish (I.e. the rough texture of a tiled roof)"

Quite the contrary (as any professional modelbuilder or good model railroader will tell you). If the roof image is good enough, the eye will assume the texture is there. I've seen HO scale brick buildings with brick printed paper as the facing material look indistinguishable from a 3D rendering. And a new technique is photo wallpaper which takes the whole effect further. (But what do I know; I've only been a professional modelbuilder for 35 years…).