Roofing materials

[Bob]

Hi all - I am starting to make a whole series of buildings for Harpers Ferry, all scratch built, and I would like to come up with a better solution for slate and asphalt shingle roofs.  The metal roofs I can deal with using Plastruct and Evergreen sheets, but what do you all use for shingles of various sorts?  Anyone try roofing material from GCLaser?  I am guessing you have to paint their material; they have roof caps, which seem intriguing.  As usual I am looking for the collective wisdom from TRW, which has guided me so well in the past!  Thank - Bob

[wazzou]

I've bought from a variety of sources over the years, but often they go out of business.
Over the last few years, I have purchased most of them from Rusty Stumps Scale Models, but he sold that part of his line to https://www.rail-scale-models.com/index.php

[SAH]

I like the look of printed shingle patterns on textured paper.  You can get different effects by changing the color of the paper and the printed pattern. See below.   An update to an old school technique (who remembers Walthers brick, stone and roof paper sheets?) but I think it scales out better than laying up individual shingle strips.  Textures.com opens up another resource.  I used the weathered wood board image for the B&O I1 porch deck.  It worked well.   

Steve

[Bob]

Hi SAH - thanks for the response.  Pardon my ignorance, but what is textured paper?  Or, rather, what textured paper do you use?  Do you buy printed shingle patterns or print your own?  If you print your own (I have used Textures.com some), do you laminate the printed paper to try to preserve the color?  THanks!  Bob

[SAH]

I used a simple drawing program (Visio) to draw the shingles.
Textured paper is, well, paper that has a texture.  Look at an art supply or craft store.  There all kinds of textures and quality levels out there.  Not all of them take printed ink well.  Seal the print with Dullcote or fixative. 
It's a trial and error process but when you find the right combination the results are worth it IMO.  The depot was built 20+ years ago.  The brands have probably changed since.  I'll see if I can find some notes.
Steve

[Bob]

I think your depot looks great, and if it is that old maybe I don't have to laminate the paper with plastic, which is what I have been doing so far.

[wazzou]

All of the shingle siding on this building was done with those from Rusty Stumps, now Rail-Scale.

[nkalanaga]

"who remembers Walthers brick, stone and roof paper sheets?"

I do, and still have some, both on buildings, and as sheets.

[SAH]

I think your depot looks great, and if it is that old maybe I don't have to laminate the paper with plastic, which is what I have been doing so far.

There is a sublayer of sheet styrene and support for same under the roof paper.  Without support the paper will warp over time.

The paper I used for the depot is from Daler-Rowney, an English paper producer I believe.  The style is Murano.  The color is Slate.  There are many others out there.

If you want the real nitty-gritty on the roof build (and the depot too for that matter) find a copy of N-Scale J/A & S/O 2007.  It's a sure fire cure for insomnia.

Steve

[peteski]

German companies make several styles of brick, stone, and roofing material sheets (embossed paper and thin plastic).  But most of the roofing material is European style tiles.  Walthers probably carries some of those sheets.  I know DM-Toys (in Germany) carries bunch of it.