# roof advice needed



## leftyfretguy (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi, 
I am building some very basic temporary buildings for my garden railroad. I am stuck on how to make a roof. The buildings resemble wood buildings with board and batten siding. I would like something qucik, easy and cheap. Any ideas??? Right now I am leaning toward using plexiglass to look like an aluminum roof but I am open to suggestions! 
thanks, 
Matt


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Metal flashing would be cheap/easy. Roofing felt or rolled roofing. I've used copper craft foil(heavy gauge) and it works fine and you can emboss textures in it. Making corrugated roofing with a tube winder(art store) is pretty easy, then glue(silicon caulk) it to a substrate. Check with your local sign company, the honeycomb plastic for election signs(or check with some politicos) has been used by many modelers to make whole buildings with, would work fine for a roof. Texture it has would work well, just paint it. Jerry


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## Lawrence Wallace (Jan 2, 2008)

Try Metal. 


http://users.stratuswave.net/~wd8jik/jig/jig.htm


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## leftyfretguy (Jan 2, 2008)

Its funny you mention the plastic cardboard sign stuff. Just the other day at work I saw a stack of signs headed for the garbage but somehow they ended up in my garage instead... I will have to cut some up and give it a shot. I have about 30 2' x 2' signs, I think I could spare some! Any tips on how to make the edges look realisticish? 
That metal method looks interesting too... Thanks for the help 
Matt


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I think someone did an article on a forum about building with the signs, but can't recall where. Jerry


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## VillageRail (Apr 25, 2008)

I go through the stuff at work before it gets disposed. I've found a lot of good items that go to my shed for future projects. I'm also looking for roofing materials, but so far nothing that works for me. I did manage to get a whole pack of asphalt roofing shingles that were left next to our dumpster. They work well for model roofing, but then I discovered they also make a nice roadway. Saw the tip on another thread, and it looks pretty close to a real asphalt road. 

Paul


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Try the sticky back stair tred. 3M makes some. I think it comes in 1 inch strips. You can over lap and make it looked like rolled roofing. 
When I worked for Picker Mecical Procudts we use to use it for TRACTION SURFACE for a motor drive for a Tomography unit before they invented CAT scanners. 

Yes I am dating my self. ( No one else will )


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