DAP latex caulking road techniques?

[FifteensAway]

So, I bought my first tube of DAP latex sealant to try out making roads (well, I bought one each of ivory, tan, and brown) and laid out three beads of the tan to get a two inch width 36" long - when I finally peeled it up I actually got 40".  From that same tube I got about 24" of a much narrower, thinner piece.  

Took a lot longer to 'cure' than I expected, four days (but it has been pretty hot here, into the nineties in the day, work surface under a porch on the shady north side of the house).  Also, still more tacky than I want it to be.  The main piece had a few minor holes in it that I think I've successfully filled with excess bits, will know better in a day or so.  The thinner piece when peeled up ended up in three pieces - but when I say thin I really mean thin.

After one day of cure time I definitely decided to return the two unopened tubes since it was still so soft.  But today I decided I'm going to give all three colors a try since it finally seems to have cured to an usable consistency.

So, what I'm interested in is hearing from others who've used this material and what techniques and conditions work best to get the best results?

My secret to share?  I've had some glass shelves laying around for more years than I'll admit to and I used one of them as the base to lay the beads of caulk on and I'm pretty sure it works better than any alternative I can think of.  Most of it peels up and I'm sure I can clean the rest off.

Two bits of information I'm really hoping for - a good release agent that doesn't contaminate the caulk and cleans up easy; also, what can be used to remove the post cure tackiness (I'm thinking to try talc powder and see if it works)?

I might still buy some of the commercially available product but I'm getting a kick out of trying to make my own.  Someone showed up at a club meeting last time out and had some roads made with this, not spectacular but decent and effective.

Look forward to input.  And thanks!


PS - I'm in U.S. so not sure if this is available in other places under the same brand name

[Hu Rhu]

Can you post some pictures please?

[Wirelizard]

Interesting you had issues with continued stickiness and such.

I did my caulk roads a few years ago using a couple of big plastic bags instead of your spare glass shelves, and they dried overnight with no stickiness and no bits left behind on the bags when I peeled them off.

I did up my experience with photos and posted it over to my blog: http://www.warbard.ca/2011/02/18/dirt-roads-from-caulking/

[FifteensAway]

Yeah, one week on and I'm still having stickiness issues.  But have to keep in mind that the roads have been outside the whole week and the daytime temperatures have been 80's and 90's (fahrenheit - before I scare the heck out of the celsius crowd!).

Tried something different this morning and immersed a couple of the smaller pieces in a 'sand bath' to see if that will remove the stickiness - it's just some clean playground sand from a bucket of left overs from another project.  How'd it work.  Don't know yet, haven't been outside to check on it but going that way when I get done 'playing' here.

Appreciate that tutorial.  Wondering what the temperatures were when you did yours up there in the 'far' north of Canada?

[FifteensAway]

Cleaned the sand off today (been a busy week) and it seems to have done the trick in getting rid of almost all of the stickiness.  Hope to have some time this week to try some more road building - or maybe I'll use the ivory to try to make a stream/river section.

[gary42]

Great stuff!  Was just thinking about trying this technique! Definitely will now.

Thanks!

[FifteensAway]

One other tip for those giving this a try - if you have small holes to patch, patch them from the bottom of the piece since that works better and doesn't leave little 'globules' on top of the road surface.  I have a few of those on mine but I'm just going to live with them on this first piece.

And I will post a photo or two when I actually have a spare moment to take and post same.  Not sure when that will be.  I'm married!