Styrofoam Spray Paint by Krylon

[AlanRail]

Krylon now makes waterbased Spray paint. -- KRYLON H2O

I use Styrofoam for all of my scenery work. Using acetone based spray paint will melt the foam. Painting laytex on Styrofoam by hand takes far too long and the result is not always earth-like. Plasti-Kote is another version of latex spray that I have used. But the sprayer frequently clogged up. This new version from Krylon says it wont!

using earth colors, gray, brown and green spray I spray the foam surface and next apply Woodland Scenics blended turf like green blend (T1349). The Woodland grass or earth sticks to the wet spray paint to create a realistic grass or earth texture. Leting some of the gray through looks like stone within the grass plantings. Of course if you dont like you can spray it again and retouch it.

Hopefully Kylon will come out with more colors like Plasti-kote; Plasti-kote is usually available from WalMart Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

[brianel027]

When done with your regular spray paint, try wiping the nozzle clean with a tissue. Also another trick is to fill a 35mm film cannister with 91% isopropyl alcohol and soak the nozzle in that. You could use paint thinner, but just dip the nozzle in quickly and then wipe clean and then dip in the isopropyl alcohol. Some paint thinners might affect the plastic of the nozzle.

Also, if you use the can in longer more continuous applications, the nozzle is less likely to clog up. If you get done with one can and the nozzle is still good, never throw it away. Pull the nozzle off and use it on the next can.

If you have some dry paint on a used nozzle, try using a razor blade and scraping the paint off with a motion AWAY from your fingers/hands. Sticking a pin in the nozzle with more than likely screw up the nozzle as it usually says on most cans.

They always say you can turn the can upside and spray to clean the nozzle, but I've not had much luck with that method.

The water based spray paint has been around for a few years. It's good for styrofoam. You can also use it on your trains, but warning... it doesn't come out quite as smoothly as something say like Krylon Shortcut brand. The water base spray paint also goes on a little thicker. Don't get me wrong... you can use it. But it takes a little bit of a different touch to use it - at least on things like buildings and trains.

Krylon makes a very nice water based grey color that works real well for many train cars, color-wise. I much prefer the Krylon Shortcuts brand over the small Plasti-kote brand cans. You can also use something like Rustoleum brand spray paint on your trains BUT you must first completely prime the car with another more plastic-safe brand of spray paint. There are some Rustoleum colors than no one else makes.

Just some observations from someone who has gone through probably hundreds of cans of spray paint over the years.