Painting Sheet Cork for Yard: Thin 50/50 w/ water?

[Capt. Grimek]

A friend recommended thinning latex earth color paint 50-50% with water to paint my yard sheet cork. He said that the thinned paint would soak in better. Do you guys n' gals do that or use full strength latex paint? I can see it soaking in better, but concerned that there's be less binder(s) to adhere as well. He said to make the water and paint mix and then keep shaking the jar as I paint. What techniques do you all use? I'll be wanting white glue and yard ballast/cinders to adhere to the paint without issues. I know that the cheapest paint available is generally recommended for painting plaster, but for the cork would you recommend a good brand like Benjamin Moore? Also what would you use ink color wise after using a ponce wheel to draw track lines over a dark brown painted cork? Black permanent marker doesn't show. Yellow paint pen? Thanks.

[mobilman44]

Hi!

My recently demo'd HO layout had all cork roadbed and 3/32 sheet cork (yard/terminal surface) painted with grey latex paint.  It was NOT thinned, but it was a cheaper brand and was relatively thin already (as compared to a premium brand).

I ended up doing two coats on the sheet cork (as ballast pretty well covered the cork roadbed) and the job survived for almost 15 years.  

In my opinion - thinning the paint with excess water might distort the cork and cause it to swell in places where it is "unglued".  I don't know this for a fact, but suspect it is so.

Hey, glad to hear someone else is painting their cork, for I am going to do it again on the new layout now under construction.

ENJOY,

Mobilman44 

[ratled]

I painted my foam area with 50/50 and it was a little light (but it hid the blue from the foam).  I painted my cork in the yard with stright paint and it was a color close to my ballast.  The bulk of the cork I left natural.  As to the marker and pounce wheel I just free lanced and eyeballed it - gives it that frumpy yard look.

ratled

[Midnight Railroader]

 Use cheap latex (don't waste the money on expensive paint) and don't bother to dilute it.

 What I'm saying is, don't make this harder than it has to be. 

[Capt. Grimek]

Thank you as always, guys. Thank for the additional picture, too, ratled. This was the lst I'd ever heard of diluting the paint (esp. at 50-50) and it DID give me concerns about warping or at the least taking forever to dry and maybe not even being sure then... it would be a big cork sponge. My friend is a member of 3 clubs though, so thought he'd be speaking from experience and the tutoring of other club members... I had also read a recommendation on this board about this being the one place to use good quality paint as the paint would be holding the ballast (along with white glue) to the cork and you wanted the best bond you could get-but I only saw one post to that effect. Dave Frary, etc. had always said to buy cheapo bargain paint so I just wanted to recheck as I'll be painting this weekend.

[Grampys Trains]

Hi Capt.:This is just the way I did mine. I glued the sheet cork down with full strength Elmer's white glue and put weights on it till it dried, over nite. I did paint the cork with thinned latex, but if I were doing it again, I would just skip that step. I used a black magic marker to layout the the track. After track was nailed down, I ballasted it. I've always used Elmer's white glue, full strength, to attach scenic elements, ground foam, etc. I used a mix of fine cinders and various shades of WS foam in areas that did'nt have track. Finally, I used black dry tempera paint, applied with a paint brush, and sprinkled with wet water, and spread with a paint brush while still wet, including the track. By the way, none of the cork buckled, it's been down about a year, now.

 

 

[cuyama]

Here's a suggestion:

Step 1) Buy cheap latex paint

Step 2) Thin a half cup of the cheap paint 50/50 with water

Step 3) Paint a small section of a piece of cork with that 50/50 mix and another section with straight paint

Steop 4) When dry, decide which you like better, or go back for more expensive paint.

[Capt. Grimek]

Thank you Grampy. Ever since you "hipped" me to the tempura over gray ballast technique, I've been leaning heavily in that direction. Your yard looks absolutely awesome. Did you use grey paint over the sheet cork as well as the roadbed cork? Or brown on the flat, grey on the roadbed? Cuyama, It wasn't the looks so much I was wondering about, but the need for the paint to soak into the cork or not-avoiding lifting/flaking. I'd always (up until my friend mentioned thinning) intended using straight paint from the can. Thanks. I'll be starting this weekend on the painting.

[Grampys Trains]

 Hi Capt.: If I remember correctly, I think I used brown paint on the cork. I think what happens, is the brown mixed with the black tempera results in gray. The reason I don't think the cork needs to be painted, is it all gets covered up in the end. I'm sure you're yard will turn out great.

[Capt. Grimek]

Thanks. I am using your photos and Dr. Wayne's and a few others as models for my artistic attempts so I do appreciate knowing your specific choices in colors and materials. If mine looks like yours I'll be supremely happy! I thought about saving the paint money and effort but keep reading that it's best to paint for two reasons: l.) keeping the cork from drying out 2.) Having any holes left in one's ballasting show paint rather than cork but the cork IS earthen colored... I was looking at brown color patches this afternoon. It does seem relatively easy to fill any holes/blank spots with ballast or foam ground cover... Thanks very much for your advice and information.

[modelmaker51]

I just have never seen the point in painting cork. First, painting will neutralize it's sound absorbtion capabilities and second, once ballast and ground cover are added and glued down, the cork is sealed. Why add another unneccessary step?

[Capt. Grimek]

Hi Jay, I agree and have thought about the white glue being plenty of sealant. My primary concern was waiting six months to maybe a year, operating before ballasting the yard to be sure track based operations were trouble free and having the cork harden and get brittle. My old layout was in the cellar and was plenty moist and the cork never got brittle over many years, but this time it's upstairs in a dry heated area. Anyway, I've got to decide because if I do paint my track laying mentor/buddy will be coming over after this weekend and I'll want it to be plenty dry. I'd appreciate hearing from folks who've painted and who haven't. There have been lots of painting roadbed cork, threads, but not sheet/yard cork. Thanks all. Your time is not wasted and I appreciate the imput greatly. I just want this last layout to be done right every step of the way and made to last as long as I do barring any surprises! It would seem that once we smear and harden up all of that white glue, plaster, etc. over the sheet cork, that we're kind of back to "square one" with the lack of sound absorbtion though... wouldn't we? EDIT: I decided to go ahead and paint. I realized that the added benefit of having the yard look a bit more like the finished area would keep me from wanting to rush through scenicing and ballasting things later. I used brown and am hoping for Grampy's "happy accident" when the time comes for ballast and tempra black. Tapping on the painted and unpainted cork seems to show that the latex covered (very thin coat) area is actually very slightly quieter than the unfinished. I used full strength paint but in two thin coats and it looks good. Thanks for the pros and cons everyone. Hopefully this thread will help others to decide.