I have just finished my plywood baseboard and considering painting it a grey colour as i am planing on building an industrial layout consisting of a cement plant and stone crushing plant.My question would be do i really need to paint it or should i leave it a blank canvas.
You don't need to if you used outdoor grade plywood. Only reason is if you're particularly heavy n water-based scenic stuff, like ballast and other stuff. If it's indoor plywood, then that's more of an issue and paint can seal the surface enough to let things dry after application without causing delamination f the underlying plywood.
If you do, I'd recommend not using gloss or semi-gloss paint, as flat or eggshell will allow better bonding under future scenic materials.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I do it, not to protect the surface, but so that if there are any bare spots in the scenic cover, you don;t see bare wood showing through. Even more important is using extruded foam - the pink stuff is a color you won;t find in nature anywhere. Where there is grass, weeds, fields, etc. I paint it some earthy brown color - usually by picking up some 'oops' paint that was mis-matched and rejected by the customer. Can be hit or miss, sometimes you get lucky and there is a nice dirt brown shade available, a fraction of the price of buying it and having it tinted to the brown you want. An overall grey base under a rock and cement operation isn't a bad idea. Any close up pics of a cement plant will show pretty much everything coated in a uniform grey layer of dust. I have a great shot of a little GE 25 ton loco at one of the local mills, bright blue color like the Walthers Plymouth, except that it's all over grey toned, except where the crew grab on getting aboard and where people have touched things like the cut lever and around the cab door. In those spots, the brightness of the blue comes through.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks for that so you believe i could get away with doing the whole board grey obviouslly not the whole layout will be devoted to cement works but i suppose i could always go over parts that may need to be brown at a later date with an emulsion.All so the ply i bought was interior but my workshop isnt damp.
A light grey colour, or very light brown, can make the plywood appear to be part of a realistic scene for a longer time while you build the real scenery after laying your tracks. Bare plywood, or foam, just shouts, "Hey, we're not done here!!" I know that I tend to go in fits and starts when building my last two layouts, quite unlike the first two where I drove the body and mind for hours a day until I figured it was pretty close to finished. A coat of suitable paint gives you some time to think about alternatives to your original scenery plans while you still run trains in a setting that, with some structures and a few planted trees, will help your imagination to enjoy where you are at the moment in your creation.
Like Randy does, I scout the local hardware stores, independent and chain, and look for mistakes in the paint department. I'm always surprised to find something I can use, even if I will need to add some acrylic craft paint to alter the hue a bit. Instead of $35/gal, it might be $15. One of those finds might even be great on your fascia once you decide to install it on the open face of your faming. Happened to me.
I second all responses ... the only one addition is that if you use Woodland Scenics “paving tape” for building roads or concrete areas, it sticks to latex paint and is very hard to remove. So do that before painting, but do paint.
Personally, I use pink foam on top of plywood ...
NP
I have gone ahead and painted the whole baseboard grey with a sky blue border around a ft high.I intend on using some foam against the blue and creating some sort of hilly area.I believe the trees will look nice against the blue background.All or most industrial sites have to preserve the local area and wildlife by planting trees so i believe it would blend well with the cement plant and stone crushing plant.
Another thing to consider is that if you are using plywood as your base, think about the environment your layout will be in. High humidity can wreak havoc on your layout. Expanding and contracting can cause your track to buckle. To be safe, I'd paint the complete sheet; top, bottom, sides, and ends. This should provide sufficient sealing of the wood.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I paint everything "Apple Barrel English Ivy Green". This is available at WalMart for 50 cents for a two ounce bottle.
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The reason I use this color is because it is exactly the same color as Woodland Scenics #T-49 green blend gound cover. So if a little shows through, it is not noticeable.
Yes, paint everything. Plywood is ugly, OSB is uglier. Even plywood just painted green, gray, tan, or brown is a huge improvement.
-Kevin
Living the dream.