So my track and turnouts are spiked to the cork roadbed. What is the best way to paint the track a flat brown color? Shoud I use oil base paint? How do I mask the turnout points? Thank you.
Perhaps use a cheap 1/2" craft brush and wipe off any paint which gest on the track. I've not done it since my ME track is pre-weathered. Shold you need to paint track, it makes sense to test it fully. This is a similar approach to gluing the track and adding ballast.
A great (and long) discussion about painting track is found here:https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/11831
I use a small brush and apply a mix of craft paints. Yes, be careful with the turnouts.
Simon
Best way is to tape off any parts of the turnout that move and rattle can everything else with a solvent based paint, wiping the rail as you go. Then when dry you go back and touch up area that you remove the tape from with a small brush from a decanted bottle of the spraypaint (you can spray into a bottle but add little paint thinner first, it is trial and error to get the right mix and you don't need a whole lot). Last reclean all rails your regular way, I use a brightboy after painting but then switch.
rrebell Best way is to tape off any parts of the turnout that move and rattle can everything else with a solvent based paint, wiping the rail as you go. Then when dry you go back and touch up area that you remove the tape from with a small brush from a decanted bottle of the spraypaint (you can spray into a bottle but add little paint thinner first, it is trial and error to get the right mix and you don't need a whole lot). Last reclean all rails your regular way, I use a brightboy after painting but then switch.
That's what I did, tape off the points and spray with Rustoleum Camo Brown which is a nice flat coating. I have no patience to use a brush or my track would never get done. I plan to touch up the turnouts after removing the tape.
Once spray painted, I follow Rob Spanglers advice and drag a loose utility knife blade backward over the railhead. It removes the dried paint well.
Here I masked around the track and sprayed:
Here is an area where the rail head has been scraped and cleaned.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
For any masking around the cork I used typing paper and painters tape.
I've done the track painting with an air brush, spray cans and with a half inch craft brush. Once you figure in the setup and clean-up time of airbrushing, and the masking and unmasking time for spray cans, I find that using the brush is the better choice.
I use acrylic craft paint, easy to use and to cleanup. For turnouts, I place a thin strip of cardboard between the points and the stock rail, and go easy with the paint around any joints (with rivets or rail joiners) in the point rails.
Jim
I too used painters tape to mask.
I second rebell's and Rico grande's method. Be sure to mask turnout properly. There's no removing paint if it gets in.
Regards, Chris