Hi, I never painted track before. I know to paint track on an angle, and to mask the points on a turnout before painting, but do I mask the top of the rail before painting, or does the paint come off with a track cleaning block?
Thanks,
Charles
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
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LION never masked anything. Of course you do not paint the points but only the outside of the stick rails.
LION paints with a brush, always waterbased paints. Just slobber it on. LION uses two or three shades at random at once, just to keep thing interesting.
To clean up you can just clear the paint from the tops of the rails with your thumbnail, although I use a putty knive blade. It comes right off.
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The paint will gum-up a cleaning block pretty quickly. I generally use a plastic scraper, even old credit cards will work and scrape the tops of the rail with those vacuuming up the residue frequently. Even old plastic cutlery from last year's cookout will work.
If you have good ventilation use a cloth slightly dampened with paint thinner to wipe up any remaining paint (wear a nitrile glove).
Have fun!
Ed
I take a Q-tip cotton swab and get some light oil on it, then rub that on the tops of the rails before painting. [Amended post: you do not soak the tip in oil, just a bit of oil, and with a steady hand none should find its way to the sides of the rail.] As soon as you are done painting, run a cloth or paper towel over the tops of the rails and the paint should come right up. (I usually wrap the cloth or paper towel around a block of wood so that the cloth or paper does not reach down to the sides of the rails). If you let the paint dry there might be some spots where you have to use elbow grease but not too many.
Dave Nelson
Ok thankyou everyone for replying!
I use a rattle can, usually a primer color. I block off the switch point with small pieces of paper. I spray about 3' of track at a time. As soon as i'm done spraying I use paper towels or a cloth over a finger and wipe the tops of the rails. Works great.
I also use the paper towel over wood block method. If the towels you use have a smoother, less fuzzy side, fold and place them so it scrubs the rails. I rotate the towel some, then replace as needed. Cheap, easy, non-toxic. Just don't go farther than 3' or so before wiping what you just did or you'll have to work harder to get all the paint off later.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Masking anything but switch points isn't worth the trouble. There are many ways to clean rail after painting. I do what MR author Pelle Soeborg does and drag a dull utility knife blade backwards. It removes paint quickly and does no damage to the rail. I finish cleanup with a track eraser like a Brite Boy.
Rob Spangler
Quick way to mask points: Cut some 1/8 cubes of foam, center the points, wedge a block on each side and spray away.
Mike
One method I've used is to get a piece of cloth, like an old shirt, and wrap that around a block of wood or other item to rub the rails.
I don't think I'd try the oil idea only because any that makes it's way down the side of the rail may cause the paint not to stick.
I'd also be careful about dragging anything metal on the rails, even if it appears dull.
Besides, as long as you get to the paint before it has a chance to dry completely, I doubt you have enough trouble removing it that you'd need to use something like that.
Except for the points I do not mask anythng off. I use cheap brown paint with a drop or two of orange. The kind Walmart sells at 50 cents a bottle (Apple Barrel) on a brush and wipe the top of the rail off with a paper towel after applying ocassionaly I have had to scrape a section a bit with an old credit card or such after it dries.
Assuming that you do this before ballasting neatness makes no difference as the rust is everywhere sides of rails tie plates even the ties themselves.
Joe Staten Island West
I've always wondered what train tracks would look like outside of thier usual colors!
What color were you going to paint the tracks?
bnsf1I'd also be careful about dragging anything metal on the rails, even if it appears dull. Besides, as long as you get to the paint before it has a chance to dry completely, I doubt you have enough trouble removing it that you'd need to use something like that.
Having used the utility blade to clean A LOT of rail, I can confirm it does no harm at all. If you use solvent-based paint in a spray can or airbrush, cleanup even shortly afterward can take considerable time with most of the methods people recommend. I do have a large layout and tend to work in big areas at once.
The knife blade works fast without causing damage, so there's no cause for concern, or, for me at least, no reason to use more time consuming techniques.
Something that nobody has mentioned, and probably forget to do ....
Be sure to also clean the inside edge of the running rails as well - not just the tops. On curves especially, the wheel makes just as much (if not more) contact with the inside of the rail as the top.
I learned this the hard way. After painting my track, I meticulously cleaned the top of the rail with a cloth dampened in solvent and wrapped around a wood block .... but it just didn't run as well as before I painted it. After going back over the track and cleaning the inside EDGE of the rail, everything was back to normal.
Mark.
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Micro mark has paint pens in rust and steel. I put onn the steel. Then after dry. Apply the rust. The rust does not come.out consistent. Butthat creates a lot of variation. It also dries in a way that some.of the rust dissappears. Also adding to the variation. Something i recently started doing.
I was using pre weathered rail and appling. Rustal. And aim.rusts. using a pipet with the tip cut at 45 degrees. That also gave decent results.Keep in mind. Some areas the rust does coat the ballast. On the prototype.
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