Track Painting - Has Anyone Else Noticed This?

[peteski]

Thanks to all you forumers for your insights.  It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who experienced this.

Peteski - I let the paint dry for at least 24 hours.  I used to use lacquer thinner as a solvent, until it killed a co-worker.  They were using it in a confined space, went into a coma, and never woke up.  This kid needs to keep those few brain cells that he has left.

Richie - I forgot to mention that I use 1500 grit sandpaper after I use the 800 grit.  Puts a nice polish on the rails.

Jim

Jim,
I properly use (and do not directly inhale) lacquer thinner. 
 I'm not going to get into a rant about that pretty much anything can kill you in large enough dose.  I expect people to have common sense when using widely available chemicals (like lacquer thinner).  I'm also a bit confused in the fact that you are airbrushing solvent-based Floquil paints (which has all sorts of deadly solvents in it and which you are spraying into the air you're breathing), yet you don't want to put a small dab of lacquer thinner on a rag and using gloved hand wipe the tops of the rails with it. That seems a bit illogical to me, but who am I to judge others - half of my brain cells are probably destroyed by using lacquer thinner (and Floquil Dio-sol) in my hobbies. 

From your response it appears that you wait too long after painting to wipe the rails. You should wipe the rail head much earlier (like an hour or two after painting).  At that point the paint is still not cured and quite easily removed (possibly even using mild alcohol solvent).

EDIT: if lacquer thinner brings fear into you, Floquil Dio-sol should work just as well (and I know that you aren't afraid of it since it is in Floquil paint which you're freely airbrushing).  Here is the MSDS: http://www.testors.com/media/document/MS.F110001.071108.pdf

[nscaleSPF2]

Peteski - YIKES!  Thanks for the MSDS.  Re-evaluating airbrushing procedure....

[peteski]

Peteski - YIKES!  Thanks for the MSDS.  Re-evaluating airbrushing procedure....

Um, I didn't do that to scare the bejesus out of you. I did it to show you that even though you've been using nasty chemicals, you are still alive and well, probably because you have been using common sense.    I assume that you are ventilating your layout room while airbrushing rails.

If you are really worried, get yourself a good respirator designed to filter solvent fumes and wear it while airbrushing in the layout room.  I have been using organic solvent-based paints in my hobbies for roughly 40 years now and I'm still alive.    I personally much prefer those paints to the new (safer) water-based acrylic paints and I have no plans of stopping using Floquil, Testors, Scalecoat and several other brands of paints or switching to water-based paints.

My suggestion is for you to lighten up and not be so darn scared of the chemicals we use in our hobby. Like I said, you should be safe if you use common sense while using chamicals.  The'll only kill you if you do something really stupid. 

[rogergperkins]

MR Modeling the Clinchfield Railroad in N Scale was one of the early MR series articles running in several issues. It has been my guide over the year for many techniques.  I suspect the success they had with airbrushing the track was a result of soldering many of the joints in the flex track they used.   They airbrushed the track.  They said they used "an abrasive track cleaning block" to clean the head of the rails.
Sounds like a Brite Boy or equivalent.  I found that the 3M P800 Imperial Wetordry production paper worked well for me to clean off paint on the railhead.  There may be a finer grit available.  These products are now made to polish surfaces, thus I am very skeptical about the idea of them creating places for crud to accumulate on the railhead. 

[DKS]

I'm also a bit confused in the fact that you are airbrushing solvent-based Floquil paints (which has all sorts of deadly solvents in it and which you are spraying into the air you're breathing)...

Bah. I airbrushed a couple of scale miles of track for my WR&N II, and it hasn't cauxcome eowplzs wehcxp nvcoweiurfvb any problems.

[nkalanaga]

I usually remove the paint with either a block of pine, which gives enough to fit around the top of the rail, or handheld very fine sandpaper, which also follows the rail.  So, no, I hadn't noticed this, because the inside corners of my track were cleaned without thinking about it.

[nscaleSPF2]

Finished painting the last mile of track, and used the procedure that Peteski described above to remove the paint from the tops of the rails.  Definitely would recommend his procedure.  Was faster and less messy than letting the paint fully dry, then sanding the tops of the rails.  His procedure also made the rails look better, as the tops of the rails look slightly round (as originally manufactured) rather than appearing flat, after sanding.

Thanks, Peteski!

Only thing I did differently was to use "odorless" mineral spirits, rather than lacquer thinner to remove the paint.  I am told that the odorless mineral spirits are slightly less toxic than lacquer thinner, although not quite as effective at removing the paint.

[LN2800]

 I paint my track with Floquil through a airbrush, and like Kalanaga I use a soft pine block to scrape the railheads immediately after spraying, dousing it in lacquer thinner beforehand. This method works well, but I should mention that I typically paint my track outside prior to installing it. (ME flex and Fast tracks turnouts).

[Flatrat]

I used the Testor's paint markers to 'paint' the webs of my peco 55 track, available in what i feel are suitable shades of colors and did it in short sections at a time and promptly wiped off the top of the freshly painted rail sections with alcohol soaked paper towel bits after painting a few feet of track and have had no issues so far. I touch the rails up occasionally with masonite or REALLY fine wet/dry sandpaper, 600 grit or finer when regular track cleaning solutions don't do the trick which usually works fine for me. I took a lot of time to lay my track flat and in gauge which seems key to smooth running N scale trains and so far I have had no issues regarding the paint on the sides of the rails. I'm essentially lazy and using the Testor's markers seemed 100 times easier to me than thinning up paint to run through my airbrush. i used thinned down burnt umber and a brush to paint the ties. I'm happy with the results but your mileage may vary. I don't know if the markers will work as well on real Code 55 track but if you work in short sections cleaning off the top of the rails it may work as well for you. You might wish to experiment with some of them on future track painting projects.

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't know if the markers will work as well on real Code 55 track but if you work in short sections cleaning off the top of the rails it may work as well for you.

Yes, the paint markers work very well on Atlas Code 55. 

[nscaleSPF2]

LN2800,

Am not familiar with the ME flex track, but painting Atlas code 55 (which I am using) before it is installed is somewhat problematic.  When the Atlas track is shaped after painting, it exposes the unpainted parts of the rail that were hidden under the simulated spike heads.  These small, unpainted areas would then need to be touched up.

Jim

[nscaleSPF2]

Flatrat, Michael,

Man, I have a lot of patience, but not as much as both of you have.  The mere thought of painting 4 miles of rail with a brush makes my eyes start to twitch.  Oh, wait, you used a paint marker, not a brush.  Might have to try that on the next project.  Thanks!

Jim

[Flatrat]

The paint marker is about as easy as using any other marker or ball point pen. So much easier than mixing/thinning paint and airbrushing. I think the success lies in working in small sections and getting the paint in all the knooks and crannies of the rails and then cleaning the top of the rails with a solvent or sanding it off. I just folded up some small pieces of paper towel and wetted them with a little rubbing alcohol to wipe the tops of the rails. Like i said, I'm pretty lazy [!] and I can't think of an easier way to paint track other than...to not paint it at all.

Paint with the markers AFTER the track is laid and you won't have any shiny spots. Painting rails prior to bending track is a waste of effort. That's just what's worked best for me. Then paint the ties [if you want to], and then float the ballast with a alcohol/water solution and glue it with thinned down white glue and water, about 50/50 solution [maybe add a drop of dish detergent or other surfactant]. And for best "head retention" rinse out your glass each time before you pour your next beer into the glass. This is just what's worked best for me though. Your mileage may vary.

S

[LN2800]

LN2800,

Am not familiar with the ME flex track, but painting Atlas code 55 (which I am using) before it is installed is somewhat problematic.  When the Atlas track is shaped after painting, it exposes the unpainted parts of the rail that were hidden under the simulated spike heads.  These small, unpainted areas would then need to be touched up.

Jim

Which is exactly why I only use ME flex.    It holds its shape when bent to a curve.

[robert3985]

I use plain old Krylon Ultra-Flat Black to paint my ME (Railcraft) flextrack as well as my hand-laid turnouts.  AND, I use a good respirator and fire up my shop-vac to catch much of the particulate matter with a hose placed close to what I'm painting.  Seems to work well.

I have done this for years, and it works well for me...I just use an old spongy track cleaning block I've had for decades (I don't even know what it's called) to swipe the tops of the track after the paint has stopped being runny....about half an hour usually, and I press hard enough for it to clean the insides of the railheads so's I don't have any power pickup problems.

Then, I paint the ties by using my airbrush (still wearing my respirator) by brushing directly down from above.  The overspray colors the Krylon Ultra-Flat Black sorta rusty colored and I don't put a heavy coat on the ties.  Once again, I do the spongy track cleaner trick to the rail heads.

After it has all cured (meaning no smell) I use various Pollyscale weathering paints (dust, dirt, rr tie brown, flat roof brown, etc.) to pick out several ties every three inches or so with a brush, to make them a different color.  Sometimes, depending on location and use, I'll then put a thin wash of color (usually grimy black) on the ties to emphasize their details and wood grain.

Final step after ballasting is to weather the track using chalks and airbrush.  I use boxcar red to represent UP's rusty colored weed killer applied to all mainlines, and grimy black once again for areas where the center of the track is constantly exposed to soot or oil.  Ocher chalk dust splopped on different locations equals locomotive sand spillage.

Fun stuff!!