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Track Weathering Embarrassment


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Hi, I wonder if anyone had any advice for my embarrassing problem.... I tried to weather my track with the usual sleeper grime spray paint but when I came to peel off the masking tape I laid for the rail rust it took off all the sleeper grime paint.

 

It was left over night so was fully dried but still came off. Should I have primed the track?

 

Many thanks

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Dunno - I don't use an airbrush on the track. In OO, HOm, and HOe/009 I mix the ballast so that I'm happy with it. I then brush enamels onto the sleepers and the rails - a fine brush, no need for masking (except, perhaps, on point blades). Sometimes I've used a dilute acrylic wash on the ballast *after* painting the sleepers.

 

Or, perhaps you need a gentler masking tape (the red or yellow tapes, instead of paper).

 

ĸen

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I don't understand why you waited so long to take off the masking tape... You should take it off carefully shortly after of application.

 

That applies to all forms of masking even around the house. The longer you leave it on the more problems you will have. I mask when using brushes too.

 

Best, Pete.

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Me neither, brush paint the sides of the rails, wiping any excess off the tops and then airbrushing for the general weathering of the sleepers and ballast again wiping excess off the rail tops, job done.

 

Cav

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Thanks for the advice.

 

I've never used masking tape before either, I guess the old saying, if it isn't broke.....

 

I think it's time to get comfortable, get out a fine brush and prepare for some eye strain

 

Thanks again, Ad

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Leaving the masking tape on wouldn't have helped any - but if it was flexi track with 'soft' plastic sleepers almost any paint will, over time, come off.

 

It's a feature of the material, 'vinyls' actively 'shell' whatever is applied to them. It means that vinyl surfcaes stay clean, one of the selling points for 1960's furniture.

 

I was warned against varnishing over the vinyl fleetnames on my bus - see avatar pic for exactly that reason.

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I never use masking tape for painting track. An old stiffish brush and then immediately wipe the rail tops with a clean cloth wrapped around the finger. I bias the finger towards the inside of the rails too, that ensures the flanges are clear of paint

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I can't see any point in using masking tape for track spraying as, even if you got the tape off successfully, you would still need to run your track rubber along the rails to take off any sticky residue left on from the tape. A rubber will shift the paint off the top of the rail when dry and leave a lovely shiny finish. Any stubborn bits you might get can be shifted with a razor blade.

 

Regards

Alan

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  • 1 month later...

I'm planning to use a mix of black, brown and green/grey spray on my track. The plan is to fix it all down, check it runs ok and the spray the track. The ballast is to go down after spraying. The added problem is that I'm modelling LT so the 4 rails will be sprayed together and then the juice rails will need the tops painted a brighter colour. As ever, I'll experiment on a short section of track.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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