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Post by dave on Dec 21, 2015 13:47:39 GMT -5
I have read a few scattered threads here about track ballasting, but I am wondering in anyone who has painted, weathered and ballasted Rokuhan track would be willing to give some very specific directions on how to do it? A video demonstration would be even better. I am looking for specific information, such as what paint you used to paint the rails, how you masked things, the technique for painting the rails, etc. I suspect some weathering is done using washes, but how do you protect the electric switches from getting liquid in them. Any help would be great. Thanks looking.
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Post by zscalehobo on Dec 21, 2015 13:52:27 GMT -5
I have read a few scattered threads here about track ballasting, but I am wondering in anyone who has painted, weathered and ballasted Rokuhan track would be willing to give some very specific directions on how to do it? A video demonstration would be even better. I am looking for specific information, such as what paint you used to paint the rails, how you masked things, the technique for painting the rails, etc. I suspect some weathering is done using washes, but how do you protect the electric switches from getting liquid in them. Any help would be great. Thanks looking. John Cubbin's awesome blog "Raildig.com" has a couple of articles with detailed instructions. Check this photo out for a teaser:  Here is the project page: www.raildig.com/raildig-build-projects/painting-kato-unitrack-rail/I am not sure you will find any more details than his blog. Sincerely, Frank Daniels Owner - z.scale.hobo |
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Post by atw on Dec 21, 2015 15:41:00 GMT -5
I always enjoy John's blog very much, but I do wonder if this approach will work just as well on curves, let alone switches. Cutting the masking tape for those track configurations seems like a daunting task to me. I can't offer a video, but IMHO the one big mistake many fellow modellers make when hand painting rails of any scale is that they use a brush which is *way too big in size*. For Z you really want a 4/0 or 3/0 size brush, i.e. with a tip of less than or around 1/62". You will have to get that from a specialist outlet, but it's worth it. It also prevents getting too much paint onto the rail at once, reducing the amount of paint in places where you don't really want it. I always paint the track pieces before I fix them down, that way I can rotate them around to get at the rail from all sides more easily - and like ballasting, you don't want to do it all in one go as it can get tedious fairly quickly. Paint depends on the colour you want your rails to have; I use the Revell range as this is readily available here in Europe. I always get paint where I don't want it, though. Not a lot, but still, it's there. If it looks bad, I'll wipe it with thinner (which often adds a weathering effect). On the whole, I find that especially with Z scale it's the overall appearance that does it - close-up pictures are always cruel in our scale. Just my two cents plus 25 years of painting rails  cheerZ Adrian |
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Post by dave on Dec 21, 2015 16:52:37 GMT -5
So, do you paint the tops of the rails as well and then clean it off with something? I would think it would be difficult to make the tops of the rails.
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Post by atw on Dec 21, 2015 17:24:00 GMT -5
I don't try to avoid getting any paint on the tops of the rails, so they always get their fair share of paint. After painting a piece of track I then roll up some kitchen tissue into a pad which is just slightly wider than the two rails and move it along both rails of the track, wiping the still wet paint off (sometimes takes more than one swipe). Once the paint has dried (usually the next day), I run a Dedeco "fine" scratch-free track cleaner over the rails, which removes any residual paint and leaves you with nice and shiny tops of the rails.
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Post by tjdreams on Dec 21, 2015 18:55:59 GMT -5
I've gotten good results painting the rail using a airbrush (Iwata Eclipse HP-CS) First I wash the track with Vinegar then let it sit on a brown paper bag to air dry (not as much lint or fuzz like on a paper towel). After drying for a couple hours I use the airbrush to blow off any remaining moister or dust. For paint I use Polly Scale Acrylic Paint (Rust #F414323) Thinned 30% to 50% With the air set at 18 to 20 psi I spray each side of the rail holding the tip of the air brush 90* to the rail and almost touching it so the spray pattern is no wider than the rail is tall. Getting the inside of the rail requires a little more angle and a steady hand. Giving it a couple light coats works better than one heavy coat. I paint the track sections before installing them which allows me to hold the track and airbrush at just the right angle and distance so no or very little paint gets onto the ties or roadbed. I use a old t-shirt dampened with Isopropyl Alcohol to wipe off any paint that got the top of the rails or ties as soon as they are done being sprayed. I also leave the last 1/4 inch of each rail unpainted to insure good electrical contact between sections
For turnouts I use a old tooth brush dipped in Vinegar to clean the rails then blow dry right away. Then I paint the outside of the rails as above and use a OOO brush trimmed to a very tiny point to hand paint the points and insides of the rails.
Once installed on the layout I use the OOO brush to touch the ends of the track and rail joiners along with any spots I may have missed.
David
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Post by BAZman on Dec 25, 2015 2:01:16 GMT -5
We've just rattle can painted the rails and roadbed all at once. In the past, Testor's Roof brown (darker than Rail brown). Use Rail brown for lessor used rail (lighter, like rusting). But, no longer available. So any modeller's size cans as the big just put out too much paint. We have sprayed hundreds of feet of rail without prep'ing but Acrylics may need a little more oil residue cleaing. Most any Electronics supply will have Contact Cleaner (NON-lubricating type) or some flux removers but Hexane is better. All should say Plastic Safe.
We use an Alcohol soaked rag, wrapped around a small block to quickly wipe the rail tops after sparying. You have about 60 seconds to wipe our it will become really hard to remove without scrubbing (don't ever use sand paper).
The ties don't change color that much and, if you want, you can just use a generic small bush to brush on some blacker color wash.
If you are trying to keep the Rokuhan ballast and only paint the rails, its a pain. The 4/0 and other size brushed can be easily found at Michaels, Aaron Brothers and Art supply stores.
Since we all run out trains from 3-4 feet away (or more) painting the rails only really isn't that obvious. We've won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place NMRA awards with bulk paint-it-all, then simply ballast (where the white glue leaves just enough haze that the ties will remain distinctively different than the rails.
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