# Painting plastic track



## Dunk2011 (May 21, 2006)

how do you paint plastic track?


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

1 - Buy paint
2 - Apply to track surface
3 - Clean up power rails as necessary

'doba


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Before you do any painting, you should make sure the surface is clean of any oils, dirt, etc...... rr


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## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

I plant on using Krylon plastic paint...I have a scheme to fill the slots with something and spray very light coats from different angles..


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## Scafremon (Dec 11, 2006)

Crimnick said:


> I plant on using Krylon plastic paint...I have a scheme to fill the slots with something and spray very light coats from different angles..


Crimnick: Curious if you have tried painting any track yet, and if so, how it went, tips, pitfalls, etc.


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## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

No I havent...This is kinda my off season for the home track....The garage is un heated(in north west Ohio)....and I wasnt happy to see a couple pieces with corrosion on them ,having had the lay out up for a full season......after my temp christmass lay out in the basement....baby got cleaned and put to bed in a plastic tub under the pool table/ drapery cutting table...

Krylon seems like the best for a chip and peel free surface...it molecularly bonds with the plastic...or is supposed to....

I was going to use weather stripping to block off the slot...and spray very light coats of grey...then clean the rails with a mild abrasive...

As allways....you must do a test piece first....and what ever paint you choose....make sure it's ok to use on plastic....some paints have solvents that can melt certain kinds of plastic...

I saw some of the 1/32 guys actually used a coat of primer watered down and latex cut with water...


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

When I painted one of my HO layouts I overlaid the rails and the slot with the blue painter's tape, then burnished the tape down around the rails. The first thing was to clean the track and then make sure the joints were sealed/covered. I added a second layer of masking at the joints (bare metal foil) for added protecction. May have been overkill, but I didn't want to have to worry about paint run. Then at the joints I did a second covering of Bare Metal foil to make sure I had a good seal. Believe it or not, I still had a couple of joints that I had to clean up. Just take your time, make sure your tape/masking is burnished, and the paint is warmed if you're using cans. Send pix....:thumbsup: rr


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## Franko (Mar 16, 2005)

I used the method from hoslotcarracing.com and am very pleased with the results. Paint with a brush, no taping, scrape rails later.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Franko said:


> I used the method from hoslotcarracing.com and am very pleased with the results. Paint with a brush, no taping, scrape rails later.


 Did you have any issue with brush strokes and thickness of coat? rr


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## Scafremon (Dec 11, 2006)

I need to think more about this whole painting thing.

My thought was to paint the track pieces before I even build the track. It would give me something to do while I still try and figure out what size track I am going to build, where I am going to put it, and how I am going to store it(since I don't have the room for a permanent track fixture in my home). I'm kind of dragging out the project, to make it more fun, since my normal process is to blaze on a new hobby real quick, and then burn out almost as quickly. I want this new hobby to be different.

I noticed on the gift track I built for a friend that the track pieces have different sheens to them, and that is why I thought about painting them - to get a consistent look. But since I am not sure how permanent of a layout I am going to have, maybe painting track pieces isn't a smart thing to do.

Yea, I need to think about this more, before I possibly ruin my whole investment in track pieces because I don't know what I am doing.


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## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

Yes sir...I definately wouldnt paint it until its fully assembled in a permanent manner...

I am simply in awe of some of the detailed layouts out there...

If you have been surfing HO websites as much as I have...you probably allready saw this...but just in case:

http://www.geocities.com/brooklandsspeedway/speedway/index.htm

That is Cooooool daddio...


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## Franko (Mar 16, 2005)

roadrner said:


> Did you have any issue with brush strokes and thickness of coat? rr


No brush strokes visible. Used several thin coats.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Crimnick said:


> Yes sir...I definately wouldnt paint it until its fully assembled in a permanent manner...


 
Definitely wait or you'll be doing touch up everytime you setup and takedown the track.  rr


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## FastMann (Dec 19, 2006)

Krylon or Color Place, both available from Wal-Mart, are good. Use masking tape to cover the rails and sensors first!


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