Sounds like Ed speaks from experience on this. You can also clean the rail
with mineral spirits if the paint is dry. Don't wait until the paint
hardens. Then it takes a screwdriver to scrape it off. Still not too hard
to do, though.
Roger Nulton
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Loizeaux" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "List, S scale" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 10:58 AM
Subject: {S-Scale List} Track issues: ballasting and colorizing....
> "C & P Porter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 1. How does one spread ballast on flex track without taking longer
> to get it
> distributed and off the tie tops and rail web & base then it would take
> me to
> ballast and then lay my own rail?
>
> Chuck....If a nice neat well manicured mainline appearance is your goal,
> I do not think there is a quick and easy way to do it. It is tedious
> and monotonous and boring and time consuming, but it sure does look nice
> when you are all finished. On the other hand, if decrepit yard trackage
> is the goal, it goes a lot faster. Using an Optivisor and a toothpick
> work for me at "sweeping" grains of ballast off the tie tops one by one.
> Also gotta pick out the ballast from lodging in the spike heads.
> Groan........who said model railroading was fun?
>
> > How do you recolor those brown ties.?
>
> Use an airbrush.
>
> >I don't want to spraypaint the track because then I've made more
> work because I'd have to clean the rail.
>
> It ain't really all that bad. Spray the track and the ballast and
> before the paint dries take a clean cloth tightly wrapped around your
> index finger and firmly wipe the wet paint off the top of the rail.
> Easy and fast. If you want to go the extra mile, also wipe the paint
> off the inside edge of the railhead. This will permit wheel flanges to
> touch the side of the rail and make electrical contact on curves. Locos
> will run a bit better with improved contact.
>
> Another trick to ease the removal of paint on the rail is to apply a
> thin coating of oil (via rag wrapped on finger) to the rail head BEFORE
> spray painting. Then the wipe off can be done after the paint dries and
> it comes off very easily. Besides, paint on the sides of the rail is a
> big improvement over the silver color of flextrack. Ever see silver
> rails on the real RRs?
>
> Having fun yet.....Ed L.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
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