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Painting ties on the layout
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Author:  sambear [ Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Painting ties on the layout

I am thinking about painting the wood ties after they are glued to the cork roadbed on the layout. Is there a way to stain/paint them to get them looking correct without using an air brush?

While an air brush may work well I am concerned about the basement atmosphere after done (smell, etc.) from doing this on a 60 foot length HO railway. Is there a way to brush on the paint (stain/varnish) before the rails are connected?

Which is better: paint or stain?

What is the best paint and the best stain?

Again, I need great advice, thanks...

Author:  Airwolf Crazy [ Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

Greetings,

I am new to handlaying ties and track so I hope more people respond.

I have colored my ties two ways. The first was to paint them after they were glued down as you are thinking. I used the Floquil paint pin that is "tie brown". It was short work to go over the tops of the ties. After the paint dried I went back over random ties to darken them with a second coat. The drawback to this is that the paint only get the tops of the ties and the outside edges. The inside did not get paint but that was covered with ballast. You can see the result in this vid. testing a turnout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rPbzPeTvr8

The other way I have colored the ties was to stain them. I did this for a bridge I am currently working on. Each tie had to be 16" on center and I knew painting them was not going to be possible. I poured a bottle of Floquil tie brown into a larger container and then thinned the paint with airbrush thinner. This made a wash. The ties were all placed in the wash, the lid was placed on tight, and the wash was swirled around in the container to soak the ties. After approx. two min. I took them out and put them on a paper towel to dry overnight. The next morning I decided to repaet the process to darken the ties. Once on the model I took a micro brush and dipped it in the wash and used it to darken some random ties even more. The disadvantage to this process was having to repeat the staining process. I do not think I would extend the soaking time as I do not know if the wood would swell or warp. Sorry no pics. yet.

Christopher

Author:  Kurt Konrath [ Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

I have seen handliad ties stained before gluing to roadbed look best. The person I knew had about four glass jars he used for staining, all slighty differenct shades.

Depending on what you are looking for, nearly new or old established roadway, you will change what colors and percentage of each.

For nearly new, 90% in dark black/brown stain for fresh look, and 10% divided into other shades for the variety.

For old established road bed, he did 60% in diluted lighter grey shade, and split up balance into other colors for looks of random replacement over the different year with newer ties. He did mention that he usually placed replacement ties with at least two together, often 8-12 for a major repaired area.

He did one spot where entire switch was done in new, to simulate a drop in replacement of a new switch.

Same technique as message above, stain one day, set out to dry on towel, and let dry for a day or two. Then sort and use as needed.

Kurt

Author:  sambear [ Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

I have started by placing the wood ties (glued to the corkbed) on the layout, thus the wood ties have to be stained on the layout as where they sit.

I just wonder if a stain may work better than painting and what kind of stain is best?

Thanks though for the advice so far, much appreciated.

Author:  Kurt Konrath [ Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

Several media will work, most use Isopropal Alcohol as thinner. You can use black India Ink, or I have heard of people using liquid shoe polish for the color. You can get shoe polish is black and brown, and mix for different color blends.

Check at local hardware store or Walmart for small foam paint brush, 1" or 2" will work. Mix your stains in small bowl or wide mouth jar for dipping brushes, work close to roadbed and lightly wipe stain on ties. It should allow for stain to color tops and you can use corner of brush to get ends if needed. How much side and ends need stained depends on level of ballast you will install. New fresh ballast covers end and sides, older track, ballast has settled a bit and top edges of sides and ends will show, but the brush should work to cover this much.

Practice on small area that wont be in prime view or on test section of track to get process down.

If stain is too dark you can lighten by giving a light sanding to ties and apply lighter stain to new top if needed, sometimes a light sanding is enough to lighten color.

Author:  jimmacmn [ Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

I'm not sure if "liquid shoe polish" is the product that you want to use here. I have been using liquid shoe dye (a very different product than polish) thinned with isopropyl alcohol. I like to use the 90% or 99% isopropyl because it has less water content than the 70% which has 30% water. For ties warping caused by the higher % of water is not significant, however, I use this mixture a lot so the less water the better. Leather dyes come in a variety of colors. For ties I usually use a dark brown with just a little bit of black. Leather dye is not readly available where one might purchase shoe polish. I have found that the best source is a shoe repair shop. The brand I current have is Griffin, but I think Kiwi (same as the shoe polish) also has dyes.

Author:  sambear [ Tue Dec 29, 2009 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

Will the shoe dye work on the PC Board ties as well, or am I going to have to paint them?

Author:  jimmacmn [ Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

The shoe dye stain is just that a stain and there is nothing it can soak into on the PC ties. I usually just paint the PC ties with Floquil rail brown along with the sides of the rail. With ballast in place and the other ties stained, these ties pretty much blend in.

Author:  intalco39 [ Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

I use a thin wash of burnt umber craft paint and slop it on the ties after laying with latex caulk and lightly sanding the tops level. You don't have to be careful as long as all faces of the ties are covered. I then use a smaller brush and paint the tops of random ties with mixes of black, white and brown before the original brown coat has dried. This provides a realist mix of colors. I then ballast the track which dulls the paint before laying rail.

Wayne.

Author:  Marshal16 [ Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

Another product that works well is Minwax Wood Stain. I use the dark walnut #2716 product. With this I just put a few hundred ties into a glass jar, that has a tight lid, then add a half dozen squirts of stain with a disposable pipette (MicroMark #82607). With the lid on tight I just shake them for a few minutes until they are all covered with stain and then dump them out onto a fairly thick layer of paper towel and allow them to dry over night. There is some variation in coloring naturally so they look very realistic. Also this stain does a very good job when it is painted on Fast Tracks Quick sticks turnout ties, using a small brush. Any stain that gets on the roadbed is covered by balast. This stain thinned with isopropyl alcohol is very good for darkening ballast between the rails as appears on all railroads from oil spills etc.

Author:  DRLOCO [ Mon May 17, 2010 9:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

Minwax also now sells the "paint pen" style of pen that has various shades of their stain in it (Like a floquil paint pen with stain). I found them at the corner hardware store in my town in 4 shades (2 of which are mostly appropriate for railroads..the other two were too yellow). They were around $4...which, if you have a lot of ties in place, gets expensive with floquil...
just paint it over the ties (it's runny--like any stain) let dry, go over some of them again, and enjoy.
Nice part is that the stain tends to soak up on the sides and ends too--so you don't have to be perfect with your ballasting...

Author:  sambear [ Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

How much percentage of isopropyl alcohol or water does one add to dilute safely the stain (stain such as liquid shoe polish or shoe dye)? For example... is 1:1 too much or is 10:1 (where ten parts is the stain, one part is isopropyl alcohol (or water) better? Let me know please...

Author:  jdm_com_au [ Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

How far to dilute would vary from brand to brand. Some brands would be thicker than others. It would also depend on what finish you are after. Several professional car painters have always told me (and others) that it is always better to apply several thin coats, rather than one thick coat. Experiment with a test piece first, before attempting the 50 foot long layout.

Author:  duckdogger [ Thu May 31, 2012 11:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

The concern of fumes caused by airbrushing can be avoided by using an acrylic paint instead of products such as Floquil which is thinned by Xylene. Poly S, Model Flex are acrylics and have minimal fuming issues. Might work for you.

I have done all of the previously mentioned processes with mixed results. Stains have solvent issues and are frequently too thick out of the can regardless of brand. the paints sold by Joe's Model Trains in Erie can be thinned with alcohol for air brushing - but it takes a lot of thinning as they are more viscous than regular paints. I mix their rust and weathered black to get the shade I want.

Bottom line for me is the Floquil RR Tie Brown via airbrush.

Author:  emccamey [ Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Painting ties on the layout

Typical dilution of tie stain is to make a wash. Again, either India Ink or shoe dye mixed with 99% alcohol is preferred for my use. The light wash is one pint of the alcohol with one or two teaspoons of the stain. For a richer and darker wash, use three teaspoons. The one and two washes are also used for weathering washes on structures and rolling stock. As mentioned, several wash coats will give a better varied final finish. I've also used the Minwax Walnut for large batches, then after laying the ties and sanding the tops, give stain washes over the tops. This method gives depth to the ties and provides a darker sides and ends with tops being lighter as naturally weathered. Varying the wash mixes along the way gives the natural appearing differences expected.

-ed-

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