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Post by kars2026 on Aug 19, 2023 23:34:14 GMT
I will be reconditioning some old rusty O gauge track. When the track in soaked in vinegar the rust is dissolved along with the black paint on the track ties. The ties are bare metal subject to rust and just don't look right. Does anyone have a method to repaint the track ties? If I use spray paint, the paint would get on the track which I don't want. I thought about putting paint in a flat cookie sheet and dipping the track tie in the paint, then touching up the top of the tie with a small flat artist brush. Any other ideas would be appreciated!
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Post by highvoltage on Aug 21, 2023 19:05:12 GMT
Mask off the rails with painter's tape, then spray. Wait until the paint is mostly dry, then peel off the tape.
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Post by Adam on Aug 21, 2023 19:27:02 GMT
Another option which is a bit more effort on the prep would be to pry off the rails and separate the ties from them.
This would also offer the opportunity to replace the insulators which may be worn if the track is old. You can also soak the rails in a deruster of some sort while you are at it.
I suggest trying all potential methods on single pieces of track to see which suits you the best.
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Post by kars2026 on Aug 23, 2023 21:12:41 GMT
I've thought about using the tape and I may try it. I did dis-assemble some O27 track to paint the ties. It worked, but was a lot of work and some of the tabs that holds the rail in place broke even when bent slightly. Thanks for the feed back!
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 2, 2023 21:15:25 GMT
Well, if you're attempting to replicate the original gloss, the above methods should work fine . . . with the emphasis on "work"! I had the same thing happen to me when I tried to recondition some old O-27 track, and I found just using some brown or black paint and a small brush was a *lot* easier, and just as quick. Sure, there's a chance some of the brush marks might be visible, but you can just call it "simulated grain" if you orient the brushing appropriately. Besides, on salvaged 3-rail track, worrying about the gloss on the ties is a bit of overkill IMHO, unless you're a stickler for toy train authenticity . . . in which case, I'd recommend the reasonably-priced repro track and avoid the salvage operation!
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 2, 2023 21:26:05 GMT
Well, if you're attempting to replicate the original gloss, the above methods should work fine . . . with the emphasis on "work"! I had the same thing happen to me when I tried to recondition some old O-27 track, and I found just using some brown or black paint and a small brush was a *lot* easier, and just as quick. Sure, there's a chance some of the brush marks might be visible, but you can just call it "simulated grain" if you orient the brushing appropriately. Besides, on salvaged 3-rail track, worrying about the gloss on the ties is a bit of overkill IMHO, unless you're a stickler for toy train authenticity . . . in which case, I'd recommend the reasonably-priced repro track and avoid the salvage operation! I should mention I've usually tried to add a bit more realism to my tubular 3-rail track by adding extra ties, ballast, and some paint on the sides of the rails, as may be visible in the video below (if I can figure out how to post it!), so I'm clearly leaning away from the "toy train" esthetic, when I can (YMMV):
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