I have been doing rough work with laying track to make sure that the layout will come out the way that I want. I am now ready to start to lay roadbed, but first there is a question that I need answered. I have read in some articles and posts that some builders paint the plywood first before laying anything down on their layout. Is this absolutely necessary, or is it your preference in case ground scenery is damaged? Also would just tan or a brown be sufficient?
Thanks
i thought the purpose of painting all exposed surfaces of any wood construction is to reduce the chances of warping due to exposer/changes in humidity. so depending on the how humid and how much it varies determines how necessary it is
I didn’t paint or otherwise seal my 5/8" plywood (on 1x4 framing) before drawing lines and laying cork roadbed and track. After the track was down I brush painted a brownish base color. Haven’t had any problems but the layout is in the climate controlled house.
I guess that kind of assumes that you’re laying track directly on plywood. So first step, if your layout is in an area subject to a lot of humidity changes would be to paint the raw wood with something to seal it. Either a commercial wood sealant or interior latex paint, either of which can be bought at your local home center. I keep a dehumidifier running in my basement all year, and that keeps things at about 50% relative humidity, so I don’t worry about it.
Personally, I don’t lay my track directly on the plywood, but on WS 2" risers on top of the plywood. what I would do, if I were you, is trace the outline of your track on your plywood. Next, install either 2" extruded foam board OR WS risers where your track will be (the purpose of this, incidentally, is so that you can easily build scenery BELOW the level of the tracks, which makes for much more realistic scenery. Once you have done so, put your track back on and double check the alignment (and, if you used foam panels, it’s a good idea to trace the outline again. Next, construct your rough scenery. At this point, I paint the whole layout with Glidden Nutmeg Brown, purchased at Home Depot.
Even if you are going to lay your track directly on the plywood, I would still put in the rough scenery, then paint it.
If you are laying your track directly on the plywood, I would suggest that you paint under where your turnouts are going the color of your ballast. This makes it so you do not need to put much ballast around the moving parts of the turnout to hide the bases color. You can do it under the whole track plan if you choose. You can also paint your cork or other roadbed for the same reasons. If you do paint the area under your track, you do not need to be too fussy. If it is a little wider than the track it will give you the option of adjusting your track a little before attaching it. Any paint outside the ballast area will be covered when you paint your earth tone.
I used 2" foam, when it was shaped I painted a small section at a time ( 1-2 sq ft) my earth color. Then I sprinkled on the first layer of ground foam, using the paint as the adhesive for it. Saved a step later and quickly transformed pink world to a much more realistic look.
I do agree that if you have humidity changes that sealing the wood is a good idea. Don’t forget to seal the underside too.
Good luck,
Richard