I’m thinking that spray cans are the best way to go in painting 2 inch extruded foam (outside in the open air), not a brush.
Am I thinking right?
Jarrell
It will probably go faster, and as long as you are adept with the ‘weapon’ and can aovid a lot of paint sagging and running (equals waste, not unsightly as you will cover most of it with scenic foam and structures?), I would say sure, Jarrell. If you do not live in a humid area, and can leave them protected, but outside, they will dry a lot faster, too. Mine took many hours in my basement before I pruchased a dehumidifier.
By the way, how’s it goin’?
Use house paint and a roller. You might want a lighter color if you plan to draw on it. (you will.)
Can you use oil based paints on foam?
Oil based paint will eat right through the foam. Use acrylics only. I used a brush and some old brown house paint. Worked fine.
That’s what I do. Cheap latex works well. Shake a little ground foam on while it’s still a little wet for good effect.
Crandell, as the guys have suggested… I think I’ll go with cheap latex and a roller. I live down in Humid Georgia, so I’ll just have to pick a rainfree day and paint away!
The pictures below show how things have come in the last 3 weeks…
and today…
Next the painting and then I guess the track planning and laying. That’s when things are really going to slow down. And that’s when I’ll start asking you guys a billion and one questions!
Jarrell
Thanks guys. I think I’ll go with the latex and a roller. Probably get it smoother that way. You know, every time I look at this layout it gets smaller and smaller for some reason.
Jarrell
Jarrell, I entirely forgot that you may want to put down an initial layer (sprinkling) of ground cover before you let that paint dry…I’m glad grande man caught that! [^]
And, I did not read your initial question all that carefully, I am sorry to say. I read “spray” and immediately thought of airbrush…don’t know why. So, aboslutely, roller and a tray is the way to go. [:I]
Maybe I’m doing things backwards, but I’m not painting the foam until all the track is in place. I’d think if you spriinkle on ground cover prior to laying track, you’ll only have to scrape it off where the roadbed goes. So, right now I run trains on a big pink prairie. I just have to fini***he yard, then it’s paint time - I got a perfect shade of brown on the OOPS rack at Home Depot, a whole $5 for a gallon of latex paint. I’m kicking myself for not buying the other 3 they had of the exact same shade - I WILL need it when I build the rest of the layout.
The plan is to pint in all pink areas between the roadbed. Then ballast the track.
–Randy
You are right, Randy. In my case, though, I did have the track laid, and I covered it with painter’s tape. I could slop on all the paint I wanted to and not have to worry about getting any on the ballast or rails. So, I was ready for the ground cover by then.
I don’t know if Jarrell is just doing a base coat or if his track is already down. I agree with you that he should wait for groujnd cover until he has confirmed and temporarily laid his track.
No, … no track laid yet.
I’m like Randy, I’m thinking that if I sprinkle the ground foam onto the wet paint, when I start stacking piece of foam to make a hill I have to scrape away the ground foam. I see where it would be of benefit to put it on while the paint is wet then you don’t have to mess with glueing it down though.
Hmmmm…[%-)]
Jarrell
I did what Randy is going to do and regret it… Waited til the track and ballast was on before I painted. It ended up taking a long time to paint b/c I was worried about getting paint on the ballast… So there’s still pink sowing, which I can touch up later, but as you see, more work later…
What I think I should have done was paint the foam and then lay track and roadbed… But I agree that sprinkling ground foam may be counterproductive.
Go my paint in the OOPS rack at HD, too. For some reason, they always have brown in that rack.
Guys, I should clarify the ground foam comment. When I built foam sections, the roadbed when down directly on the foam and then the foam was painted BEFORE track and ballast was put down. Sorry for the vague nature of the earlier comment.
What ever you do, remember to peel off the plastic film that covers many of the foams. I forgot and regret it. I find slopping on the paint good and thick after I have added scenery elements like carved out gullys and built up ridges to work best. The thicker paint hold the sprinkled ground foam better as well.
Jarrel,
If you plan to have grades and varying landforms, hills, rivers, drainage trenches, etc, you should hold off on painting the foam. Layout the track and grades with scenery also in mind. There may end up with areas that you will create a hill/ mountain w/ portals to breakup the dogbone curves etc. These spots would have layers of foam carved/ shaped to meet the scenery you desire. After the trackwork and scenery base is complete is when you would paint w/ a latex/ acylic house paint. Use a color of the earth for the local that you are modeling. Then sprinkle the ground foam on the wet paint.
Save the ballasting for last, especially want to test out the trackwork and debug or repair before applying ballast.
Bob K.
I’m with the group that would suggest painting first. Gets the stark blue or pink covered quickly. Leave the ground foam for later.
When it’s time to put down ground foam it’s easy to brush on a thinned coat of white glue.
And with the wet paint method, I think that unless you work real fast and only put down a thin layer of ground foam, you’re likely to have to do some further glueing anyway.
jmho
Ed
Thanks Pete, I gotta check out that OPPS rack.
Jarrell
Simon, thanks for bringing that point up. I was wondering if it was best to do what carving you’re going to do before or after doing the basic first coat of paint.
Jarrell
Ahhhh… ok Bob, that answers the question about WHEN to paint. Like any good mrr, you know I want a few hills and at least one tunnel. I was just in the room looking at all that foam laying there and it is so… soooo flat! I thought no where on earth is land that flat!
Boy, you got a lot of carving to do.
So if you’re going to be carving ditches and streams and just unleveling the flatness for some variety it would make sense to paint after the cutting.
But, is it better to break up all that flatness by digging down or using something like Scuptamold to build up, or do you do both?
There’s a million questions running around in my head…[%-)]
Jarrell