What’s the best and most efficient way to remove paint from N Scale tracks? I spray painted them (can spray paint) with Floquil Rail Brown and I’m having a tough time getting it off the rails.
Thanks for any and all advice.
91% rubbing alcohol or high grit sand paper
Only thing I might try if paint has been on a while is GOOF-OF. No pun intended. Be carefull no to remove the paint you want, wipe it down really good before running trains
If you don’t mind the chemicals you can try mineral spirits or lacquer thinner. DON’T get thinner on the ties they will probably distort or melt. Be cautious of the fumes with pilot lights etc. A trick for next time wipe a small amount of light weight oil to the tops of the rails and then wipe it off after painting. That has worked well for me in the past.
Guy
I would use the paint thinner or alcohol approach first. Just moisten a paper towel with the liquid and rub it over the railheads until the paint is removed. If you use paint thinner or mineral spirits, I’d use a high % alcohol to remove any thinner residue so the wheels of your rolling stock don’t get gunked up. Doing a final polishing with a Bright Boy rail cleaner probably would not be a bad final step to assure that the railheads are clean.
I just spray painted my track with the same paint. The real easy way is to quickly wipe the tops of the rail with a cloth, wait awhile till it dries a bit, and then use the Bright Boy. Don’t let the paint set up; that’s why you had the problem.
Ron K.
Take a small piece of masonite, rough side down and rub it back and forth over the rails. Then I would take a soft track cleaner (Perfect makes a great one) and go back over the rails to poli***hem.
Don’t use sandpaper on your track.
We brush-paint the sides of the rail (in HO - I can see that might be a bit tougher in N, especially if you use code 55 track. Code 80 is close to HO Code 83 though), and we started off with the “oil on top first” method. And quickly gave up as too time consuming - 2021 has the right idea, paint, wipe (but don’t worry about getting it ALL off with the rag), and then about 15-20 minutes later, when the paint has sort of dried but is not completely set up, use a Bright-Boy and any remaining paint comes off very easily.
–Randy
Take a pice of wood and run it down the rails. Do not use anything harder than the rails as it would ruin the polished surface.
fritzvb,
Floquil is an enamel paint so Isopropyl alcohol wont’ take it off. I agree with Reinhard. Don’t ruin the polished look of the rails, if you can help it. For future reference, apply a thin coat of light oil on the surface of the rails BEFORE you paint. This will keep the paint from sticking to the top of them. You can then just wipe the rails off carefully with a rag.
Tom
I usually saturate a Q-tip with WD-40 and apply it to the TOPS of the rails BEFORE spray painting. After painting I then use a clean Q-Tip to remove the WD-40 and then a Q-top soaked in Goof Off to clean the tops of the rails some more. Works great! By the way, Floquil is NOT an enamel. Pactra makes enamels, Floquil makes a solvent based paint but it is NOT an enamel.
I used 2000 grit sand paper on Code 83 N/S that I got from a person that painted it (thinking he was helping us out) Took time but made a very nice shiny rail top.
my $.02
On thing that works extremely well is Wahl Hair Clipper lubricating oil. You can find it at Walmart or Target. My wifes is a hair cutter so she brought some home. Coat the top of the rails with the hair clipper oil using a foam brush just wide enough to cover the rails. Wipe the rails after the paint dries. Works like a charm.
Ed,
Check out this link: http://www.hobbylinc.com/prods/rh_flo.htm
They list Floquil under enamels.
Tom
Paint thinner on a rag is usually the best solvent remover for enamel. I’d try abrasives first though, masonite, eraser, brown paper shopping bag, etc. Stage three would be 600 grit or finer sandpaper.
Well, Tom, is sure enought shows Floquil as an enamel. I based my response on information from the early 1990s. A guy in the club I belonged to at the time liked working in enamels so he did not use Floquil because it was not an enamel. Either he was wrong or the formulas have changed in the past 15 years or so. In either case, it appears that at this time Floquil is an enamel.