# Painting SS track but keeping good connectivity



## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

I'll be painting upwards of 800' of SVR SS code 250 track and read that using motor oil on the head before spraying with Rustoleum rattle cans and then wiping down with a rag after is the best to keep the connectivity good. It's also recommended to paint the rails before inserting the ties onto the rail but this leaves me with two questions. 

How do you avoid connectivity issues when using clamps if the rails were all sprayed before?

How do you avoid connectivity issues if you cut track and the web is painted? 


I wonder if maybe it's not a good ideal to spray the rail before it's all installed, or maybe avoid spraying near the ends of the rails and touching them up once the track is in? 
Maybe I should build some painting jig to allow me to paint the track once it's all installed and working well that masks off the top of the rail head and ties below? 


I'll also be using the SVR rail bender which I imagine could scratch painted rail if I use the bender after the rail is painted?


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

The bender could sctrach the rail, you are correct. But you can just touchup afterwards. The conductivity around the clamps can be an issue. What I would suggest is file off the paint around where your going to clamp it.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

No need to put oil on SS rail.... it does not oxidize... 

People use oil on track that oxidizes, like brass, nickel silver, aluminum... 

Put tape on the rail ends to keep the paint off them... you can clean the foot of the rail with a wire brush wheel on a dremel... the rail clamps only contact the foot, not the web or head. 

Bend first, paint later... 

Greg


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## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

Greg: oil (motor oil actually) was recommended elsewhere on mls to be placed on the top of the rail head before spray painting the rail and then using a rag to wipe off any paint on the top of the rail head. The oil simply makes it easier to wipe off any spray paint that did go onto the top of the rail head. 

Considering I'm looking at painting over 250 pieces of 6' sections of rail, would taping really be better in time or overspray prevention than oiling? 

Also having to dremel 500+ ends of rail seems a bit tricky, considering I'd also have to go back and paint the clamps as well. 

Would it potentially be less time to paint the rail by hand or with a jig after the track is in? Maybe spray a foam brush with paint and then wipe along the inside and outside of the rail once everything is installed?


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Brandon, 

Paul Burch (on MLS) gave me a great solution HE uses to paint Sunset Valley rail. Drive four nails into a board, in line spaced eqidistant and weave six to eight rails around and through the nails. Spray paint each side and then wipe the top of each railhead with a eag soaked in laquer thinner. DONE! Works great. 

Of course there is a "caveat" here. We don't have to put up with that "tedious" track power thingy either. We're battery.


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## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

Gary: That's not a bad idea... And it made me wonder about slightly opening up maybe 10-20 code 250 fish plates so rail can slide in/out easier, epoxy then to two boards and then I can slide 5-10 rails into each board of fish plates for painting, rub paint off the top, and when I pull boards/fish plates off the ends I'll have no paint where the clamps should be...


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ahh, oil to resist paint... got it! (doh!) 

I'd wrap a piece of tape around the end of each rail, and try the oil method. 

You could clean up the rail head with lacquer thinner if needed. 

Greg


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Better yet, switch to battery power. Problem solved.


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## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

I'llrun mostly battery one day but I'll still keep power for visiting locos... 

Btw is it rustoleum rusty metal primer people use? HD doesn't appear to have rusty as a color?


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Brandon on 23 Apr 2012 07:39 PM 
I'llrun mostly battery one day but I'll still keep power for visiting locos... 

Btw is it rustoleum rusty metal primer people use? HD doesn't appear to have rusty as a color? 
We use Rustoleum rusty metal primer and I get it at Lowes.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Brandon,
Just put some laquer thinner on a q-tip or similiar and clean the paint off the rail where you need to connect.  I have about a 1500' of track , SVRR aluminum,thats 3000' feet of rail all spray painted with the board and nail method. Granted, I'm all battery power,so it does make things simpler.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Man that first picture looks real Paul... 

Greg


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

I've watched someone assemble the whole thing rail clamps and all and then attach it in place. Then they made templates out of cardstock that fit down around the ties which covered everything so they could spray the rail in place. Quick wipedown with a laquor rag and they moved on. He painted 500 feet in no time and didn't have to worry about scratching, touchup or cleaning the ends. The templates took about 10 minutes to make. Plus, when he wanted to retouch the rail in a year or five the templates could be used with the rail in place. I'll post a pic of them in the morning. 

Terry


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## NYC Buff (Sep 21, 2008)

Stainless Steel in the 300 series is not very receptive to painting. The long term durability of the paint film is in question. Most paints do not adher well to Stainless Steel. The thin thin films of general primer applied by spray cans is very porous. This porosity is prone to allowing passage of water molecules through the paint film to the metal surface. The collecting water will over time cause the paint film to break away from the metal surface and then flake off the rail ( loss of adhesion and then cohesion of the film). This phenomenon will occur more rapidly in humid environments and cycling environments (wet/dry and temperature deltas). Even the use of special surface preparation techniques and purpose designed primers and paints will not guarantee long term durability. I would not recommend painting SS rail or exterior use because you will be disappointed by the results and the necessity to regularly do touch up of varying degrees. 

Respectfully, 

NYC Buff


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have some track that is very close to grass. I fertilized the grass and got some fertilizer on the rails. Wow, nice looking rust... only on the surface and came off the tops easily, but I have nicely rusted rails and stains onto the ties... talk about realistic! 

There's iron in the fertilizer and I guess this is what did it. Cheap, natural, in fact the real thing. 

Greg


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## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

I test painted some rail, went well but it's sure hard to get paint into the web well enough for a good coat without spraying the top of the rail head. I didn't have thinner around but I put some gas on a cloth and rubbed the paint off pretty easily about 5 minutes after I sprayed, it worked but I bet thinner is better. 

I did run into the tie nails rubbing the paint off the rail feet, not sure if there's a trick to stopping that from happening though. One section of track ties wasn't bad but with a 6' piece of track and 10 sections (or 5 for each half) would pretty much rub all the paint off the rail foot.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think you might want to try Terry's suggestion then, paint in place. 

Greg


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Try a bit of soapy water. I used that to move painted Llagas Creek aluminum rail onto their (very tight) tie strips. It did a pretty good job of allowing things to slip over the paint without too much rubbing off. 

To clean the tops of the rails, try using some VERY fine-grit sandpaper in a palm sander (or whatever they call those handheld orbital sanding things) Makes easy work of the paint, AND tamps the ballast! 

Later, 

K


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Sorry, i couldn't find the pics but I made a quick mock up to give you an idea. I made it out of notebook paper, the fellow i saw used heavy cardstock. 

 

 

 

With this method the tieplate and spikes will get painted as well but the real railroad has rusty tieplates and spikes too. At any rate hope this idea helps or at least gives you a better idea. 

Terry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That is downright friggin' clever! 

Can I put that on my web site? (will credit you with the pix, of course) 

You could also cut it from sheets of thin polypropylene if you had a lot to do. 


Greg


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Sure Greg go ahead.


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