Painting plastic tracks

[proxieken]

I am using Carrera tracks and saw some videos of folks who have painted theirs. I would like to paint mine a grey color and add some rubber marks. I was thinking of using flat household paint, maybe the kind with built in primer. How will this affect traction on the track? I think the plastic is probably less grippy than the flat paint woud be.

Got some ideas for improvement that includes lighting and while I am at it I would like to upgrade the looks.

[HomeRacingWorld]

I painted mine with Wal-Mart cheap gray primer from the can.

Masked off the rails, and worked fine.

Grip was fine. And the more you ran on it, the better it was.

I brush painted too using a Satin gray. Also worked fine and again as rubber is laid down...the better the traction.

Just need to give it time to break-in like a motor :)

Good luck and hope it helps. There are a lot of folks here who have painted, I am sure they will chime in.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

There were several posts on the old forum about this, and as I remember there were a few things people ran into problems that surprised me as I read. One particularly good looking version had added squiggly black tar repairs for roadway cracking that looked very realistic as well as normal expansion joints in the concrete. That may have been the guy who built a fantastic 1/32nd scale model of the various sites of the Targa Florio. That was breathtaking. Loads of great pictures, too. I caught some of them in this google search: https://www.google.com/search?q=targa+f ... 38&bih=842

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[DHansen]

I painted my old Revell/Riggens track with flat black Ace Hardware enamel paint. Some of my track is Revell molded in gray plastic and the Riggens track is molded in black. So I painted it to make it all the same color. Traction is better then the bare plastic and after years of use it just keeps getting better.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Yeah that stuff was some really tough styrene, and if you were careful with the tricky disassembly, it will last forever. My buddy has miles of it, most from around 1966.

[HomeRacingWorld]

I painted NINCO once. The abrasive "points" of the surface just wear off rather quickly. But in the cracks it stays of course. It was a neat effect as you had what looked like a "race groove" rather quickly.

[Ember]

Mine is painted Scaley Sport. Totally different character to drive on since it was painted. Not just because of the change to the surface....

[proxieken]

That track is amazing Ember. It has inspired me to go beyond simple spray paint.....

[Ember]

All done with brushes. Most of the scenery had been done, so spraying was not a possibility.

[Czar]

I just finished painting my newest layout this past weekend. It is the fourth track I have painted. Honestly, I wouldn't want to race on a track that hasn't been painted. Here are my suggestions: 1) clean the track with isopropyl alcohol so the paint will stick. 2) like Harry said, mask the rails 3) use a cheap latex paint, watered down a little so it doesn't go on too thick 4) I suggest a satin finish for better grip. In time, the flat can get kind of "chalky" 5) this time I used a foam roller to apply the paint and I like the results much better than the brushed on paint 6) give the track at least two coats of paint and smooth out any roller marks
I have painted one Scaley track and three Carrera tracks

[Hotrodbob]

I used grey Rustolium texture spray. I like the surface now. Carrera was always to slick for my taste. It's been about 5 years now. Still works great.

[Hotrodbob]

[Ember]

No sanding. I did fill the worst gaps. Use a good quality paintable flexible filler. I washed the track down with Prepsol which may be available under a different name there, but it's used in the car detailing industry to remove tar from auto duco without damaging it. It's also used for a preparation wash before applying vinyl graphics.

Paint is still doing well. A couple of spots that have been damaged by long tyre spins (car stuck and idiot driving just spinning wheels hoping to get out of it) but any patched paint just adds to the realism of an asphalt surface.

[driva137]

Hi, does anyone have any advice or ideas on getting a gravel road or dirt road effect ?

How about wheel ruts, pot holes and puddles ?