Unitrack painting problem

[Dave V]

Since I'd had success with painting an old piece of Unitrack, I tried painting some new stock I just purchased.

Before doing so, I scrubbed it all with dish soap and an old toothbrush, then soaked it in water with dish soap. Then rinsed it. Then dried it.

This track has some kind of coating on it still...it will not take paint on rail or tie! It also laughs off a WS paint pen (which is enamel). I even cleaned the rails a second time with isopropyl alcohol and tried again. Same outcome...zero binding.

So what the heck am I to do?

[Chris333]

Nuke it with brake parts cleaner 

[Dave V]

Nuke it with brake parts cleaner 

I never know if you're being serious, LOL... Will it damage the plastic?

[Chris333]

I have no ideal. It will probably remove the paint. I sometimes use it when hand laying track.

No idea what is on the track, but I remember Atlas flex being very oily.

Try some 90% alcohol.

[OldEastRR]

Did you try both enamel and acrylic paint? Latex?

The rails can be stripped out of the roadbed, then you can acid-bathe them if need be. Or soak them in that stuff that weathers rail dark.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's wild! I've never had that issue.

[chessie system fan]

Tamiya worked just fine for me.

[Chris333]

The rails can be stripped out of the roadbed, then you can acid-bathe them if need be. Or soak them in that stuff that weathers rail dark.

I think the rail has dimples on the bottom and won't just slide out.

Acid bath would ruin the head of the rail and no longer have that nice Kato gleaming.

The stuff to weather rail requires the rail to be very clean or it will not work. So how will it itself clean the rails?

[peteski]

Unitrak rail is crimped to the roadbed - it cannot be easily removed.  Brake Kleen spray will likely damage the plastic. Same goes for acetone or lacquer thinner. For cleaning solvent I would try Naphtha or Bestine/Heptane (remember that stuff?).

[Dave V]

Did you try both enamel and acrylic paint? Latex?

The rails can be stripped out of the roadbed, then you can acid-bathe them if need be. Or soak them in that stuff that weathers rail dark.

Acrylic and enamel yes. Latex? LOL

@peteski , yes, I have Bestine!

[Dave V]

Bestine didn’t do it either…. 

What the actual f**k?

No paint will stick at all. Neither will a paint pen.

[squirrelhunter]

Peteski is right Unitrak isn't easily removed but it's also not impossible, I use a pair of needle nose pliers to grab the web of the rail on one end to pull it straight out carefully
. Getting the rail back in can be kind of tricky, you have to go slow to make sure the foot of the rail slides under the bits on the ties that retain the rail without breaking them off.

I know the coating isn't paint, but have you tried a stripper that is plastic friendly like the AK Interactive one to see if it does anything?

[Chris333]

Back to HOn3 

[Dave V]

OK, guys, I feel like the answer isn't pulling all the track pieces apart. Destroying the integrity of the track system upon whose integrity the entire modular medium depends seems counterproductive to me, to say nothing of it being overwhelmingly tedious.

Nah, I'm calling it quits for tonight as all the pieces swim overnight in 91% isopropyl alcohol.

Thanks for the help so far. I'm gonna get this done one way or another.

[CONRAIL FAN]

Try a quick wipe down with nail polish remover. Just check the bottle so it’s the high acetone mix.