Model Railway Forum

Question ? Once I have put together my new plywood boards is it advisable to seal the boards before starting laying tracks.

Yes. Both sides if possible. White emulsion is good underneath makes things easier to see. As for the top I just slosh on any emulsion paint I can lay my hands on. Usually mix some bits up to make a gungy browny grey.

I do the same - use anything I have going spare. Last time I used some varnish.

You can use diluted PVA as a seal. Be careful with gloss paints and varnish, glues generally do not bond well to those shiny surfaces unless you envisage future alterations to track layout then a varnished surface will be easier to remove PVA bonded ballast without damaging the board. Primer paints are normally good for sealing also being designed to have further layers bond to them.

Richard

My late father in law said emulsion was an excellent primer. He was a bit of an expert. Senior Manager of ICI aircraft paints division. Don’t think they used emulsion on Concorde though.

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated

Just to reiterate, it is well worth using white emulsion UNDERNEATH your baseboard - it so much easier to see what you are doing when working underneath.

Thanks for the white emulsion tip. Great common sense thinking........

My carpenter made a baseboard for me using marine ply — he never uses standard ply (no idea why). Anyway, he told me to water the first coat of paint down by 10-15%, so that the paint soaks in and seals the wood. I asked him about using PVA first and he said not to, as it would make paint less likely to adhere properly. I took his advice and my baseboard looks good after one diluted coat and two normal coats. My local model shop suggested using a granite/slate grey paint, and I found a matt finish in the Dulux range which has worked well, so far.

Personally I don't see the necessity of sealing the ply if the layout is staying inside a normal central heated home. I've painted the top of mine with grey primer but only for scenic purposes.