# Paint recommendations for wood table layout.



## eagle9 (Jul 8, 2013)

im getting close to starting my o scale project. to keep cost down and to keep it simple as possible with my first layout, im building a wood table layout. what i wanna do is paint the board green, then go back over it after it dries and layout some streets with either black or grey paint, or possibly a tape product called shurtape. ( a anti skid tape for steps). got that idea from another member. my questions are, do i need to prime the board or does it depend on what kind of paint i buy? any painting recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thanx.


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

You are on the right track. Primer seals the wood and promotes adhesion. Neither of which are an issue with wood. If you don't use a primer, you will need several coats of paint. No big deal. 

If I were starting out fresh, I'd put down one heavy coat of green. Then apply several coats of different shades of green with a sponge. The result is a surface with depth. If you choose to glue grass on later, you have a fantastic base.


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## callmeIshmael2 (May 28, 2012)

Something that's not too expensive and deadens the hollow loudness of trains on a board is laying down at least a thin (half-inch will do) pink or blue foam on top of the plywood. In addition to deadening the sound somewhat, it's a great base for painting and adding details such as trees, lichen, plasticville accessories, etc. It's super easy to drill thru your plywood with the foam on top (at any thickness), so it's easy to hide wiring for extra leads for track power, or for trackside accessories, etc. Good luck!


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## eagle9 (Jul 8, 2013)

thanx for both recommendations. are you guys glueing the foam to the plywood?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

They do have one step paint nowadays, it has the primer in it.
They say one coat will do it, everything I hand paint is at least 2 coats.
You will see the difference in the second coat.

Yes, glue the foam board or use a calking.
Just make sure it is suitable for the foam.
Put some weight on it till it drys, let it sit over night or until it is well dried.


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## eagle9 (Jul 8, 2013)

big ed said:


> They do have one step paint nowadays, it has the primer in it.
> They say one coat will do it, everything I hand paint is at least 2 coats.
> You will see the difference in the second coat.
> 
> ...


thanx for the information............


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

JMO, but if you are just going to have paint, I would use an oil base , why? because latex stays sticky, it never seems to harden, I used latex on my first layout, and swore never again, also, consider a med. flat gray instead of green, this way your roads and streets will look more real, then you can paint or add grass where you want afterwards.


this is just an OPINION, based on my own mistakes .............Mike


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