22 replies to this topic

[Michael Jr.]

OK... so I'm about to paint my Ogilive Orange and turn the blue walls to orange again. Here is the question... do I paint the legs?

Now I know some of you put skirts on your tracks... or kilts or whatever. But I saw a beautiful red King with red legs and oh my... I'm smitten.

 

So do I paint those legs orange? Leave them raw? Maybe go black? 

 

This question falls into the category of casual meaningless conversation that isn't worthy of anyone getting upset about anything.

[MattD]

I would think it would depend a lot on the condition of the wood, if it is clean I would leave it alone. Once you paint it can never go back to original.

[Cheater]

Save the money and time and leave them unpainted.

[Brian Czeiner]

The light blue and orange gulf colors seem to look fabulous on anything. I don't see where a track would be any different. Maybe place a length of 3/4" painters tape around the orange wall before painting creating a blue stripe on the orange wall too? It is only limited to your imagination....

[Bill from NH]

Are your legs marked for which ones go where? Are any of them pre-set for proper height & angle?

[Michael Jr.]

Are your legs marked for which ones go where? Are any of them pre-set for proper height & angle?

 

Yes they are. They are currently attached and I would have to go back and remark them I'm sure. I don't mind sliding around on my back with a marker. Just don't make me do the wiring!

[Michael Jr.]

The light blue and orange gulf colors seem to look fabulous on anything. I don't see where a track would be any different. Maybe place a length of 3/4" painters tape around the orange wall before painting creating a blue stripe on the orange wall too? It is only limited to your imagination....

 

i have no doubt there are a number of things that would be attractive but.....this is a restoration to a color that is historically identified with this type of track. So it'll need to be solid orange.

[Rotorranch]

Orange or natural... Black would look too Haloweenish.

 

Rotor

[Eddie Fleming]

Natural.

 

The red king with the painted legs was eye catching because it had lights under the track i think. If you are not going to light it don't do anything unless it is in contrast to the orange. I agree with Jeff black would look to much like Halloween.  Silver gray could work.

[Michael Jr.]

Natural.

 

The red king with the painted legs was eye catching because it had lights under the track i think. If you are not going to light it don't do anything unless it is in contrast to the orange. I agree with Jeff black would look to much like Halloween.  Silver gray could work.

 

Well ironically, I received my strings of LED lights just yesterday. I plan to put the LED lights under the drag and probably the Orange because they are positioned in front of the glass front. The Engleman is also in clear view but I'm not sure I will do the entire underneath of all the tracks.

[MSwiss]

Painting the legs is a lot of work, but really does improve the look of the track.

On my flat track, they are real tall, because the whole track is table height, so I did them right away.

I had the 8 colors of paint , from doing my control panel, so I painted the legs 8 different colors, and they are arranged like your lane rotation.

They would of been fine, one color.

I had never painted them on my King, until I moved the second time.

Partially because I had readjusted the whole height of the track, to make it quite a bit higher in spots, I went ahead and did it.

Keep in mind, if you paint the legs while they're together on the track, they'll be kind of stuck together at the joints, in that position, and hard to adjust.

I painted all my legs off of the track,with the top and bottom, separated from each other.

Still, the longer you let them dry, the better chance you'll have to adjust them, without the overlapping faces, being stuck together, from the tacky surface of the paint, being squeezed together.

If that happens, you'll be able to get it come apart, with a good whack, from a rubber mallet.

[Jay Guard]

I'd paint them a satin gray, kind of goes with everything and does give the track a more finished look.  However Mike is right, it's a lot of work and you really do want to let them dry to the max possible.  I'm sure you'll find that once you get the track set-up and running you will want to be tweaking the legs for at least a week or two, maybe longer, so if they're stuck together it makes that job a lot harder.

[mreibman]

when I first started racing, our local track was an American Orange. I have great affinity for the layout, and it was fun to run on one at Buzzy's, too.

 

That being said, our old American had GREEN sidewalls... not sure why. But its legs were steel. (Remember, an old American double-deck track). So when I first read this thread, that's what I thought... steel color. From the remarks on the thread, seems like this is a single-deck track - now I see Ogilvie -  (modern build). I still would think that stainless steel paint would be awesome, but also the grey that Jay Guard is talking about would work nicely.

 

So my votes would be stainless steel, or a grey.... and I'm not going to dwell on how much work it is, it's a labor of love anyway.

[dc-65x]

My little track is in my living-room / dining-room so I didn't want to leave them raw wood.     The underside and legs are light grey like the track surface and the track sides are white like the rooms trim moldings:

 

 

[bbr]

a great use of the dining room. I should do the same. mostly I eat on the sofa watching tv

Rick, did you build the track?

[Jay Guard]

Here's another possibility...

Once you get the track up and running with the non-painted legs it may be possible to remove every other leg, paint it, and reinstall it after it's dry.  If your track has a lot of legs that might work OK.  However if it's a long way between legs it might effect the way the track runs due to warping or sagging where the legs were removed, especially if it takes a long time for the paint to dry.

[Don Weaver]

Wouldn't using a latex paint on the legs speed up the drying process?

[Michael Jr.]

My little track is in my living-room / dining-room so I didn't want to leave them raw wood.     The underside and legs are light grey like the track surface and the track sides are white like the rooms trim moldings:

 

Track Install 008 (800x600).jpg

 

Track Install 025 (800x600).jpg

 

Really nice looking job. I appreciate the time and attention you gave to the track appearance. i know it's in your home but it's nice enough looking to actually ADD to your home instead of pull it down with something that looks like it didn't belong. Very impressive..

[John Streisguth]

Here's another possibility...

Once you get the track up and running with the non-painted legs it may be possible to remove every other leg, paint it, and reinstall it after it's dry.  If your track has a lot of legs that might work OK.  However if it's a long way between legs it might effect the way the track runs due to warping or sagging where the legs were removed, especially if it takes a long time for the paint to dry.

You could support any sections that may sag with a floor jack and some wood.  But I think the "every other" is a great idea

[dc-65x]

Mike and Michael,

 

My track was built by Master track builder Gary Gerding. He not only built the track to exactly fit into my specific space but listened to my wishes for the cosmetics. For a slot car track in my living room, I'm really happy with it.

 

Thanks again Gary Gerding!  

 

Removing every other support and maybe only doing one section of the track at a time might be the way to go Michael. A latex interior paint should dry very quickly.

[MSwiss]

Latex drys to the touch, very quickly.

But how triangular legs work, with the clamping action of the (typically 1/4") nut and bolt, and the additional (I use production) screw(s), what seems to be dry, still gets stuck together.

Believe me, I know from experience.

I would help dry the paint,more thoroughly, using a fan, and as mentioned, have a rubber mallet on hand.

[Michael Jr.]

I will eventually paint them. Because I am pressing hard to open, I'm gonna hang a checkered flag skirt and then gradually remove a leg, paint it and put it back on. It'll take a while but all of this is a labor or love and then when they least expect it, the skirt will come off and the legs will be orange. 

[old & gray]

I would think it would depend a lot on the condition of the wood, if it is clean I would leave it alone.

 

Once you paint it can never go back to original.

 

In about 1974 I bought a used case. It was stained a light green but for a number of reasons I painted it with bright yellow enamel paint. Just before I when to the Spud NATS (1999) my wife decided to refinish my case before I headed out west.

 

This is the result of stripping 20 year old paint then staining and finishing. You can see the wood grain even thought it was never visible under the paint.

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