Back to Ballast

I have been experimenting and experimenting but just can't seem to find the right way to do ballast. I've tried putting the ballast down first, then the glue. I've put the glue down first, then the ballast. I've used a spray bottle (it will mist with water but not with 50/50 water glue mix), a syringe type thing, and a bottle with a little spout. I get too much glue or not enough. I get ballast onto the tracks. I'm thinking right now I just won't ballast at all! Any other ideas out there?

I did seem to get my coupler problem solved. Leveled out some track, used some different trucks and wheels on some cars, checked the springs in all the Kadee couplers. They are running well now and I thank you for the help with that. But this ballast thing....that's another story.

Thanks.

Reply to
wayne
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Assuming your ballast material will not float (eg ground cork) My procedure:

- Spread ballast over sleepers.

- Use a suede brush (nylon and brass bristles) to brush the ballast to level just below sleepers.

- make a mix of 1:4 or 1:5 PVA glue and water with a drop of washing up liquid. (this changes the surface tension of the mix and allows it to sink into the ballast)

- dribble the glue mix onto the ballast, too little in preference to too much as you can go back and do it again. Too much at a time may move the ballast.

- leave 24 hours and then check. If there is loose ballast reglue. An excess of glue can climb up the rail sides and create an insulating layer on the rail heads. An abrasive block will clean this off.

Turnouts, particularly around the moving points and tiebar area should NOT be ballasted using this method. I prefer to paint that area ballast colour before laying the turnout to avoid jambing the mechanisim.

Greg.P. NZ

Reply to
Greg.Procter

I use an alcohol/water 60/40 mix (I found a 60/40 mix works best for me). I spray that on first and get ballast good and wet. This allows the glue mix to sink into the ballast. I then use a 50/50 mix of white glue and water. I put the glue and water mix on with an eye dropper.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Reply to
Chris

Many different ways to do this. The dry Weldwood glue that you have to mix up is one way. Mix it with the ballast dry and put down and finally wet it with a sprayer set tor a fine mist. Most methods tho, tend to use a well thinned mix of cheap white glue. Sometimes a bit is spread on the roadbed first and then the ballast is put down and wetted and sometimes with a brush that carries a thin mix of white glue and water and sometimes other stuff. All in all, the techniques also need to have a bit of technique experience to do well.

-- Bob May

rmay at nethere.com http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net

Reply to
Bob May

I've found white glue to be brittle.

I spray Scenic Cement from Woodland Scenics diluted with a bit of alcohol. If you're doing a lot of ballasting, I'd recommend going directly to Woodland Scenics. They've given me a discount on case lots.

Reply to
Carl Heinz

In message , wayne writes

One method, used in the UK by most modellers, is to put the ballast in place *dry*, using a brush to get it just where you want it. Then wet it with a water spray containing a few drops of washing up liquid - the main thing is to get it really *soaking.*

Glue is applied as a 50/50 mix of white glue and water using a pipette. You can tell when you've applied enough as you can see the white glue start to come out of the bottom of the ballast.

With the help of friend Cliff South I ballasted my portable layout a few week ago. I took some photos of the process as we were doing it starting here

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The main thing to be careful about is that you keep the *dry* ballast away from the check rails and frog on pointwork (switches). I have photos of that stating here
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You will see that the glues ballast dries to a different colour from the unglued ballast.

Finally leave the whole thing for at least 24 hours before you touch it as it will appear to be loose for long time (bet you can't guess how I found that out!) before eventually setting rock hard.

Hope this helps you.

Reply to
Mike Hughes

Thank you all again for the advice. I hope to get back to this next weekend.

Wayne

Reply to
wayne

"Greg.Procter" wrote in news:op.uqpj1xdet7a1n0@promodel-5a9821:

Using a plastic kitchen funnel to pour a mound between the rails. Puts down the ballast fast.

Ditto. Run the brush down the track like a bulldozer and push the mound of ballast over the rails. It will fall naturally over the roadbed. Then touch up the lay of the ballast by sprinkling more on the thin spots. And go over anothe time with the brush to make sure the ballast isn't pushed up against the inside of the rails.

I start with a mix of water and a drop of dish soap in a sprat bottle. I mist this _over_ the track (IE: spray it in the air, not at the track). Keep your distance, too close and you will blow the ballast around. Let the mist fall into the ballast.

Then I make the water/glue/drop of soap mixture and...

I actually make several passes down the ROW. on the first pass I just put a single drop every few ties. Then I make several more passes with more drops untill I can see the glue about seep out along the sides.

Once you have enough glue, go back and scrape the inside of the rail with a pick or an exacto knife to knock off any balast that is clinging to the rails.

or a wet rag, or Q-tip. But not a paper towel (ask me how I know).

Reply to
Gordon

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