Rejuvenating old cork roadbed

It always goes brittle and is usually unsalvageable.

It's really a one time use product.

-- Cheers Roger T. See the GER at: -

No, the flexibility comes from the rubber in it, when it oxidises, that's the end.

You might try ( and I don't know how to spell it ) Gliseren ? When used on dried gaskets on cold storage doors it keep them FROM drying up. Could be that it MIGHT be worth a try if it's a decent amount of cork. Paint in on both sides several times and see what happens.

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I use glycerin to revitalize my Woodland Scenics, Life-Like, etc. trees. Works fine.

I believe I used glycerin to soften cork roadbed years ago. The cost might be more that buying replacement roadbed, though.

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:

Some 40+ years ago I brought back a jeep trailer full of Lichen from the area around Eglin AFB. The Walther's catalog also sold raw lichen and had the formula to prepare it. No longer remember or have it but believe it was alcohol, glycerin and, perhaps, acetone. Anyway it worked but I used [all that I could get free :) ]pharmaceutical grade glycerin.

I understand there is an industrial grade available at far less cost but have no idea where it could be purchased.

BTW, still have about a 2 pound sealed bag of assorted fall-colored lichen I processed using Walther's formula and Rit dye.

On 9/18/2008 9:11 AM snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net spake thus:

Glycerin can be easily purchased at any drugstore/pharmacy ("chemist" for our UK friends). I have a small bottle.

I believe all that stuff was mixed up in glycol (pure anti-freeze). MRR had an article or two preparing you own lichen back then.

No doubt it will be sold by the gram, for gold prices. That's why the small bottle. Try to find a trade in chemicals for industrial purpose. The industrial grade glycerin is, I think, yellowish in color.

Wot's "MRR" or do you mean "MR", to use their own initials?

-- Cheers Roger T. See the GER at: -

Yup.

Have you made you own? We have lots of lichen here, might be fun to try making some - good project for the club.

Maybe. ;-)

Interesting facts about cork.

Thanks for all the inputs. I'm passing them on.

I'd say the consensus is it might be possible, but the time and material may make it not cost effective.

Val