Laid most of my track with CA & fixer.Very solid! (perhaps too?).
On a last piece of track I tried the laytex acrylic caulk method (a la Popp & his vids here).
Perhaps it was because the track was A. on a curve & B. on a steep grade but it was kind of a mess. Had to pin down, constantly check & adjust.
Finally squirted some CA at key points to hold it while the caulk was drying.
Any known potential bad reactions from mixing the two? No problems or is it like the Ghostbusters crossing the streams?
So far so good, though I think I'll "stick" with CA for track laying on graded curves, a couple ties at a time. Caulk seems groovy for yard work where you can reposition easier. Any thoughts?--Mark
M.C. Fujiwara
My YouTube Channel (How-to's, Layout progress videos)
Silicon Valley Free-moN
I've used caulk everywhere, even with superelevated curves. Not sure why you would have to keep going back and adjusting after you adjusted things and pinned it down. Pinning is essential, as it takes an hour or so for it to set up enough that it won't shift easily, it's not strong enough to hold flex in a curve without the help of some pushpins. Once it sets up though it won;t be going anywhere. You only need a LITTLE bit - if you are following pencil lines you shoudl still be able to see the lines through the thin layer of caulk. If it's oozing through the ties - you used too much. My method is basically, spread on a thin line of caulk, spread it out with a putty knife (those fake credit cards are also good for this, and disposable, no cleanup), then lay the track. If it's a curve I at least pin the end so it won't whip back. Not through any ties - no holes, at least in Atlas Code 83 flex, unles syou add them yourself. I put the pins betwwen the ties, against the sides of the rail. Then I go back and make sure everythign is lines up, pinning as I go. By the time I get to the third or fourth section, the first one is probably set enough to remove some of the pins, at least in the middle. I keep pins in at the joints between track sections overnight.
- -Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Reading that & thinking about it: I think I had a little bit too much caulk (squishing up through ties) & my grade isn't 100% even (is on the used part but the end disappears off into abandoned mine).
The fake credit card is a good idea! I used 3x5 file cards (a little thin individually, but a couple together works fine).
I hope you don't run into problems using CA to hold your track down. NOT my first chose for holding plastic to wood/cork. I have too many problems with CA letting go after a short period of time.
CA may be a quick fix for the hold, but CA joints are brittle and also will be absorbed into any porous material. Removal or reworking any problem track is going to be real tough.
I would follow the recommendations of many here as to the use of latex/ acylic caulk. Also don't rely on just pins to hold the track, use some flat pieces of ply, pine etc and weight the track down until caulk has set. This will keep the track flatter and still allow bridging over hollow spots. This cannot be done with just pinning down. If you ever need to perform repairs or alter some bad track, a flexable putty knife will lift the track for adjustment or relaying.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
mcfunkeymonkey Laid most of my track with CA & fixer.
Curious: What are you laying your track on--cork, foam, plywood, etc.? Jamie
CLICK HERE FOR THE CSX DIXIE LINE BLOG
Atlas 80 on cork. LHS sage / queen / demigoddess suggested bob smith industries super thin "insta-cure", drop a drop in the hole where a nail would go, and voila!
Worked great for most the layout. No wiggle room, though! Yr turnouts better be set set & set! Also difficult to match up rail hights exactly when leaving a gap for control block.
Thats why I thought caulk would be way to go: more fudge room, can manuver rail ends, etc. I think I just put too much goop on it.
The CA fixed track is solid though & doesn't seem brittle or about to pop off ANY time soon.
mcfunkeymonkeyAtlas 80 on cork. LHS sage / queen / demigoddess suggested bob smith industries super thin "insta-cure", drop a drop in the hole where a nail would go, and voila!
I suspect these joints will break in time with the movement of track from the trains and possible environmental expansion.contraction. CA is brittle and will not flex at all; it will just let go.
On the other hand, I have never had trouble with latex caulk holding track solidly for the long term.
Good points. The flexability of caulk appeals to me (and the ability to shout "caulk!" loud & 3 times fast appeals to the juvenile in me ).
Darn: guess I'll just have to build a newer, bigger layout just to try out that caulk!
mcfunkeymonkey Good points. The flexability of caulk appeals to me (and the ability to shout "caulk!" loud & 3 times fast appeals to the juvenile in me ). Darn: guess I'll just have to build a newer, bigger layout just to try out that caulk!
I have not laid any track with caulk yet (that'll happen in the next few weeks), but I did just lay a bunch of cork roadbed with latex painters caulk and was VERY happy with the results. In particular, I really like the initial tack/grab of the caulk and its longer than expected working time of 15 minutes. My cork was homemade and very curly from being rolled up, but the caulk grabbed it right away and I did not have to use any pushpins or weights, even on my tightest curves. I imagine these qualities will be very useful when laying flex track, although pushpins will still be on alert if needed. Jamie
mcfunkeymonkeyDarn: guess I'll just have to build a newer, bigger layout just to try out that caulk!
Nope, just wait 'til the CA breaks loose and you can relay that track with caulk.
Yep, caulk is the way to go. And, if you ever decide you want to change something later, a wide puddy knife and some careful prying will salvage both the track and the cork roadbed underneath.
I've been very happy with the results of acrylic latex caulk; both on holding down cork roadbed and track. The flexibility and working time with caulk is a big plus over CA, too.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
PS. Your NOT gluing your turnouts down. RIGHT???
loathar PS. Your NOT gluing your turnouts down. RIGHT???
I'm not as think as you dumb I am!
With CA you place a little drop on the tie at each of the 3 ends and it holds great. (so far)
I'm assuming with caulk you spead it very thin under the points so it only lightly contacts the ties? (and away from the bar, of course). A bit thicker elsewhere under the divergent / through tracks? or solder turnout to other track and just caulk that down?
hmm... sticky situation.
The only caulk I put under my turnouts went from the frog out, and a tiny bit under the end before the point rails. None at all under any part of the turnout that moves. That's asking for trouble. And always just a little. Sometimes it looked like it was just a shiny part of the roadbed, that's how thinly spread it was. Definitely there should be no thick white blobs at any point. For a regular size tube to do this, I had to carefully nibble at the point of the nozzle with cutters to just expose the the opening - the markings on the outside are for 1/4" and larger beads - WAY too big. To pierce the inner foil I had to stick a piece of solid wire through the tiny opening and jab it in. If the hole is big enough to use the standard contractor method of stickign a nail in it - it's too big. The openign I made was small enough to close up with a pushpin, the long ones with the round knobby on the end - map pins may be a more accurate term. One strip of this down the center, then spread with a putty knife - PLENTY of caulk to hold the track. And mine was HO, so if it's enough caulk to hold bigger HO track it should be plenty to hold N scale track.
--Randy