I will be laying Kato Unitrack on my layout, but I don't know how to adhere it to the foam. What should I use and how should I use it?
Never used it, but my guess would be latex caulk, like the rest of us use. First Youtube video I looked at was a guy using latex caulk, so I guess that's a good guess.
Moderated posts appear back in time when they were posted, not when they were approved. This will bump it up to the top and someone with more experience can weigh in.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
You can glue it down like other track, or nail it down. The track pieces have openings for track nails, but you have to open them up from underneath if you choose to go that route.
Keep in mind that unlike regular sectional or flextrack, the Unitrack will work just fine without being fastened down. I usually just leave it until I'm sure that's where I want the track to go (I usually try a couple of variations to see which works best) and then add some mixed gray ballast along the edges and fasten that down with a little alcohol and matte medium. That's usually enough to hold the Unitrack in place.
Hello All,
I too have never used any type of track with a built-in plastic roadbed.
When using traditional cork, Homosote®, or foam roadbed typically a bead of foam-safe adhesive is put down the center of the track, and then using a 2-inch plastic putty knife, is spread thinly and evenly.
Then the roadbed is put in place and weighted or pinned until cured- -about 24-hours.
I use clear silicone caulk. It cleans up with water and once cured it can be removed without damaging the foam base.
Looking at the cutaway view on the Kato website it appears that the roadbed has a honeycomb structure.
Filling this void for even adherence to the base would require a lot of adhesive.
I suggest putting a bead of adhesive along the edges, on the bottom, of the plastic roadbed, and then putting the track in place.
You can use a rag to clean up any seepage from the sides.
Again, weight the track section(s) and allow to cure for 24-hours.
If you are using foam as a base nails don't grip too well in the foam.
Depending on the thickness of the foam you might be able to use long brads to penetrate into the solid sub-base.
Another suggestion might be using double-sided carpet tape.
Put the tape on the underside of the roadbed, trim to fit, and press in place.
A disadvantage to using carpet tape might be if you need to reposition the track the tape could possibly stick to the foam and damage the surface when pulling up the tape.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
As others have suggested, I think adhesive caulk would be excellent.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Keep in mind, as I mentioned, one of the big advantages of Unitrack is you don't need to fasten it down, at least not right away. It 'clicks' together quite solidly. You can lay out the track and wire it up and run trains for a while before deciding everything is right, then you can add cork or something under it and permanently fasten it down. You'd hate to glue everything down and then find out it would have worked better if that turnout was 6" further down the line.
BTW when you say "adhere it to the foam" do you mean you're using foam insulation sheets for your layout?
wjstixKeep in mind, as I mentioned, one of the big advantages of Unitrack is you don't need to fasten it down, at least not right away.
That is a tremendous advantage, and Why I have used Unitrack for all of my hidden trackage.
Small wooden blocks glued to the subroadbed hold the Unitrack in position, and if it ever needs maintenance, it is very easy to replace pieces as needed.
I use HO Unitrack, and I haven't fastened mine down at all.
However, it is generally held in place by power feeders and switch machine control wires.
Those are enough to keep it from moving -- unless one purposely gives it a shove...
wjstix Keep in mind, as I mentioned, one of the big advantages of Unitrack is you don't need to fasten it down, at least not right away. It 'clicks' together quite solidly. You can lay out the track and wire it up and run trains for a while before deciding everything is right, then you can add cork or something under it and permanently fasten it down. You'd hate to glue everything down and then find out it would have worked better if that turnout was 6" further down the line. BTW when you say "adhere it to the foam" do you mean you're using foam insulation sheets for your layout?
Yes I am using foam insulation board for my layout.
i use a hot glue gun. once dry can hardly see
The Christmas layout I used to set up used Bachmann's EX track, which is about the same as Kato's.
Since it was a temp. set up, with winter scenery, I used a small amount of white latex caulk, placed along the outside edge of the track, in a few areas, here and there, to hold it all in place. Then I'd sprinkle a little WS snow on it, and it blends right in.
It worked great, and was easy to pick up when it was time to dismantle the layout.
That hot glue idea might be worth a try too.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewiThat hot glue idea might be worth a try too.
Does hot glue work with foam board?
I am asking seriously... I really do not know.
I know you can use a hot glue gun with Woodland Scenics foam inclines, risers etc., in fact WS makes one for that purpose. I would think it would work with other types of hard foam insulation board.
I use Alex Caulk from DP. It will hold to in place well but isnt impossible if you need to make a change. The track doesn't need to be quite so permanent as with a glue gun. And after you ballast over it will add to the grip.
Just as a possibility: an issue with gluing down some of these track systems is that the contact area at the edges and webs is comparatively small. If you are trying to attach this to foam, I'd expect the actual 'gluelines' to tear out comparatively easily -- this may not be important for a static layout in a reasonably temperature-controlled place.
What I'd at least consider is using some sort of adhesive expanding foam to fill some of the void area under the plastic ballast prism -- leaving the areas for feeder wire, joint soldering, etc. accessible -- and then strike off any bubbled-up cured foam with a hot-wire tool. This would give you a large bonding area to the track, and a comparable bonding surface to the foam, for a comparatively small investment.
If you use hot glue, use the cheapest, most flexible, lowest-melting stuff you can find. Then it's possible you can just use a hair dryer or heat gun with a proper diffuser to take it up if necessary, even from under foam as mentioned above. Use more time, not more heat, to get it loose...