Using homabed?

[Lateral-G]

I ordered some curvable homabed for the roadbed of my layout. I was curious as to how any of you that have used this in the past affixed it to the sub-roadbed. Is it similar to cork roadbed? Can I attach it with regular carpenter's glue? Or should I use latex adhesive caulk?

I know they make turnout bases but unfortunately they don't have anything for fast tracks turnouts just yet so I'll have to peice something together. One again I'm assuming it'll be like using cork, correct?

Any tips are appreciated.

 

-G- 

[modelmaker51]

Homasote is a pressed paper product, so yes, it can be glued down with white or yellow wood glue. It accepts and holds track nail/spikes much better than cork. I don't know what you mean by "it'll be like using cork". Please be more specific.

[Lateral-G]

I don't know what you mean by "it'll be like using cork". Please be more specific.

 

Will it be laid down in a manner similar to the way you put down cork roadbed?

 

-G- 

[Sperandeo]

Hello "G,"

I use HomaBed on my own layout, and it is like cork in that the roadbed comes in two halves which you affix on either side of the track center line. Note that the curvable roadbed is meant to bend toward the slotted side, so the slots close up as the radius decreases. (Forgive me if that's stating the obvious, but I've seen some folks do it the other way.)

I use yellow glue to secure the HomaBed, and I tack it in place with finishing nails until the glue dries. I drive the nails only partway into the plywood subgrade so I can easily remove them after the glue dries. I use both the straight and curvable HomaBed in combination, as it's easier to make really straight roadbed with the straight sections.

And since even my standard turnouts are an odd size (no. 6-1/2, a standard for the Santa Fe), I piece together turnout roadbed from the straight and curved sections.

So long,

Andy

[Anonymous]

Hello "G,"

Note that the curvable roadbed is meant to bend toward the slotted side, so the slots close up as the radius decreases. (Forgive me if that's stating the obvious, but I've seen some folks do it the other way.)

Andy

Andy is correct and I may be the person responsible for stating this incorrectly or at least incompletely.  (see: http://cs.trains.com/forums/1399683/ShowPost.aspx)  I like to work curved Homabed by laying the "solid" side of the half against the centerline first.  Now this half may be the half near you or further away from you depending upon the direction of the curve. 

I have had some situations where my visibility of the centerline would be limited if I layed the inside of the roadbed first so I chose to do the outside of the curve ("outside" being away from my body and eyes) first even though this meant that the slots were spreading instead of closing up.  Once the roadbed was painted with full strength laytex paint most of the slots essentially disappeared and the rest will disappear with ballasting.

Andy uses yellow glue and (temporary) nails; I use adhesive caulk and straight pins.  Both methods work fine and I am sure many other variations also work. 

I just got finished with the final sanding of a new section of roadbed and I thought "man, is that smooth - I hate to lay track on it."  (NOT)

You will like Homabed.

Good luck,
-John 

And, yes, you can work turnout areas just like cork strips.  I fill in the interior gaps at turnouts with drywall joint compound.  Once painted and sanded you can't see them.

[Lateral-G]

Thanks Andy and John.

Sounds like it should go down pretty easy. I've used homasote before but had put cork roadbed on top of that (my old N-scale layout). I ordered all curvable homabed since my HOn3 layout has almost no pure straight sections...typical narrow gauge 

And thanks for the tip Andy. I might have laid it down with the slots to the outside of the curve. 

take care,

 

-G- 

[donhalshanks]

I used homabed exactly as Andy described, and it has been excellent.  I handlaid my track, so homabed was excellent for spiking.  I used the homabed turnout pads for my handmade turnouts, but they did fit the curve numbers I modeled. I painted the homabed with a gray latex paint before laing the rail, and later the ballast.  I also used the sheet homabed in my yards.

Have fun!  Hal