selector Okay, this may come across as a very naive or dumb question, but as a person who has zero experience using matte medium as a ballast binding agent, only wood glue, if you let the talc settle and only use the medium, will you not be left with overly shiny ballast? Crandell
Okay, this may come across as a very naive or dumb question, but as a person who has zero experience using matte medium as a ballast binding agent, only wood glue, if you let the talc settle and only use the medium, will you not be left with overly shiny ballast?
Crandell
Matte medium wasn't designed to use as a binder, per se. It's intended use is as an expander and diluting substance (or "medium" -- that is, carrier) for artists acrylic paints, which, unlike hobby acrylics, come as a thick paste which is very hard to apply without streaks and brush strokes. Since these acrylics are inherently neither matte nor gloss, the medium is designed to add that characteristic to the paint as well. Hence the talc. Matte medium's counterpart, BTW, is gloss medium, which works very well for water effects.
The solution that comes off after the talc has settled out is also "matte" and much more flexible and durable when dry than white glue.
As far as the cost math goes, the $8 quart of matte medium, diluted, will make 1.25 gallons of adhesive (at a 1:4 ratio). The $10 gallon of white glue, diluted to the same ratio, would yield 5 gallons of adhesive. That's pretty easy math, in my book, and gives a clear advantage to white glue, were cost the only factor.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
"Matte" means "flat" as in "not-shiny". It will look no different than using white glue, but as noted is rubbery when dry. White glue can be sort of brittle and when bumped, pieces of ballast can break off.
I normally apply a mix of water and alcohol over the ballast first and let that soak in and get in between all the pieces of ballast, then use matte medium at full strength over that.
eaglescout I've read anywhere from 50/50 to 4 parts water to 1 matte medium. I have used the 4:1 with great success. Supposedly it sets with some flexibility over white glue and is therefore quieter.
I've read anywhere from 50/50 to 4 parts water to 1 matte medium. I have used the 4:1 with great success. Supposedly it sets with some flexibility over white glue and is therefore quieter.
I couldn't have said it better myself. I, too, use a 4:1 water/matte medium mix and it is definitely quieter than white glue when it dries.
Rich
Alton Junction
Also, some brands of the Matte medium have talc as a filler/ flattener that can show as a light film/ haze once diluted and then dried on the ballast and tie tops. I have not experience this first hand, however, not to find out the hard way, I follow Dave Frary's recommenation of dilute to 50/50 and allow the filler to settle. I find that this took about 5-7 days and you will notice the material lying on the bottom of the container. Pour off slowly and decant into storage bottles. This now 50/50 mix can be used and diluted to an additional 3-4 parts of water. Alcohol can/ should be added to the mix for the batch used for the session.
Matte medium is suppost to be much quieter that white glue. It willnot readily disolve w/ water as white glue if you ever do need to remove the track/ ballast.
Edit: Ended up posting the same as *CT valley, An $8-10 quart of matte medium will produce 1-1 1/2 gallons of ballast/ scenery cement. Hmmm, doesn't a gallon of white glue go about $10-12 anyway. May be hard for some to use a cost factor in this one.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Personally, I use matte medium diluted 1:4 with water. I have a water filtration system, so I use ordinary tap water. If you have very hard water, consider using distilled water instead, although a Brita or Pur will remove enough gunk to make your water usable. I also add two drops of dishwashing liquid per cup of solution.
As an additional step, since matte medium uses talc as a dulling agent, I let the solution settle, then decant the liquid and throw the sludge away.
Having used both this and dilute while glue, I find this works better for me.
If this thread stays active long enough, you will find lots of posters who will tell you that white glue works just as well and is much cheaper.
Hello,
I've read here in the forums that many people seem to like using matte medium to apply ballast to track rather than a diluted white glue. Is the matte medium used full strength or diluted? If diluted, what proportion of medium to water should I use?
Thank you.
PDickens