Bah - I need help

[Anonymous]

Seems following advice is not my strong point. I have a 1/2" 4x8'table ready to go and h@ll if I don't bend 4 nails to get one into the board ... frustration, what can I cover this in to make laying track a little more easy ? Can I use a 4' x 8' sheet of some kind of foam rubber or what?

[Anonymous]

Lots of guys first put down the cork road bed, then nail the track down.
There is a baby small hand drill, I think called a pin vise that you turn by hand.
There are very small drill bits, one just for track nails to pre-drill the hole.
I believe the tool is under $10.00 + the drill

[Anonymous]

Most of the guys use either the blue or pink form board. I would stay away from the white as its real messy to work with. You could also just go with cork roadbed as it really cuts down on the noise. It really depends on what your going to model on your railroad. The foam makes nice mountains in a lot less time for an example. Have fun with your railroad. Ron

[Anonymous]

As another suggestion,go to the following site.
http://forum.atlasrr.com/topic?TOPIC_ID=7594
That's an underscore line between TOPIC_ID

[Anonymous]

When I'm laying track down on plywood, I place the cork road bed where I want it, draw a line on both sides, the carful hot glue the cork to the plywood. I then lay the track on the cork, spread my ballast, spray alcohol heavely then glue with a 50/50 mixture of white glue. Then if I need to make a change all's I do is soak the ballast with water. Its kinda messy, but at least I save the track for future use, and don'y have to worry about broken ties and trying to pull up nails.
Hope this helps.
Ed G.

[Anonymous]

IF you are going to have your track all on the one table surface level, Homasote is best.If you want to economize on materials, you could cover the plywood surface with 4 pieces of 2'x 4'ceiling tiles, the kind used on suspended ceilings. Use white side up. IF you are going to use cork roadbed on top of this, and ballast....or might get the tile wet doing scenery, you should tape the 3 joints with duct tape, then put a couple of coats of cheap semigloss latex or alkyd paint over the surface to provide a seal against moisture.Seal the exposed edges around the outside of the table with paint too. regards/Mike

[BR60103]

Such language -- and taking up a hobby is supposed to be relaxing!
It sounds like you're using plywood or chipboard for your table. The glue they use for these things is stonger than any track nail made.
For a small layout, pre-drilling the holes is acceptable. Adding roadbed will make the drilling unnecessary and also reduces noise. It also looks more like a real mainline.
If you don't plan to ever take up the rails, they can be glued down, but that is really permanent and unforgiving of small mistakes.
Also, check the points of the nails -- lots of them come through with extra metal messing up the sharp end.
David

[Anonymous]

If you must use 1/2" plywood, I would suggest you use the cork roadbed glued down bay any adhiesive you choose. Keep in mind the choice, for it will make a difference when and if you want to change something. Hot glue is probably the best. Use a Hair dryer to soften it up and just peal it away. I am currently using 1/4" Luan and using the cork roadbed. I am also using 1/2" nails to tack down the track. I use a hand held Nail Set tool that I picked up at the Local Hobby shop. It has an adjustable depth collar. I just determine how deep I wan the nail to go and set the collar on the nail set and start to go. It is not 100% but at least I get close to 98% in without bending. Hope this helps. If not go with the Homasote. It surley does dampen the sound and is very easy to nail into. Since you have the 1/2" ready to go, put the cork down and use the Pin Vise.
Regards, John