ballast problems

[FThunder11]

When you put your ballast down how did you do it. I put a little down today to see if i like it and its no turning out so well. I have the woodland scenics cement and it doesnt make everything stick. Is there something else i could try?????

[cp1057]

I usually use diluted white glue, approx 50/50 mix of water and glue. A medicine dropper can be used to apply this or an empty contact lens cleaner bottle. The dropper on the bottle can be pried out, the glue solution poured in, and the dropper replaced. It takes a bit of practice to dribble the glue from the right height. Too high and you get moon craters. Too low and the ballast gets sucked up by surface tension and ends up all over your dropper.

Oh, yeah, also you should dampen the ballast before glueing. Use ordinary water in a dropper with a tiny bit of dishwashing detergent to break the surface tension.

Hope this helps,

Charles
Hillsburgh Ontario

[Anonymous]

I cannot claim expert status on this one, however what ballasting i have done is to my liking and is in keeping with what I have seen on other layouts.

I use a staple gun to tack down my cork, Unles the cork is on foam then I use two sided tape.

The track is nailed and in some cases hot glued to the roadbed. taking the bag of ballast I cut a small hole approximately 1/4 in diameter and pour the ballast along the centre part of the track. I then take a short stiff haired brush, about the width between the rails and "brush" the ballast level. I will then use my index finger and further level, press and evenout the ballast. I then take a small brush and clean any stragglers away from the ties and turnouts. finally I will take a small squeeze bottle and fill it up with a milky solution of white glue and water 2 to 3 drops glue per once of water (20% to 30% solution). I then aplly the "recipe" to the ballast along the centre of the track and then let it set. I will then work on the outside banks by using wide brushes and thin cardstock about the size of a playing card. Allow the ballast to settle at it's angle of repose (natural level). One you apply the "recipe". This time a small spray bottle will work well. Just make sure to clean the track surface as you go. Charles makes an excellent suggestion of using a wetting solution before applying the "recipe".

[Anonymous]

This topic is very helpful to me iam am just about there with my layout

[Big_Boy_4005]

cp1057 has the right formula, trigger sprayer adjusted to mist also works, but you have to be gentle until it all gets wet.

[AntonioFP45]

Great suggestions from these modelers. It would seem that a spray bottle would be much quicker as a greater area would be covered, evenly. Make sure that you clean the rails with clear alcohol on a clean cloth after finishing the spray. Vacuum up any loose ballast as you don't this moving around if you should sneeze or a locomotive kick it up into it's axle gearing.

[Anonymous]

1. Position the ballast exactly the way you want it. This is the toughest part. Make sure there are no grains sitting on top of the ties (use a paintbrush and/or your fingers to get it right), but ballast right up to the top edge of the ties.

2. Mist alcohol (70% is fine) out of a spray bottle, of track over an area about 3 feet long. Shoot it into the air and let it fall so it does NOT move the ballast around. Soak the ballast well. This holds the shape of the ballast and helps the glue in the next step soak in so it doesn't "ball up" on the surface.

3. Mix white glue 50-50 with water and stir well. Then carefully, with an eyedropper, f-l-o-w the mix onto the ballast. If you use a lot of pressure, you'll disturb the ballast. Go slow and be careful. Keep applying glue until there's white puddles starting to show all around. The glue dries clear, and if you don't use enough, the ballast will rub loose later.

Let it all dry throughly and then repeat the process further down the line. whn you're done, clean the railheads.

[bcammack]

I took my ballast, some scrap board and a small Elmers glue bottle. I created short, peaked rows of ballast on the board and started laying glue. By trial and error, here's what I finally came up with: (Mind you this is the small glue bottle) Fill 1/2 full with a 50/50 mix of white glue and water. Then I added two eyedroppers of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). The eyedropper is one of those plastic ones used for dosing infants. Got it at Walmart. Next, seven drops of liquid dish detergent.

This mixture self-wets the dry ballast and flows nicely. I can spread out the ballast, run a generous bead of glue mix next to the rail on each side of the track, then one down the middle. It'll sit there for a second or two, then soak right in and flow out.

I also highly recommend the Arizona Rock & Mineral ballast over the Woodland Scenic stuff. The WS ballast is organic material and it floats to readily for my liking.

Regards,
Brett C. Cammack

[Anonymous]

Use a folded buisiness card as a scoop to place the ballast and a 3/8" stiff brustled artist's bru***o spread it. Mix 5 parts water to 1 part PVA glue add a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Put the thinned glue in an old PVA glue bottle and drizzle the glue along the railheads, being thin it will spread like mad so be carefull around turnouts and switch machines. Leave 12 to 24 hours the clean the track with a track rubber.

[Anonymous]

I use weldwood powdered resin.I open the container into a coffee can dump in the ballest,cover and shake well.Then I spread the mix with a card on the track. Then use a misting spray bottle to spray water with just a touch of dish washing liquid in it. WWet this down thoughly and allow to dry. The only drawback is it`s not as flexable as I`de like bot it looks good and stayes put!