Laying Flextrack

[bogp40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dehusman

Don't use silicone caulk.

Use a paintable latex caulk. It will hold just as well, is paintable and glued ballast will stick to it. Plus with the latex caulk you can scrape it off the roadbed or plywood and scrape it off the track with little or no damage. You will never get the silicone caulk off the track if you use it.

Dave H.

Ditto on the latex caulk, Dap Alex-Plus or similar product will work. Don't use Phenoseal adhesive caulk- starts to skin before it is spread to your liking and will hold making removal almost impossible. The use of silicone is very messy and will not clean-up w/o acetone or other solvents, another disadvantage is nothing else will bond (paints, ballast etc.)
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

I use the atlas 100 guage flextrack(black) N scale and it comes with pre drilled holes you just need to to grab some spikes. Iv never heard of anyone glueing it down but i guess you learn somthing new everyday.

Benjamin R.

[FThunder11]

MY first 3 pecies look good

[CBQ_Guy]

Put a NARROW bead and spread it THIN, would be my recommendation (and I haven't done it yet myself, so take it for what it's worth!). Otherwise, it will ooze up between the ties and be higher than their tops...what a mess that could make! [:O][:(]

[dehusman]

Don't use silicone caulk.

Use a paintable latex caulk. It will hold just as well, is paintable and glued ballast will stick to it. Plus with the latex caulk you can scrape it off the roadbed or plywood and scrape it off the track with little or no damage. You will never get the silicone caulk off the track if you use it.

Dave H.

[FThunder11]

QUOTE: Use CAULK, the cheapest stuff you can find. Just make sure it's Clear.

I know that there are different types of calk, tile, window, etc. Which exact type should I use?

[bpickering]

Hmmm... I'll give the caulk a try. I've been putting together a simple loop + siding or two to entertain the three-year-old, and didn't want to get too fancy. Figger that this way, I can test the technique prior to building a REAL layout, and have a place for things like trying out DCC before I do it "for real".

Plus, caulk is forgiving-enough on cleanup that I can let him be involved. He'll LIKE that!

Brian

[ClinchValleySD40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I just use atlas rail spikes and spike the rails in place until the nail head is flush with the tie(the small holes in the middle of the ties) with a punch and small hammer....once the ballast is put down the track is not going anywhere and it's a lot faster than waiting for the glue dry..it only works with cork roadbed and plywood subroadbed though...if you have a styrafoam subroad bed it won't work...chuck[:D]

Faster than waiting for glue to dry - for sure. However, nothing is faster than caulk. No waiting for it to dry, it's tacky enough that when you put the track down, it stays put.

[rexhea]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Brunton

........The nails are a lot easier, but even painted, that scale 14-16 inch nailhead is pretty unrealistic looking for visible track.

One thing I do for this is to remove the nails after ballasting and everything is bone dry. The nail holes are easily hidden by a dab of paint and then smearing it in and around the hole.You have to use a good 60/40 glue/water soaking in the ballast to insure it won't come loose, but if you do this the track isn't going anywhere. It's like concrete.

REX

[Pruitt]

I use the Atlas nails for my hidden track, which is Atlas code 100. For visible track, I use Atlas code 83 with the brown ties, and drill spike holes by both rails in the same tie (four holes - two per rail) spaced six to eight places along the three foot section of track, then use rail spikes to attach the flextrack to my cork/plywood roadbed/subroadbed.

The nails are a lot easier, but even painted, that scale 14-16 inch nailhead is pretty unrealistic looking for visible track.

[rexhea]

[#ditto]

CW
It works good with WS foam roadbed on plywood as well. The thing I like about this method is that it allows for plenty of track testing before you ballast. If you need to make an adjustment or come up with a better design after testing, just easily pull up the track nails and do it.

REX

[cwclark]

I just use atlas rail spikes and spike the rails in place until the nail head is flush with the tie(the small holes in the middle of the ties) with a punch and small hammer....once the ballast is put down the track is not going anywhere and it's a lot faster than waiting for the glue dry..it only works with cork roadbed and plywood subroadbed though...if you have a styrafoam subroad bed it won't work...chuck[:D]

[Anonymous]

I've used Elmers wood glue with some sucess. I fill up a small dish and dip a Q-tip in it to spread it over the bottom of the ties. I sread it on the first few ties on each end and some in the middle. I add a couple of cans of soup and within 5 minutes its dried and holds really well. I've also removed it with sucess as well, no damage to the ties or the cork roadbed.

Just an alternative thought.

[ClinchValleySD40]

Originally posted by cacole

Look for a type of Liquid Nails for foam. This is white in the tube, but dries clear. Squirt a bead down the centerline of the track and spread it with a putty knife. The flex track can then be pinned in place temporarily or weighted with something until the Liquid Nails dries, usually overnight.

Just a couple of clarifications. Do NOT use Liquid Nails. That stuff is very unforgiving and once you have something down, you'll never be able to get it up without destroying it. Use CAULK, the cheapest stuff you can find. Just make sure it's Clear. It looks white when it comes out of the tube but when you spread it, it becomes clear so you can see any center lines you're using. Use a small amount, if it squeezes up between the ties you're using too much.
Since it's pretty tacky right out of the tube, no need for tacks to hold anything. And it dries pretty quick, usuaully within an hour or so.
If you get a caulk that contains silicon, you might have trouble getting paint to stick to anything it's on.

Larry

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