I got my ballast down under the track and it looks real good, I used an eye droper to put the glue on with, but there has to be a better way. After I used the eye droper, I wiped the rails down with a paper towel to remove any glue that got on the rails, but it's hard to get enough glue on the ballast to hold it down. I thought about putting the glue in a spray bottle and just spraying the ballast, that would get enough glue on it to hold it in place, but Im afraid it would gunk-up the track too baddly. If you guys know a better way I would LOVE to hear about it.
Thanks Much,
Paul
Are you using a wetting agent to soak the ballast before gluing ? I use a cheap spray bottle of water with a little bit of dish soap. For glue I use White Elmers mixed with water. About 50, 50. A mustard bottle seems to work well to dispense it. Lay the top on the rails, point the nozzle towards the ballast and slide it along the outside and center rails and dribble the glue out. Repeat the process and do the other side. I have Gargraves track and let the glue go on the ties as well.
Remember most of what you read about ballasting is in the HO mags. The technique is fine. But in O gauge the height of the ties plus the amount and size of ballast you are gluing may require up to 3 passes. I generally use to ballast at night. With about 3 passes about every 10 minutes. I'd go back down in the morning and re wet the area and give it one more gluing. When I came home it was usually rock solid and then I'd clean up the rails.
I agree with Dave although I use a couple of drops of wife's dishwasher liquid to a quart of water and with an old Windex bottle I spray a liberal dose of it [" wet water"]on the ballast. Step #2, I also use a 50/50 white glue/wet water mixture and variously dribble a liberal dose of it on with a medium size food basting syringe or a squeeze bottle. I wipe the rails down as I do a section and later when all is dry I scotchbrite the rail top and inside rail edge. If you have already painted your rail sides rust brown you don't want to be scotchbriting the sides.
Be very careful applying the glue mixture around the turnout mechanism----an eye dropper is the right tool for the areas around the turnouts. I have wooden tie GarGraves flextrack and Ross/Curtis turnouts.
I did'nt use any water on the ballast, just that woodland scenic glue. Can I go back and spray it with water, and dishsoap and re-glue it?
humming bird wrote: I did'nt use any water on the ballast, just that woodland scenic glue. Can I go back and spray it with water, and dishsoap and re-glue it?Paul
I would try that...what have you got to loose at this point? I apply my Scenic Cement with the plastic gizmo used to give a baby liquid medicine. Free for the asking at the drug counter. Joe
I am using rubber ballast and have found that all the above works well for me except I wet it all down with alcohol 1st, then when the glue is put on it really gets into it completely.
The only problem is adequate venting, I use a fan to circulate the air.
I just finished the other loop, and I want to thank all you guys for the advice, I wet the tracks with soapy water (only one drop of dish soap) first, and the glue really soaked into the ballast very nicely, and the mustard bottle was great it was easy to use, easy to controle, and put what I think is just the right amount of glue on the ballast, it was so much easier doing it the way you guys told me than the way I did it last night. Im learnning.
Thanks Again I really appriciate it,
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