I consider ballasting to be an exercise in Zen. It has to get done, so make the most of the time by ruminating on some other issue at hand. However, my karma is being assaulted as I try to get a nice, sharp, straight line along the bottom of the shoulder. I have tried masking tape, butting up a straight piece of styrene (about 1/8" thick) against the lower edge as the 50/50 white glue mixture is applied, and just plain being really really careful. Nothing seems to end up with an acceptable outcome. Anyone got some fresh ideas or is this just the way it is.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
I paint a 1/8 or so wide line or strip at the bottom of the slope with white glue or mat medium and sprinkle on some ballast and let it dry. Then I brush the excess in to the track area. Next I put more ballast down to ballast the track and use 70% alcohol for a wetting agent, then apply the dilute glue mix to hold it in place. By doing this, I have prevented my ballast from wondering and have a fairly clean line.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
I also put a thin strip of glue along either side of the track prior to ballasting. It does leave a reasonably straight line when done.
I wouldn't worry to much about having a perfect line. In the real world the track laying machines do a great job, but that only last until isolated repairs are done. Soon there is ballast everywhere and that neat line is gone for good. It won't look real if it is too neat.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
You could use ground foam or other "plant" material to disguise the area, or just let it spill out into the terrain.
Co-owner of the proposed CT River Valley RR (HO scale) http://home.comcast.net/~docinct/CTRiverValleyRR/
I just add scenic material along the edge to create the profile I want. I actually don't like a perfect, straight line to the ballast.
I assume what our colleague Bearman is aiming at is the almost knife edge clean line for ballasting such as one sees in some classic old photos of rights of way. It really is prototypical for certain eras and locales,
I would think duct tape or masking tape placed at the line, then pulled away when the ballast glue has set and hardened would give a line, with a slight ridge, which in turn would be where the contrasting scenery would begin. I am surprised to hear this does not work.
An alternative would be a "sacrificial" half of a piece of cork roadbed, butted with the flat side facing the desired straight line, and thoroughly pinned in place until the ballast hardens and then pulled away (and presumably, reused). To avoid tearing away some of the hardened ballast, perhaps following the "wall" edge with a utility knife before tearing it away would create the desired clean line.
Another thought would be to lightly oil that flat edge of the cork roadbed so that it resists having the glue and ballast stick to it. If you do not want to introduce oil onto the layout area, then tightly wrapping wax paper around it might give similar resistance to the glue.
Dave Nelson
Grasshopper, desire is an obstacle to the way of the ballast. Become one with the ballast. The ballast knows where it should go if we would but let it show it's true nature.
Bill
Masking tape does not work very well since the alchohol and the glue/water mixture sometimes seeps under it taking along some of the ballast. Also, when you pull it up, some of the hardened ballast comes up as well, sometimes requiring a little touch up and sometimes a lot. I do like the cork roadbed/utility knife idea, though. I will give it a shot.
Beach BillGrasshopper, desire is an obstacle to the way of the ballast. Become one with the ballast. The ballast knows where it should go if we would but let it show it's true nature.
Master, allowing the ballast to show it's true nature is the problem.
bearman I do like the cork roadbed/utility knife idea, though. I will give it a shot.
I do like the cork roadbed/utility knife idea, though. I will give it a shot.
Hope it works. Just maybe the combo of tape (masking or duct) and cutting the edge with the utility knife before pulling up the tape would also work. That is, using the knife to cut a clean line where ballast + glue adheres to whatever is used to create the precise edge is worth a try.
Dave
And when to ballast/ scenic- kinda like "the chicken or the egg". I like to do as Gandydancer by painting on straight white glue to the shoulders. This gives you control and forms a somewhat "dam" as you can shape the shoulder ballast profile. Razor sharp lines of ballast are not nec nor do they look that great. If unhappy with the ballast spilling out onto scenery, just add more scenic material to clean up the divison to what you like.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Along the path to ballasting perfection the Zen master encountered a hot dog vendor and said,
"Make me one with everything...
on it"
Then let it not be forgotten:
Nothing is better than eternal life
A hotdog is better than nothing.
Therefore -- a hotdog is better than eternal life.
Dave N.
As others have said, just paint on full strength glue on the shoulder add the ballast and let it dry. Do not use wet-water or alcohol at this point. After the shoulders are dry, vacum up any loose stuff, then proceed as normal.. By doing the shoulders first, it'll prevent most of the ballast creep.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
The sacrificial piece of cork roadbed works. To avoid under creep of the glue/water mixture it has to be pinned every 1/2 in or so. I have also used the full strength glue on the shoulder method and am contemplating a combination of both, pin down the roadbed, apply the full strength and add the ballast and pull up the road bed before the glue has dried entirely.
The trouble with using some sort of stop, barrier or "dam" as you spread the ballast and shape the ballast profile is that if too much ballast falls against the dam and you then glue, there will be a line or ridge that now will have to be dealt with placing the surrounding scenery. There are times that a dam is useful say where ballast will need to stop @ paving, a gravel stop or retaining wall especially if ballast is to be done prior to future work. Allowing the ballast to fall off the shoulder and feathered out allows the adjacent scenery/ ballast line to be touched up to your liking.
Clean perfect straight lines aren't nec
Most track gets initial ballasting even before most scenery/ buildings are placed. Far easier to do the messy time consuming work unobstructed. Later as scenery progesses, the division of the ballast/ scenery is adjusted.
Many times you just need to adjust methods for what you're working on. Mainline ballasted track adjacent to yards, industrie etc. There are so many ways to accomplish this, just do what works best for you and the area worked on.