The instructions say to use foil to cover the under track electromagnet for ballasting but I think that .005" sheet styrene will be a little more durable. Will it work OK?
I am about right at that point.
Thanks in Advance.
dont know much about them i have never used them but does the foil help with the electro magnetic field? if not i dont see why unless maybe you can form the foil around sleep
It's aluminum foil, so it's not magnetic,so neither is the plastic.
Hi, since the foil is not a magnetic material, it should not affect the magnetic field, nor will the plastic. But, there's always something else that comes around; the thickness of the plastic will cause a bump in the track unless you give it some space in the roadbed. I've been using old computer cardstock that's 7-thou thick, spraypainted to give it some water resistance. Sanding the cork bed removes that bump.
Have fun, George
Here's what I do: Get yourself a 30-pack of Budweiser. Drink the top 15 of them. Underneath that top layer, you will find a piece of cardboard. With scissors, cut a piece to shape, and paint it to match your ballast. The cardboard is lightly coated and takes paint well. I've found this works just fine with my Kadee electromagnets.
I have not tried this with Lite beer. And, I don't intend to. Real men of genius drink the real thing.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thanks guys. I went ahead and used the .005" plastic since it's quite thin and waterproof. I just put the plastic on top of the Kadee part and not the roadbed so the .005" isn't really an issue. Mister Beasley, I'm not much of a drinker so the beer thing isn't going to be cost effective. LOL This is on a siding. I guess I was just worried that the plastic would reduce the magnetic field.
wabash2800 Thanks guys. I went ahead and used the .005" plastic since it's quite thin and waterproof. I just put the plastic on top of the Kadee part and not the roadbed so the .005" isn't really an issue. Mister Beasley, I'm not much of a drinker so the beer thing isn't going to be cost effective. LOL This is on a siding. I guess I was just worried that the plastic would reduce the magnetic field.
The plastic will not appreciably affect the magnetic field, though it is technically possible for it to become "charged" with static electricity, it won't be an issue in your case. And probably better than the aluminum foil since, while the aluminum won't interact with the magnets much either, it is still a metal and thus conductive in the event that it should ever come into contact with rails, wheels or undercarriage.
John
Hi "Wabash,"
I've actually installed the Kadee 309 magnets using .005 styrene to cover the holes. Use the .005 styrene. It's easier to work with than foil, in my opinion, and it won't interfere with or reduce the electromagnet's power to open the couplers. These upgraded 309 magnets are very strong. See my article, "Conceal those uncoupling magnets," on page 82 of our August 2009 special issue, How To Build Realistic Reliable Track.
So long,
Andy
Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine