Trying to find a quicker way to lay ballast (HO layout) that for me is just tedious aside from bad knees and being on my feet for periods of time (age 76...). Thus my question about ballast spreaders. Micromark has a couple and I've seen various others, all of which range from cylinder shaped to box shaped. If anyone has used one of these - or tried to - what were the results (worked ok, more trouble than using a spoon, etc....) ??
I use ye olde aluminium pie plate. That and a smallish detailing paint brush, the kind with bristle bundles about 3/4" wide. I pour a thin long bead of ballast grains along about three feet of track at a time, and about the same quantity on each side of the rails, outside along the ends of the ties. Then, taking about 200 strokes of the brush, I shape the grains to lie naturally outside the rails and to lie flush height with the tops of the ties between the rails.
A final step to shaping the ballast is to take the brush head and to tap the handle of the brush along each rail a few times. This settles the grains a bit and also frees the tops of the ties from stray grains.
Next, I glue. Finally, paint up the rails to make them look grimy and rusty brown.
I do like Selector, kinda, I use fines from the driveway ran thru a screen. Endless supply and free. Run a pile down the center of track,about 6-8 inches. With a small brush sweep it forward, enough will spill over the rails to take care of he sides. When that peters out dump another load and continue, 3-5 ft, wet and glue.
I might add, I do a section at a time, maybe 2ft. Build the building, roads if needed ground cover trees..So that when I ballest, that part is done. I don't spend enough time at any one thing to get bored.
I considering not glueing as some of the guys were talking about the other day, after all where will it [ballest] go.
I don't think I could justifie a spreader,you still have to fill it, move it along,I assume there is still some touch up. At some point you will be done and have a unneeded tool laying about
just thinking
UNCLEBUTCH I considering not glueing as some of the guys were talking about the other day, after all where will it [ballest] go.
Not to stop on this subject very long, but a fiarly famous Master Railroad Modeler I was talking to suggested to lay the track. Once you know the trains run good on the track, to balast and glue it. That way your track is held that way. Of course this is if you dont glue your track as you lay it. This was a conversation I had about balast before I scenic or after.
Accept no substitutes.
Rob Spangler
I also use a tea spoon to apply the ballast to the track and a delta brush to spread it.
I saw this in an MR video and it really works great. The ballast spreaqds a lot easier and you can easily shape the ballst shoulder!
Ditto on the plastic spoon and brush but I use the 1/2-1" cheap craft brushes to spread the ballast. No need to spend more than $1 on a spreader. Both make ballasting very easy and fast.
For standing up during long periods, consider visiting Amazon for anti-fatigue mats or just visiting any warehouse store what they use. Ever notice them standing on mats?
Whatever method or tools you use, you will find a comfortable solution and you will get fast and better at it with experience. Things that were once tedious and difficult become fast and easy with practice. I do sympathize with the physical limitations of your age. I am glad I got the benchwork and wiring done when I was in better shape.
Charlie
UNCLEBUTCHI considering not glueing as some of the guys were talking about the other day, after all where will it [ballest] go.
It will go everywhere, including up the vacuum nozzle if you ever need to clean something up.
These childrens medicine spoons are available for free from the pharmacist. As you can see the whole handle fills up, so you can get better miliage than a regular spoon gets. It is the perfect fit for the rails.
As far as my experiment of Lions suggestion of letting gravity hold the ballast down, so far so good. I figure if it doesn't work, just ad glue. If it does work it will be easy to vacuum up for reuse on a new layout. Make taking up the track for the next layout easier in that there will be no ballast stuck to it. If you use track nails or caulk (in the right way) to hold down the track it should be good as new when you lift it.. Getting all those bits of glued on ballast off track that has been taken up gets old real fast.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
kasskaboose Ditto on the plastic spoon and brush but I use the 1/2-1" cheap craft brushes to spread the ballast. No need to spend more than $1 on a spreader. Both make ballasting very easy and fast. For standing up during long periods, consider visiting Amazon for anti-fatigue mats or just visiting any warehouse store what they use. Ever notice them standing on mats?
Heh -- free plastic spoons from Wendy's fast food.
I did improve the utility of my MLR Ballast Spreader by gluing on a length of rubber band where it pushed over the ties. I can't recall if it was an article in MR or RMC (or the NMRA magazine?) that recommended that decades ago but it does work. MLR should include that idea in their materials.
However I also have a piece of cork roadbed that I use as a bulldozer to push the ballast between the ties and level it with the top of the ties. IT is longer than the track is wide so I run it on an angle. I also run that cork "bulldozer" on the outside edges of the ties for the same effect. If there is surplus ballast I gather it up using a sheet of paper folded into a V as a sort of dustbin. I might give a final brushing with a foam brush. Note that static electricity sometimes leaves grains of ballast on top of the ties and that really should be dealt with before it is cemented into place with Scenic Cement or other diluted glue or matte medium product.
Dave Nelson
dknelson Heh -- free plastic spoons from Wendy's fast food.
I hope you're getting me a frosty also?
Yes, glue down the ballast! You don't want that to get into the trucks or anywhere beyond the track and nearby scenery. I glue mine down with wet-water and it works!
Maxman your right, never considered the vacum; I'll keep on glueing
wasn't thinking
rrebell kasskaboose Ditto on the plastic spoon and brush but I use the 1/2-1" cheap craft brushes to spread the ballast. No need to spend more than $1 on a spreader. Both make ballasting very easy and fast. For standing up during long periods, consider visiting Amazon for anti-fatigue mats or just visiting any warehouse store what they use. Ever notice them standing on mats? Ditto only foam brush, very fast.
Ditto only foam brush, very fast.
Great idea with the cushioned mat ....