gluing down track ballast

[sizemore]

Go 2 step, go 2 step.

Got my drink and my 2 step. My drink and my 2 step.


The S.

[Chris333]

Now walk it out.

[Flatrat]

Cool. I think I have gleaned very good info on wetting agents plus thinned down glue to fix the ballast in place. With more votes for the two step approach. In my first foray into track ballasting 20+ years ago the general method i used was one step mix of white glue, water, and a few drops of dish detergent. it worked but did produce clumpy areas. I think I will try a two step approach of wetting agent first, working in small sections and then shortly afterwards applying thinned down elmer's glue or matte medium.

Thanks.

Now if i can hijack my original thread back I was also inquiring about ballast color and tips on painting the rails.

Ballast color; I'm modeling the transition days of steam to diesel. The photos I see usually look like darker ballast from oil and cinders in between the rails and just outside the ties with lighter 'unsoiled' ballast fading out to the edges. Does that sound about right?

Rails; should i paint the rails with rust color prior to gluing down the track or wait until i have glued down the track. It would seem to me, easier to paint the rails prior to gluing them down and polish up the tops later.

Thoughts?

Scott

[DKS]

Now if i can hijack my original thread back I was also inquiring about ballast color and tips on painting the rails.

My preferred method of painting track is to spray it before ballasting with Roof Brown. Then I'll give the ties some individuality by tinting some with India ink wash, and others with a very dilute light grey wash. I may then apply Rail Brown or even Weathered Black to the rails, depending on their locale and upkeep, and sometimes I'll follow that with a RustAll wash. After the ballast is applied and dry, I'll lightly brush on some powdered chalk to make subtle rust and oil stains.

My ballast of choice is from a German company, minitec:  http://www.minitec24.de/  I use their Z scale ballast for my N scale modeling. It's smaller than Woodland Scenics or Arizona Rock & Mineral, but larger than the dust Highball calls Z scale ballast. To my eye, it's just the right size. I choose their lighter colors as they tend to darken when bonded, but your choice will be dependent on the prototype you're modeling.

[Flatrat]

Thanks David.

Good idea on spraying the track first, before gluing it down. That make a lot of sense to me rather than trying to paint it after dropping feeder lines and mounting it to the foamboard.

I was also thinking I could use all one light gray color of ballast and then stain it in between the rails and alongside the rails to get the look I'm after.

Thanks again,

S

[Chris333]

I like the Smith & Sons ballast from Scenic Express. It is real while Woodland Scenics is walnut shells.

I have a micron screen so that I can sift ballast into nothing bigger than 3". But I guess you don't have to worry about that.

I try to spray all track with tie color then I do the rail sides with a brush by hand.












 

/>

[diezmon]

As Bill posted: "It shouldn't be advantageous, just the same"  It might only serve as a substitute.

It would act as a wetting agent just like Alcohol, Gary uses it to help the Fade formula flow.
It might not have as strong as a smell to it like the alcohol has but you would also need to be careful as it has methanol in the ingredients.

I think the alcohol would be a safer bet, but like I said, windshield fluid could be used as a substitute.

well the other advantage is the smell.. or lack of smell, with washer fluid.     It's all I've ever used.. just washer fluid and good 'ol white glue.   

[MVW]

I don't mean to hijack this thread back to the original question  , but I did a bit of ballasting last night. And, as David suggested, there was a marked difference in how ballast from different manufacturers responds to the process.

I was doing one section with a mix of Woodland Scenics ballast, and another section with a mix of Woodland Scenics and Arizona Rock & Mineral products. The WS section readily took the one-step treatment. On the WS-ARM section, the glue mix beaded up for a second or two before seaping in. I bumped up the alcohol content (in the mix, not myself  ), and got a slightly better disbursal. The beading up didn't seem to affect the lay of the ballast.

You can draw your own conclusions. Whatever works for you.

Jim

[diezmon]

I bumped up the alcohol content (in the mix, not myself  ),
Jim

ah yes, another excellent point... upping your own alcohol content significantly helps in the application of your ballast and glue mix, although you might be shocked and dismayed in the morning when is has dried!
 

[sizemore]

Now walk it out.

WIN.


The S.

[PAL_Houston]

ah yes, another excellent point... upping your own alcohol content significantly helps in the application of your ballast and glue mix, although you might be shocked and dismayed in the morning when is has dried!
 

...or you could have beer for breakfast and kind of maintain a constant level of alcohol content.
That should go well with your bacon too. 

Meanwhile, back to the topic at hand:

I am using both WS and Arizona ballast for my current efforts, but have to admit that most of my experience to date with ballasting is using WS ballast.   

Also this go around I have been using the Floquil paint-sticks.  My darling bride has ACUTE olefactory senses.  Therefore a principal  advantage of this is that it avoids a lot of the unpleasant solvent smell that would otherwise get circulated thru the A/C system this time of year when spray painting.  I also avoid a lot of mess associated with spray painting.

[LV LOU]

since i'm mostly scenicing N-Trak modules, i'm worried about robustness since i use alcohol to remove ballast and track so i'm a bit skeptical on its effectiveness as to enable better bonding to prevent loss of ballast in rough handling and more importantly in transit in the club trailer since that can be less forgiving than human hands...

-Cody F.

Well,all the more reason to use alcohol..The alcohol is simply a wetting agent,it completely goes away with absolutely NO residue when it dries..When dish soap dries,or should I say,when the water dries,the soap is still soap.If you were glueing a chair together,what do you think would happen if you mixed dish soap with the glue? Would you expect it to stay together?

[LV LOU]

I have a feeling it may have more to do with the type of ballast being used. Each of the various types behaves differently and so may respond to the single-application with varying degrees of success.

I'd like to know what advantage windshield washing fluid has over alcohol. I'm not being argumentative, here; I'm genuinely curious to understand what's going on that's different.

The only advantage of washer fluid over alcohol is the smell.BUT,I would never use washer fluid,simply because the blue dye may stain the ballast.

[MichaelWinicki]

The only advantage of washer fluid over alcohol is the smell.BUT,I would never use washer fluid,simply because the blue dye may stain the ballast.

Me neither.

And it's not like rubbing alcohol costs a lot.

[Scottl]

Doesn't windshield washer fluid have detergents as well?