Just a couple of quick questions. Starting to lay cork down. What type of glue should I use. I have a 1 inch pink foam base. and when it comes time to lay track. What should be used to secure it down since track nails will no longer hold very well into the foam.
Latex caulk. I just started using it for the first time a few months ago on the new layout and have finished one section. All of the cork is down (two layers) and about half of the track so far. THE STUFF WORKS GREAT! If I could find the person who pioneered this method, I would give him/her a big ol' kiss even at the risk of getting punched out. I am using the DAP ALEX caulk, which is an acrylic latex caulk product. My roadbed is wood, but I believe many modelers use the same stuff on foam as well. Here are a few pics of my track installation using caulk: I used pins to keep the track in place, but the caulk had enough grab to keep it in place while I put the pins in--probably didn't need to use them. Any excess caulk along the edges (like you can see in the second photo) are easily trimmed away when the caulk has dried. Jamie
Depending on the degree of curvature, you may get away with using just the latex caulk, which I agree is the fixative to use for both the roadbed and the tracks to the roadbed. The trick is to use very little of the caulking, and then spread it very thin, like a layer of wet paint almost. Press the tracks into that, and then either use push pins here and there until the caulk sets up, or use full soda cans or soup tins on their sides on the rails to keep it all level and pressed into the caulk. Let it dry for at least two hours.
I think I go a tad thicker than a layer of paint, although we are probably saying the same thing. I lay a bead and then spread it with a standard putty knife; I imagine I am frosting a cake while I do this. I make additional passes until I feel I have the correct thickness. If I can see the cork showing through the caulk (there is a tongue twister!), it's too thin and I add some of the excess caulk back in that I scraped off with the putty knife. Ideally, when I press the track in place, I want to see the caulk puff up a tiny bit around the bottoms of the ties, but not too much. Also, I did have one or two places where I had the caulk squeeze up between the ties too high but it was very easy to scoop it out with the tip of a small flat blade screwdriver. Of course, this must be done before the caulk sets up. The DAP ALEX caulk is actually designed to be painted. In fact, it is listed as "painter's caulk" on their website and on most retail websites. It also list "paintable" as one of the features on the label. Jamie
Jamie, you are correct....paint-thin is too thin, but not by much. In fact, many of us use the dark centerline that we should all draw before we lay roadbed as a guide for the thickness. You should be able to make out the centerline if it is black, but not always and just barely. The idea is that you would hope to lift the track at some point, even if ballasted, and re-use it. A thin layer of caulk below the tracks, for example, greatly eases the job of recovering track. That is why I mentioned the push pins or the weights in the form of tinned food or beverages. And if the caulk is welling up between the ties, or if it is damming up on the outer ends of the ties, you are too deep by quite a bit. Either that or your roadbed is wavy vertically and you have filled a dip. Pressing the tracks into this dip will certainly make the cualk well up and make a mess. FWIW, I don't bother painting my roadbed or the adhesive used to fix my track sections to it. By the time I have ballasted, and then weathered both the rails and the ballast, nothing shows except those two. If the OP is concerned about caulk showing, either take pains to ensure it doesn't or purchase coloured caulk. It does come in colours...not sure which, but a tan or a grey is sure to be one of those offered.
You might want to paint your cork roadbed before laying any track , but leave the space between the rails clear so the latex gets a good clean grip on cork when you lay track.
I have always used Liquid Nails for projects on both the cork and track using your same application methods, I am very happy with the results and have never had a problem with it.
^^^Liquid nails works great, but be advised I don't think you will get your track up in one piece. The caulk when spread thin is more forgiving. I actually just use small nails to apply the cork and then track nails(temporarily) to hold the track down. When I'm happy with everything and it all runs well I ballast and then carefully remove the track nails.
The down side to gluing track down is it is hard to adjust it after the glue dries. I prefer the old fashioned method of using spikes or Atlas track nails. That way if the track is crooked, you can pull a nail and move it over and re'nail.
I built up a small sample of 3/4" foam the other day. I stacked 5 pieces on top to replicate the thickness of my benchwork and the layers of foam on the elevated parts of my layout. I found that the DAP ALEX painter's caulk wasn't dry even after 24 hours. I could slide the pieces of foam against each other. I had also tried to attach a tortoise to the top piece of foam. The outside edges of caulk were dry, but with a little nudging the tortoise came free... and the thin smear of caulk that was left on the tortoise and the piece of foam were still wet. I was suprised to see it take more than 24 hours for this to dry... even in a fairly thin layer. P.S. I also made sure to get the Latex caulk without silicone added. The silicone added caulk is the "Fast Drying" caulk. But even with the non-fast drying.. .the tube says you can paint on it after two hours.
I use latex caulk to anchor my track. When I've removed track, a putty knife slices through the latex caulk readily, leaving my Peco track in good shape. More delicate track like Atlas or ME Code 55 may not fair as well (don't know, just speculating). For some realignments, I skipped gluing the track with caulk. After pinning the track in place, I spread and glued my ballast, letting the dried ballast hold the track in place just as the 1:1 scale folks do it. Be patient; it will eventually set. If you're in a hurry, anchor the layers together with long drywall screws driven flush. In the meantime, don't nudge the tortoise. The foam is not completely impermeable, especially if you remove the thin layer of polyethylene film from one or both sides of the foam. Moisture can and does pass slowly through the foam, so yes, the latex caulk will slowly set. Been there, done that.
Does anyone have a source for track fixing pins like those sold by Peco, but shorter. Something around 10mm long? I used plywood for the base to rest the cork roadbed on and the Peco pins come to a quick stop when they hit the plywood... Thanks
The other issue I see with the caulk method it is appears to be impossible or difficult to see any center line after you lay the caulk down. I'm a stickler for precise track geometry which I can draw using the old trammel method etc. One thing I do like about the center hole in the Atlas track including code 83, is that you can put the hole over the centerline very precisely and keep your track accurately laid. With a thick layer of caulk, it hides the centerline. I'll stick with the method I've used on two layouts and if anyone askes, I'll recommend track nails and spikes for the initial laying of the track. Once I'm happy with it and the geometry etc, and have had a chance to test run trains, then the track becomes affixed with ballast and ballast glue, the spikes or nails come out. Prior to that, I can push the track a hair this way or that, even with the nails - to get my straight sections arrow straight or take kinks out. Can't do that with glue that I can see. Ever since people started gluing track I just can't imagine myself doing it. What I like with nails or spikes is I have more control over how the track is positioned before the ballast and glue goes on.
I use split strips of cork roadbed, with the two strips butted together down the track centerline. When you spread the bead of caulk, you can actually see the centerline just fine. In fact, if you can't, the caulk is probably too thick and will ooze up between the ties. Of course, I now use ME flex track, so all of my track is dry fit in place and then glued down into the caulk, so the geometry has already been formed before the track is affixed using any method. I definitely like the track nails method on Homasote. I have a test layout on a hollow core door and I have been moving the track around on that thing for years and it's a piece of cake to try out new track arrangements. Just pull up the old nails, move the track, and push the nails back in. I can't do this on my layout because I use hardboard (Masonite) spline roadbed and I would have to predrill the track and roadbed for spikes. Jamie
