glueing down the track...

[bluedepot]

hi,

i want to glue down the track now on the scenic part of my layout... all the track is lined up, wired to bus, and holes drilled for point motors...

what glue do i use?

any tips?


cheers


tim

[grumbeast]

I use regular white woodworkers glue (like PVA I think) and hold the track in place with push pins while it dries.  I've never had a problem with it
lifting and when I have needed to take track up, its been quite easy.  I just use a bead down the centre of the sleepers and hey-presto.. the nice thing is that it does have some work time if you make a mistake, but it dries pretty quickly.

Hope this helps

Graham

[poliss]

From the C&L Finescale website.
"Do not use diluted PVA! We know every book you ever read tells you to do this, but it does have disadvantages. Once dry, it can give the ballast an unnatural glossy look and sets like rock. Instead use a latex glue such as Copydex, diluted with about 4 volumes of water..."
http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=58

[kevin141]

hi

i use a childrens pva glue cheap and cheerful ok for indoor use and if you need to lift track warm water will  help to take up  track even if you have ballested it but do it with care and you can re use the track

kevin141

[elmo]

On advice from another forum I used Johnsons Klear and this holds ballast and track very firmly. Klear has been rebranded. Forget what it is called now but I believe that the formula changed so dont know if it will still do the trick. Does anyone here know the answer?
Elmo

[bluedepot]

hi

i'm not ballasting the track yet, just gluing it down, then i will fit the point motors, then the signals, then test it all again, then paint the rail sides brown, then do the ballasting, then weather the ballast....

that's kind of the order i had planned...

the reason i want to glue the track is so i can fit the point motors and test them (need to have the track fixed down to operate otherwise the pin moves the track not to point blades)

think i will just dab on some pva under every few sleepers to fix track down...

cheers


tim

[poliss]

Everything you ever wanted to know about Johnson's Klear but were afraid to ask.
http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

[upnick]

Great article Poliss     the original formula sells  for  around £20  +  a bottle  now though

[Newportnobby]

I've said it before but Poliss really is the modern day equivalent to the Keeper of the Scrolls. He never fails to amaze by just turning up with the goods.
God bless you, sirrah.

[ziggar]

copydex
a small dab every 12 inches or so

then if you make a mistake somewhere and need to remove all it needs is a bit of a tug to release its grip
and it dries in about 10 minutes - unlike pva

[EtchedPixels]

I use PVA mixed with water and a spot of washing up liquid. PVA plus real granite for ballast causes some odd effects (it goes greenish and shiny) but if you are using all the usual ballasts (Woodland Scenics etc) it works just fine.

I've never glued down the track, merely ballasted it and run glue into that. The resulting ballasted track isn't going anywhere so there isn't really a need to glue it first.

Glueing down track *does* increase vibration and noise transmission. In some environments that might matter.

Alan

[bluedepot]

hmmmm....

thanks for the posts!

think i'll go with copydex now....

the reason i want to glue it down is so i can fit the point motors and test them, then go onto ballasting and weathering track.

best wishes


tim