cork bed

Jim, I went out and measured my two bridges last night and it looks like I will be able to make the guard rails for both bridges from the single piece you sent me......that is if I can divide the track piece equally in half and make no mistakes.

I sure do appreciate the piece of track.


It's the little details that make life interesting,

Loren

Loren, Measure again. 8.5 inches of single rail halved is 75 Z scale feet. Just about correct for a 50 foot span. Spans smaller that about 35 feet would not have guardrails I'm thinking. Don't cut this one rail before you get it! Cheers, Jim CCRR:woohoo:

Hi. If I buy a rool of cork, what will be the wide under the track? ...Charles

Charles, Try this: www.iblproducts.com/ Many of us use this product. Otherwise you will have to cut a slope in your cork road bed. You can also use MTL Micro Track and then there is no need for cork at all. Either way your cork/flextrack, Micro Track will have to be put on a subroadbed. This is usually Woodland Scenics foam, or simply flat on some plywood. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Then there is the Loren technique......
In the past I would cut the 1/16" thick cork, about 5/8" wide and use contact cement to secure it to the sub roadbed. I then had a little more width of cork than I really needed or wanted and it made ballasting a bit more difficult,(usually a bit too wide)

Enter the new and improved method, I cut my cork 1/2" wide, the same width as flex track.
Now I can more easily contour the ballast to my liking and the end result is fine.

Hand ballasting flex track is time consuming and a bit tedious, but I enjoy having complete control over the contour and slope of the ballast.

Cork then track, followed by ballast and then drown that sucker in white glue/water mixture. That baby isn't going anywhere.
All aboard

Loren

tealplanes wrote:

Then there is the Loren technique......
Enter the new and improved method, I cut my cork 1/2" wide, the same width as flex track.
Now I can more easily contour the ballast to my liking and the end result is fine.

Hand ballasting flex track is time consuming and a bit tedious, but I enjoy having complete control over the contour and slope of the ballast.

I'm with Loren here. Since I use foam-lined double-stick tape instead of cork, I wind up with straight edges also. I too prefer the ability to control the contour of the ballast.



And yes, ballasting is quite tedious. But I suppose I'm strange, because I enjoy it (I know most other modelers prefer going to the dentist).





After arranging the ballast, I mist it with rubbing alcohol. This avoids disturbing what I've spent hours getting just right. It serves as an ideal wetting agent for the glue.



Then I saturate it with 50-50 water and white glue (matte medium works too).



Dries hard as a rock. It doesn't matter if the track had formed a perfect bond with the foam tape or not, or even if there were some gaps--as Loren says, it's there for good.

Is that handlaid Z track? Beautiful!

Dave,
Since we both adhere to the same narrow roadbed philosophy, and we both hand ballast alike, maybe we should form a corporation, maybe a 501 3C or something like that?
We could use a tax break don't you think? Then we'd have more time for more ballasting.

I think I was in my 'narrow' minded thinking mode when I first used cork, but that was based upon prior modeler's use of cork. I still like it, but I have to admit, that two sided tape sure looks easy. I may have to switch my loyalties soon?

Havoc wrote:

Is that handlaid Z track? Beautiful!

Yes, handlaid with custom Code 25 rail wire.



More here: jamesriverbranch.net/part_9.htm

Loren, I've got to say that the double-sided tape makes tracklaying a snap. As long as you're careful (a quick rehearsal before removing the backing just to establish the sequence of assembly), track can go down like lightning. I laid all of the sectional track for my layout literally in a couple of minutes.

Dave,
Where does one find this tape? Is it made for model railroading, or just double backed tape found in a number of places?

I am going to try some just for the experience.
Loren

tealplanes wrote:

Dave,
Where does one find this tape? Is it made for model railroading, or just double backed tape found in a number of places?

I am going to try some just for the experience.
Loren

It's ordinary foam-lined tape, 1/2-inch wide by 1/16-inch thick (1/8-inch thick works too). You can usually find it at Home Depot or Lowe's. Failing that, you can get it online:

www.tapecase.com/index.aspx

The only hassle about getting it down on the layout is that you have to remove the backing from both sides so that it will curve, so there's a period of time when it's a bit awkward to handle. Once it's lightly "tacked" in place, you can re-apply the backing to the top and apply firm pressure.

Tape sounds like a great idea and I may try it next however I have already purchased a fair amount of IBL cork. So, what is the best way to adhere the cork to the layout? I was planing on using the small Marklin spikes to attach the track to the cork, is there a better method I should consider?

Mike

Mike,
I'm on my way out the door to get some double backed taped like Dave and I have been discussing.

When I lay cork down on my door skin module top, I use contact cement.
I do not advise using tacks to hold track to cork. I have in the past used little dabs of CA glue to lightly hold the track and then secure finally with white glue/water mixture after ballasting.

With the tape, the track laying will go speedily.

BTW, I was using medium CA, but it tends to not 'wick' easily under the ties. so I tried light bodied CA and it 'wicked' easily. I also use a CA accelerator to instantly set the glue in place. I hold the track in place, apply a little CA to the edge of a tie and watch it 'wick' under the tie. Then spray with accelerator and the glue will set instantly and you move on down the line.
Loren

mhommer wrote:

So, what is the best way to adhere the cork to the layout? I was planing on using the small Marklin spikes to attach the track to the cork, is there a better method I should consider?

I would definitely advise against using nails or spikes. Carpenter's glue works quite well at bonding cork to most any surface, as well as to adhere the track to the cork; some will use contact cement for both cork and track. Loren uses CA. The choice is probably more of a function of what you're most comfortable using, or what you have ready access to purchase. Assuming you will be ballasting the track, realize that the ballasting process will make a very secure, firm bond, so the track doesn't need to be bonded to the cork like iron.

I will be ballasting most of the track, was not planning on doing the parts in the tunnels so I wanted to be sure that those sections would be bound tight. Off to the hobby store for some contact cement

Our track is MTL with the ballast - you all know the type. It's 5/8" wide, so 1/2" tape isn't going to work for our purposes. Don't know what we're going to use to deaden sound and adhere the track to the subroadbed.

Chris brough home a box of 3M Outdoor Carpet Tape that measures 1.3" wide by 40' long and is about 1/16" thick. 1., it's not wide enough to use for two tracks; 2., it's not thick enough to deaden sound; but 3., it sticks like crazy. I'm thinking of using it to hold the inclines to the foam board, but will have to use it with extreme caution as it REALLY sticks fast and well.


I have a related question. We've got two tracks that run parallel through all kinds of turns and up and down inclines as shown in this track plan. How far apart do we space the parallel tracks?

Beverly56 wrote:

Our track is MTL with the ballast - you all know the type. It's 5/8" wide, so 1/2" tape isn't going to work for our purposes. Don't know what we're going to use to deaden sound and adhere the track to the subroadbed.

You can get the double-sided tape in widths up to 2 inches, although 3/4-inch is probably ideal for the roadbed track.

www.tapecase.com/p.2520.641/black-foam-tape-1-16-thick.aspx

Alternatively, you can just glue it down with an adhesive such as Loctite Power Grab, or any cheap caulk. You won't need much sound-deadening action on a foam-based layout. Yes, it will be very noisy at first, but that's because bare foam acts like a sounding board. Once you start applying scenery, the noise will all but disappear.

Beverly56 wrote:

We've got two tracks that run parallel through all kinds of turns and up and down inclines as shown in this track plan. How far apart do we space the parallel tracks?

The curves dictate the track spacing. So, assuming you're using R195 and R220, the track will be spaced according to the difference between the radii, 220 - 195, or 25 mm (~1 inch).

David K. Smith wrote:
Carpenter's glue works quite well at bonding cork to most any surface, as well as to adhere the track to the cork; some will use contact cement for both cork and track. Loren uses CA. The choice is probably more of a function of what you're most comfortable using, or what you have ready access to purchase. Assuming you will be ballasting the track, realize that the ballasting process will make a very secure, firm bond, so the track doesn't need to be bonded to the cork like iron.[/quote]

Dave, the thought just occurred to me that someone someday should put together a well documented and illustrated book on the 'how tos' for Z scalers.

The techniques would work for most any scale but we Z scalers have a few limitations that only apply to our scale.

If I had time and money, I'd do it myself. I think the idea has been floated by some but nothing has come of it as of yet.

A lot of contributors could make this an interesting book.

Loren

David K. Smith wrote:
The curves dictate the track spacing. So, assuming you're using R195 and R220, the track will be spaced according to the difference between the radii, 220 - 195, or 25 mm (~1 inch).

Yes, we're using R195 mm and R220 mm curved track. I should just print out a 1:1 scale drawing of the track plan to set the trackcorrectly. There are two places on the parallel tracks that need to be cut. Having the track plan in 1:1 would help us make fewer (!!) mistakes.

And you're suggesting 1/16" tape would be fine with the MTL track? All we'd have to do is cut this stuff down, or go back to the hardware store.

Thanks so much for your answers

David K. Smith wrote:

It's ordinary foam-lined tape, 1/2-inch wide by 1/16-inch thick (1/8-inch thick works too). You can usually find it at Home Depot or Lowe's. Failing that, you can get it online:


Fruitless search in Medford.

Well Dave, I used up a lot of gas and energy looking for black tape here in Medford.

I tried all the major big box stores like you suggested only to strike out on the color and size I wanted. Also tried Michael's craft store, Walmart, to no avial.

Oh they all had some form of it, but none in black. I did find a nice roll of 1/2" by 72" white at our own locally owned Ace hardware store for a decent price, but I'm concerned the white may show through the ballast. What think ye?

I did go on line as you suggested also and found what you are talking about, but I don't need near as much as minimum order from what I could see.

So, I guess in this particular case I'll either stick with cork, or wait for you to tell me the white will be ok once I cover it with ballast.

What do you think chief?
Loren