Question regarding glueing ballast

[Santa Fe Guy]

Hi Gary
Try this place.
http://store.rrscenery.com/

Arizona ballast has a huge range of ballast, is a very good product and looks much better IMO.
You could also look at Highball if they are still in existence.
I have used Highball on my SFRSD for 20 years and like the way it sits when being applied and glued.
Rod.

[nkalanaga]

For my "wet water" I have a garden mister, which is nothing but a plastic bottle with a hand-pump sprayer on top, filled with tap water, and a few drops of dish detergent.  No alcohol smell, it won't damage paint, and it can also be used to clean spills etc from the carpet.  We have cats, and it gets used fairly often on the living room carpet, even though the ballasting was finished years ago.

For glue, common white glue, Elmer's, the same as most modelers, mixed about 50/50 with water, in a large Elmer's squeeze bottle, with the screw open/closed cap.  I can apply it a drop at a time, or in a stream, just by adjusting the cap, and if the glue does set in the bottom to the point it can't be stirred loose, just buy another bottle of glue.  Since I keep a second bottle for regular glue jobs, I usually have an extra that's about half full.

I also used it for general scenery gluing, as I use sand and dirt, glued down the same as ballast.

Did I mention that I'm cheap?  And don't like smelly chemicals?

[havingfuntoo]

If the isopropyl alcohol is not available you can use mentholated spirits mixed with water and a few drops of dish wash detergent. Apply a couple of applications before you start with the glue and water mix. Because the surface looks damp does not indicate the moisture has penetrated in to the base. I tend to apply a coating of water mix then leave it for 5 min and come back and do it again before I attempt to apply the binder of choice.   

[rschaffter]

I use Woodland Scenics ballast and follow the same procedure N Kalanaga does and it works well.  For my staging yard I used black craft sand that I passed a magnet through in case there were magnetic particles (there weren't, but WMMV)...

[casmmr]

I have always found that adding a drop or two of a dish washing liquid soap to the water-white glue mix helps the glue to flow better.  So you add water 30%-50% to the glue and then add your drop or two of dish washing liquid soap, try it and see if it helps. 

[kirk59]

A big thanks to those who replied to my ballast issues.  Seems I didn't have ballast soaked enough prior to glueing.  Also use isopropyl instead of water with dish soap  important to really soak ballast.

[arbomambo]

A big thanks to those who replied to my ballast issues.  Seems I didn't have ballast soaked enough prior to glueing.  Also use isopropyl instead of water with dish soap  important to really soak ballast.

if you do use isopropyl alcohol as your wetting agent (I do!)...you do not need to add detergent to make it more 'wet'. (use the alcohol straight from the bottle-the 50% one that you can buy at any grocery/drugstore is 50% alcohol/water)...straight from the bottle, it is as 'wet' as one can get, and will soak your ballast....
I also suggest using the Woodland Scenics' product "Scenic Cement" as your glue...straight from the bottle, it is dilute and will flow, perfectly, through your soaked ballast...I've used, throughout the years,  white glue/water, Artist's Matte Medium, and any other dilute glue concoction you can name...I have never enjoyed the absolutely perfect results I get from Scenic Cement.
It dries clear and dead flat ( dilute white glue solutions tend to dry clear, but with a slight 'shine', even when mixed with artists' matte medium).
Scenic Cement dries very hard, but also seems to have a little 'flex' to it, which is desirable...
Bruce

[peteski]

I guess the only negative about the Scenic Cement is the cost?  It costs more than white glue (especially when buying white glue in a 1 gallon container).    White glue also remains flexible when dry (but if over-applied it does dry to a slight sheen).

[arbomambo]

I guess the only negative about the Scenic Cement is the cost?  It costs more than white glue (especially when buying white glue in a 1 gallon container).    White glue also remains flexible when dry (but if over-applied it does dry to a slight sheen).

Yes...I buy it either, online. at a discount etailer, or, I use my daily 40% coupon when buying it from Hobby Lobby.
Bruce

[mmagliaro]

+1 on just wetting it down with straight alcohol an then the eyedropper with a 50/50 mix of glue and water.


CAUTION:
Assuming your track is glued down, don't go too crazy with the alcohol soaking.  Once the ballast turns a darker color, that's
plenty.  It will soften the glue and loosen the track if you overdo it.