Need some ballasting ideas

[Lemosteam]

The elevated main on my layout will have PRR style catenary on it. The catenary poles have magnets under their concrete bases to allow them to be removable. This is needed to allow me to photograph with or without poles and to store the removeable extension.

The question I have is this. I want to ballast the main with the cat in place and glue-soak the ballast that way. I have been trying to figure out a way yo protect the poles and prevent them from being glued in place.

Any ideas?

[pdx1955]

Could you 3D print a cube with one open side that could mimic the catenary pole footprint and cover the magnet so it wouldn't get glue on it? That way then you could ballast all along the tracks and later you could pop the cubes off giving finished planted look for the pole.

[Steveruger45]

You could put some Vaseline between the magnets and the poles.

[Lemosteam]

So the cat poles on the bottom left are the ones I will be ballasting around. The bases are printed, and have a rare earth magnet glued into the base.

Maybe Inshoukd wrap them in Kapton tape?

[wm3798]

I use roofing nails pressed into the foam for my column "foundations"   The nails have a nice 3/8" head that's flat and round.  When I do the ballast, I plan to pull the poles, run the ballast, and when it dries, I'll clean off the nail heads, paint them to look like concrete, and call it Christmas.

Lee

[peteski]

So if I understand this correctly, the poles and bases (with magnets) will just sit on top of some steel surface (like a nail head).  You made no allowance for any sort of a socked for them to sit in?  The hardened ballast itself is supposed to become a socket? 

I like the vaseline idea.

[jdcolombo]

Hi John.

What, exactly, are you trying to accomplish?  Do you want the ballast around the catenary poles to be fixed in place, so that it looks like the ballast was spread around the pole base, yet have the poles removable?  But if so, even if you protect the magnet, when you remove the poles with the fixed ballast around them, there will be a crack in the ballast line around the poles.  I wouldn't think you would want this for photographic purposes.  If you don't plan to have ballast actually affixed to the pole base itself, then my recommendation is simple - ballast around the poles - get it looking the way you want.  Do the glue.  But before the glue completely sets, remove the catenary poles, clean off the magnets.  Then put them back after the glue has totally dried.

The problem with my solution is that there will be some shifting of the ballast when you do the removal, and when you put the cat poles back, close up looks will reveal that the ballast isn't completely up to the base - there will be a tiny space.  But it seems to me you will have that space no matter what you do the first time you remove the cat - unless you build that space in some way.

Perhaps I just don't understand the end game here . . . how about a photo with the cat in place to better visualize what you're trying to do?  Or maybe a prototype photo?

John C.

[Lemosteam]

So if I understand this correctly, the poles and bases (with magnets) will just sit on top of some steel surface (like a nail head).  You made no allowance for any sort of a socked for them to sit in?  The hardened ballast itself is supposed to become a socket? 

I like the vaseline idea.

Correct. An empty pocket where the poles were.  I'm not worried about protecting the magnet, I'm worried that the poles will be glued in place and I won't be able to get them out, and reinsert them. They will be numbered by location. The ballast will be about 1/8" deep when finished.  By the way the cat poles will not have trolley wire at this point.

[RBrodzinsky]

I like the idea of a pocket surrounding the magnetic base that the poles sit in. That way, nothing disturbs the spreading glued ballast. If you get a small crack, one can always put a tuft of grass/weed over it.

[narrowminded]

Kitchen stretch wrap over the pole bottoms held in place with a rubber band on the pole might do it.  Ballast, dry, remove.   Shrink wrap and some heat might even be better but the basic stuff would probably do it.  Maybe your local grocer could find a piece for you.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You could put some Vaseline between the magnets and the poles.

Yep. I'm going to second this idea.

[Lemosteam]

Yep. I'm going to second this idea.

TWSS.

[MK]

Kitchen stretch wrap over the pole bottoms held in place with a rubber band on the pole might do it.  Ballast, dry, remove.   Shrink wrap and some heat might even be better but the basic stuff would probably do it.  Maybe your local grocer could find a piece for you.

I think this is better than Vaseline.  No need to clean the Vaseline off afterwards.

[Lemosteam]

I think this is better than Vaseline.  No need to clean the Vaseline off afterwards.

Yes I like this idea too.  Thanks @narrowminded !

[MK]

Sort of like pole condoms.