I’m in process of building my first layout. My track plan is quite simple as my space is fairly limited. It’s basically a 3’x11’ table with just an oval of track and 2 reversing loops that cross to make a figure 8 in the middle. I will be using Lionel O31 tubular track with vinylbed on top of 1/2" pink foam insulating board. My carpentry and painting for the benchwork is almost complete. I’m trying to plan for putting the foam down and starting the trackwork. So… Here are my couple of questions…
What type of adhesives should I use to secure the foam to the benchwork and the vinylbed to the foam?
With the Lionel O31 tubular track, what type and size of screws would be recommended to secure the track to the vinylbed?
I used vinylbed on foamboard. Liquid Nails is the adhesive I used for securing the foam to plywood and the vinylbed to the foam. I was cautioned to make sure that you utilize the “Projects and Foamboard” type. Some Liquid Nails will dissolve the foamboard.
My track is Atlas and I was able to use small finishing nails to tack the track down on the vinylbed and I have not had any issues.
I forgot to mention that I also used the finishing nails to attach the vinylbed to the foam. While the vinylbed is extremely flexible, it needs to be tacked down (at least in the curves) to give the adhesive time to dry.
You may want to use screws that are one & a half inches long size #4 or 6 to go thru all the foam board and vinyl roadbed. Another tip is to drill pilot holes for your screws to go in better, use a couple of sizes smaller drill bit than the screw so the screw will hold good.
You might not want to use that long of a screw as it will transfer sound from the rails to the plywood. I would use a a shorter screw so it does not go into the wood. With the vinyl glued down and a couple of screws per section I dont think it will move on you.