OK all… I am pretty new to the actual building of a layout. I model in N scale and will be working on a small portable layout. In the interest of being able to lay it up against a wall when not being worked on and the weight I will be using foam insulation board for a base. I have worked a little with this, gluing down the roadbed with hot melt glue and used straight pins to spike the track. This method seemed to work ok on a temporary basis but the hot melt glue would peel up after a while and of course the “spiked track” was not held in place well over time. any suggestions on a different method to hold down the road bed? I also seen that there is a sticky road bed that will also hold the track in place. any thought on this item? also what would be the best method to keep the track spiked down with the foam underneath. it seems that regular track spikes would not grip to well in the long run.
Agree with Phoebe. Use DAP clear latex caulk - spread thinly - when I was a noob I used too much. Use it for both the underlay and then the track. It holds like crazy. Yes - watch not to put it where the switch parts move.
Hot glue has a lot of uses… but gluing roadbed to foam isn’t one of them… I’ve also found that track nails tend to pull out of extruded styrofoam over time if they’re the only thing holding your track down.
For myself, I use yellow carpenters glue to attach the roadbed to the foam, then gray DAP adhesive caulk to fasten the track down. I put a little bead down, then use either one of those fake credit cards that you get in the mail, or a putty knife to smooth it out into a very thin layer before placing the track down on top.
In both cases, I weight the part being glued with scrap lumber and pavers (yeah, those pressed concrete things that you make patios, sidewalks, and driveways out of) and let it dry for 24 hours.
I use cheap latex caulk. I prefer brown or tan to clear. Make sure the tube says paintable or latex on it, you do not want silicone caulk. I put down a small bead then lightly spread it with a putty knife leaving it about 1/16" thick. Lay the road bed in and smooth out. Cleans up with water while still wet. I do the same for track.
Agreed. A lot of people use the “Liquid Nails for Projects and Foamboard Adhesive”, #LN-604 product. It won’t melt the foam or anything else and works well.
Ron’s has it, since most big box stores don’t carry it much: