Caulking flex track

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m in the process of laying a lot of flex track. After reading Chuck Hitchcocks article on using caulk to attach it, I thought I’d try it. Fantastic. It is so easy, fast and simple I now actually enjoy laying track. If you’re going to be laying track, give it a try and see how it works for you. I also use it now to attach cork to plywood.

Larry

2

I just did this process, track and roadbed. Great idea. And makes pulling the stuff up alot easier if you make a mistake. All you need is a 6" drywall mud knife or a putty knife to assit you. May leave a little residue, but there are ways to get that up too, I’m sure.

3

John and Larry:
Do either of you throw on a little ballast while the caulk is still “wet” between the ties? I have thought about it but have yet to try it.
Do you run the caulk out to the far edges of the ties or keep it more or less centered?
Thanks for your help fellows.
Dave Nelson

4

Hi Dave,

I don’t believe Chuck adds any ballast until later, Getting ballast to stick with the bonded ballast method isn’t any problem, and it’s easier to adjust the alignment of the track without ballast in the way.

Chuck simply puts down a straight 1/8" bead of caulk and spreads it with a 1" or maybe 1-1/2" putty knife. On his layout the caulk usually comes out a little beyond the ends of the ties, but he says this isn’t critical because the stuff is tacky enough to hold even in a narrower strip.

So long,

Andy

5

What type or brand of caulking do you use ? I have been laying some n gauge using CA glue which woorks good but doesn’t come up easy…

Lawrence

6

Hi folks,

Adhesive caulking is great for laying track, but here’s a chance to learn from my stupidity: In my excitement I put caulking underneath the moving parts of a turnout! Fortunately I realized it soon enough and was able to work the points free before the caulking set. I only made that mistake once!

Charles
Hillsburgh On

7

For Lawrence,

Chuck Hitchock recommends DAP brand clear adhesive caulk. He says he’s been offered some other products as substitutes and has tried several, but none of them work as well as the Dap clear stuff. Chuck says he’s found it in Home Depot stores; for other sources see www.dap.com.

So long,

Andy

8

Hi Andy,

Any chance you can point directly to a web page? I just looked through DAP (US and Canada) product guides at the url you noted, and was unable to locate any “clear” caulk in the adhesives sections (they all seem to be tan for some reason). Do you know if it is the same thing in Canada as the US?

Thanks!

Andrew

9

Try this Andrew:
http://www.dap.com./retail/retail_detail.cfm?catid=1&subcatid=1&prodhdrid=5

The product code is 18331.

So long,

Andy

10

Try this Andrew:
http://www.dap.com./retail/retail_detail.cfm?catid=1&subcatid=1&prodhdrid=5

The product code is 18331.

So long,

Andy

11

Thanks Andy!

Andrew

12

I have posted this elsewhere on the forum but … DAP has informed me that the caulk used by Chuck H is one which they regard as outdated and there is not much demand for it – thus it is rarely found at the big box home improvement stores. More like found at smaller older hardware stores especially those that cater to plumbers.
They also said they had been bombarded with inquiries from model railroaders about the product – and I suggested to them that they should work with Model Railroader in exploring what else in their product line would work as well.
Dave Nelson