When all is said and done, is CVT tiestrips better than flex? I mean the barge cement is toxic as is the MEK used to cement the rails to the ties. I haven’t seen any post that says how to cement CVT ties to Homabed either. More toxic adhesives? CVT sure looks good though and is reputrd to maintain gauge better than most. New layout is coming closer to start and I want to start with the correct system for me.
Flextrack is much easier to work with, but if you are doing a small switching pike that you are going to be highly detailing, then the CVT would be better.
Paint the homabed or homasote with latex paint and smooth the surface. Attach the tie strips with clear latex caulking spread thin and weigh the tie strips down.
Attach the rail to the tie strips with Walthers Goo. (Put the goo on the bottom of the rail then put it on the ties.) Use small spikes to help hold the track in placea that need more security.
Or you can just use spikes to hold both the rail and tie strips at the same time. When you cement the ballast in place it will help hold the ties more.
I’ve used CV tie strips and turnouts, but with CA instead of Barge cement. Barge cement is not available here in Germany.
Here’re pictures from my Diamond Valley module at the track laying phase.
Wolfgang
Bruce.
Your not suppose to eat and drink the glue and MEK. It also says to use in a well ventilated area. I don’t know what you do for a living, But I am a big truck and heavy equipment mechanic in the mining industry for over thirty years. Barge and MEK is probably the least chemicals I use to worry about. Solvents, coffee, Asbestos, wine, silica dust,hydrogenated fats, lead, oils and greases, fried clams, Burger King and McDonalds have been introduced to me for years. Its either live in a bubble or deal with it.
As for the CVT vs flex. The CV ties look and lay better than flex. I am using CV ties and turnouts on all the most visible parts of my home layout. Flex in staging and not so visible areas. The thing I like about CV ties is I can ballast before the rails are in the way. I get a hand laid feel and flexibility of changing rail codes when dropping from main to branch to yard/industry track. Hard to do with flex and keep the tie spacing as it should. I know I can modify the flex ties spacing but you still have the same rail code from one end to the other with those giant size plastic spike heads. I use simple white glue and ballast to hold the tie strips. When that dries I bond the rail with Walthers GOO or Pliobond. I could not find Barge cement in this area. I use it full strength and do not thin it with MEK.
Pete
I use both on my current layout with great success. Both had advantages over the other and I feel one is not better then the other. I use latex adhesive caulk to hold the tie strips to the Homabed and C/A to secure the rails to the tie strips.
At least this topic sent me to “GOOGLE”; it looks to me that this "BARGE CEMENT’ doesn’t do any more than good ol’ epoxy resin.