Great video on MRVP today that deserves it’s own thread. Leone is big on recycling things to use in MR. Today: Stuff you can find in a beauty shop.
Cool- dollar tree had some beauty shop spray bottles that worked great for scenic cement. (They had a colored bottle) If you get a fine enough spray out of that type you don’t neet wetting solution to do ballast- much easier. Jim
I was going to disagree with that statement, but I am having second thoughts. When I tore my first layout down, I found areas where the white glue I used to cement the balast only glued the very top layer.
That’s what people say happens if you don’t use enough wetting agent, but had I not torn the layout down, I would have never known, unless I had a plague of scale groundhogs.
I’m a fan of those. Wife works in a podiatry office, plus has her own business. She keeps me well supplied with a variety.
Mike.
I was a little sceptical at first too. I soak it real good until you can see the liquid at the top. A fairly thick layer of ballast beside homosote or deeper sections might be a different story. I use cork. Jim
What are the emery boards used for?
As for the fine mist spray bottles, some one tipped me off on that 20 years ago. I think the idea is the spray is gentle enough that you don’t displace the ballast. Of course soak it well enough to get more than a crust at the top.
Finger and toe nail files. But they also work great for model work, filing and sanding.
Mike.
Great tips! My train mentor provided some other useful stuff. Consider them “dual use” technologies, haha:
Unwanted dental tools to remove stray ballast from areas (perhaps getting them makes the dentist even more worthwhile, haha)
Beauty supply brushes to spread ballast more smoothly or for applying weathering powders
Emory boards are fantastic. I never knew about using them. Thanks!