I was watching a Kalmbach video and the fellow mentioned and demonstrated using a ballast template which quickly smooths and distributes track ballast. He said one could be bought or made. Can anyone tell me where to purchase such a template or shat the specs would be to make one?
Micro-mark has a ballast spreader for around $10.00; but a soft bru***o spread it by hand exactly where you want it works good also. May want to go to micromark and look online and/or request a catalog.
Shaking it off a spoon over your track bed will work just as well. The ballast will fall naturally that way and form natural ‘shoulders’ at the edges of the ties…the ends of them.
thanks for the replies, the MRL ballast tool works (sort of) and spoon/bru***echniques work well but the template the “expert” was using and recommended looked like it was made of plastic/cardstock and he just poured the ballast between the rails and dragged the template…producing very nice lookinged rail and shoulders, very fast!
Tried the Micro-Mark ballast tool and could never get it to work! It now sits on the shelf as a worthless tool.
Bill Butler
I, too, have one of those MicroMark ballast spreaders and don’t even try to use it anymore because it never did work like it was supposed to.
I use a spoon to spread dry ballast down the center of the track and along the sides; followed by a soft 1" paint bru***o spread the ballast evenly and into the desired taper on the sides. Then I spray rubbing alcohol, dribble on 50/50 white glue mix, followed by another spraying with alcohol. I have found that straight rubbing alcohol works better than a water/detergent mix.
Add me to the list who has tried the MLR ballast spreader tool and simply consigned it to the shelf. Maybe it works better on Code 100 track, but on Code 83, forget it. It went much faster and easier just using a paper cup and pouring the ballast on, and then shaping it with a soft brush - those packs of foam brushes they sell at Home Depot and elswhere, with three sizes in them, the smallest size is perfect for between the tracks.
–Randy
DMReed…
To get back to your question about creating a profile for the ballast - I would recommend that you make your own if you are not happy with the profile created by the track, cork (or other roadbed), etc you use. Should be simple enough to cut from styrene.
This method though creates a lot of work in scooping up the leftover ballast, and can be very wasteful.
As I understand it, different roads had different profiles for ballast in different situations. If you are a stickler for accuracy, you might want to find a MOW handbook for your road and era to be sure you get it right.
Andrew
Any type of spreader or template style will just lay too much ballast. For it to ride the rails and clear the ties, excess ballast will be all over the ties and/ or pushed off the shoulders.
The spoon method or as I come to like using a very small flexable cup gives you added control for placement and amount of ballast. Spread the small mounds w/ a soft brush, shape the shoulders and it’s ready to wet and secure. A tip I found from a fellow modeler is to lightly blow along the ballast as it is being brushed, tends to knock all the stray grains off the ties.
Many times I have found that the shoulders can be easily done by painting diluted glue on them w/ a foam brush and sprinkle on the ballast. This step tends to eliminate the thin or see through at the shoulder. Some modelers will sand off the sharp edges on their roadbed to eliminate this from happening.
Bob K.
G’day, Y’all,
Good info. I use a 1.25 inch brush held so that it is nearly horizontal with the track. This gets virtually all the “ballast” off the ties very quickly.
Someone please tell me what the alcohol does.
I use a water/glue ratio of about 7/1 because it allows the capillary action to distribute the very thin glue to a fairly large area. If a hurricane ever hits Cumming, the ballast’s whereabouts will be the least of my problems. When I first began my layout and started ballasting, it was an awful chore, but as I’ve refined my techniques, it has actually become enjoyable.
Jock Ellis
Cumming, GA US of A
Alcohol does the same thing as dish detergent: it makes the the liquid ‘wetter’ by relieving surface tension, allowing the water/glue or alcohol/glue mixture to spread more evenly over a larger area.
Ballasting is ‘enjoyable’? It could be. Better techniques give better results gives more enjoyment. Makes good sense to me!
Have fun!
Darrell, quiet…for now
Alcohol helps to increase the evaporation rate of the glue, helping the glue deep inside the ballast to dry fairly quickly.
It also reduces the viscosity of the glue / water to it’ll flow easier. I also add a couple of drops of soap to the mixture to relieve surface tension that much more.
Mark in Utah