Homasote is very difficult to find in Canada, southern Ontario, is there a substitute that would do the same job and hold track nails as well? Does ceiling tile work or is it to loose to hold nails?
I’ve heard of upson board but have no idea what that is!
Anyone in the Stratford, London, Ontario area that knows of a Homasote supplier?
Thanks
Tom
Ceiling tile is too soft.
Upson board is a pressed paper product thicker and denser than Homasote.
Some people have used luan plywood. Never tried it myself.
Dave H.
Dave
Thanks
Never heard of Luan plywood?
Tom
I use a product called Sound Board that is made by Celotex Corporation. Sound board is sold by 3 different home supply dealers (lumber yards) here in 4x8 foot sheets. It is made from sugar cane and wood scraps. It doesn’t swell up or disentegrate when wet like Homosote can, and it is cheaper than Homosote.
Check with lumber yards around your area in the insulation section. Look for a brown colored, 1/2 inch thick, 4x8 foot sheet of insulation that should be marked on the shelf as Sound Board. In addition to being an insulator, it also absorbs sound; hence the name Sound Board.
Because of health issues with cutting sheet homasote, I used and found it to be very good… a product call Homabed. This is homaoste which comes in half strips like cork roadbed. There are straight pieces, and then straight pieces with kerf cuts to make any shaped curve. There is a choice between 30 degree and 60 degree slop on the edges for ballasting, based on the era being moldeled. They have turnout shaped hoasote for under the turnouts. They also have some different sized sheets of homasote to use like for under yards or depot areas. They have all scales… HO, N, etc. They have a Sample ($8) kit you can get which has some of all the straight or kerfed straight pieces, and cost is applied to a later order.
The company is California Roadbed Co 3568 Balls Ferry Rd Cottonwood CA 96022.
Web site is www.calroadbed.com and gives much info about it with pricing.
Have fun laying roadbed. Hal
It is heavy, but I would seriously consider good old MDF. It makes wonderful spline roadbed, but if you wanted to cut it for roadbed, or simply to lay it over frame members as a base for your layout, I don’t see a problem.
What I do not know is how stable it is with changes in humidity. I have used it for my spline roadbed throughout, and have not shielded it (sealed it). My basement is very humid, so I do control that with a couple of dehumidifiers most often…not always.
Why the homasote, anyway? What do you wish to use it for? I understand that it is both hard to cut and is a real bear for humidity issues. You will have to seal it if you don’t want your trackwork to spread apart and then contract with changes in humidity.
I was going to use the homasote as a bed under the cork and over ply. I understand it is good for accepting track nails easily and holding them, rather than nailing into the ply.
MDF needs support I would think and is heavy but I will think about it.
Tom
Hal
Thanks for the info on homabed.
Tom
Cacole
I look into this. Thanks
Tom
Hey there,
Homasote can be found at Copps buildall.
Fanshawe park rd. location in London.
In stock at the moment
I called last week to inquire about Homasote and the fellow on the phone asked what scale I was modeling. They say we railroaders are the only people using the stuff.
Happy hunting.
kenworthkid
Thanks for that I also found out that Commonwealth Plywood at 519 885-2810 Call Doug Hazard in Waterloo has some as well.
Tom
If you are looking for Homasote in Southern Ontario, Try Rona Home Centres. I got a sheet at the Rona on Martin Grove Rd. just North of Hwy. #409, (goes into Pearson International Airport and there is an Exit at Martin Grove Rd.). It was a stock item and cost $35.00 + the Government Rip-off taxes of 15%, (now 14%, Whoopee!!!). They will also make 2 or 3 cuts for free if you need smaller sections. (Helps for carrying it in the car).
I hope that this helps.
Blue Flamer.
Blue
Thanks, Rona around this area does not carry it.
Tom
Hello,
I’m building a 4 x 6 layout and using plywood as a base with homasote on top. What the best way of attaching homasote to the plywood? Nails, screws or glue it down?
Thanks, Jim
I used Homasote over 1/2" plywood on my last N scale layout. I glued the Homasote to the plywood with Elmer’s Yellow Carpenter’s glue. I held the Homasote in place until the glue set with “C” clamps where they would reach and in other areas with weights such as bricks, heavy books or anything I could find that had some weight to it. If you use clamps to hold the Homasote in place, be sure to put a block of wood or plywood between the surface of the Homasote and the clamp to prevent the clamp from denting the surface of the Homasote.
In seriously considering using 2" extruded foam insulation for the bench top on my new layout. This seems to be much easier to work with and allows topographical features to be carved into the foam below track level, eg., rivers, streams, gullies, ets. Homasote is a mess to cut with a saber saw and should be done outside and you should wear a dust mask to protect your lungs from the dust created. I never had any problem with expansion and contraction due to changes in humidity in my basement, but then the basement was air conditioned and was not very humid, even in the summer. I think gluing the Homasote to the plywood tends to reduce this problem.
Bob
There are a couple of problems with MDF - when used in place of plywood as subroadbed it requires support risers to be closer together to prevent it from sagging over time. Selector, you’re not seeing this because you’re using it for spline, which changes the structural aspect of it. MDF is also hard on tools and dulls them quickly because of the glues used. It also doesn’t hold screws as well unless you use screws made for MDF.
Homasote is a time tested material for subroadbed and roadbed construction. Its’ benefits includes its ability to hold either a track nail or a spike very well. While it can create quite a mess when cutting with a sabre saw or circular saw, it is easy cut with a SHARP utility knife to bevel the sides like cork roadbed.
Homasotes stability has been debated many times. Typically, it rate of expansion and contraction is along the lines of plywood used underneath it, so they move together. Homasote is especially prefered if track will be handlaid because it holds spikes so well. It is also a good sound deadening, better than foam.
If you can find it, use it. Just where a mask
You can check the Homasote MSDS and other data such as expansion coefficient (not bad) on their web site. I expect to use it for a layout over plywood and have used it as a large tack board secured to a wood panel in a non-humidity-controlled space. It is painted with latex paint and glued and screwed to the panel (actually a hollow-core door). If it has moved, the movement is not noticeable and must be the same as the door panel. The entire assembly is exposed to the exterior on one side; the interior - with the Homasote - on the other.
Dante