Looking for ideas for a subsitute for buying ballast from the store to offset the high cost for the amount that I would need. I thought I heard of a type of masonary additive that comes in various colors and is the approximate size for HO ballast. I understand the need to keep metal out, etc. but am looking for what some people may have used as a decent substitute for buying ballast from a store. I would most likely be using black but am open to color. Thanks
Coarse ground black pepper.
How much do you need? Or rather, how big/how much track is your layout? A lot of people think ballast is expensive because they use too much of it. A little bit actually goes a long long way. I did a 3’x5’ N scale layout using a bag of Woodland Scenics fine ballast, and I bet I only used a quarter of the bag. HO doesn’t use much more even than N. Ballast looks better if used somewhat sparingly, anyway. [:)]
http://www.westernallegheny.com/modelrr/ballast.html
Ray out
I use sand almost exclusively for ballast. Beach sand of several different colors has been stockpiled from vacations to the California and Oregon coasts, and southern Utah is a treasure trove of decomposed sandstone. Consult a geologic map of your area for likely sources in nature, or try sifting builders’ or playground sand from the local home center or lumber yard.
I use sand almost exclusively for ballast. Beach sand of several different colors has been stockpiled from vacations to the California and Oregon coasts, and southern Utah is a treasure trove of decomposed sandstone. Consult a geologic map of your area for likely sources in nature, or try sifting builders’ or playground sand from the local home center or lumber yard.
I, too, used beach sand, but you could try hardware stores that carry bags of ready-crete and sand for do-it-yourselfers. I’ve heard that bird crop grit is relatively cheap at pet stores.
Just be sure you run a magnet through it to remove any stuff that would LOVE to climb up into yout engines. Many people worry about this, but I feel that
A: It’s a good idea to do.
B: If you thoroughly glue your ballast down it’ll be unable to get up into the engine anyway.
To make sure your engine is “safe” from magnetic particles when you’re all done, you could vacuum your trackwork to remove any loose debris.
Mark in Utah
If you want an earthy colour to your ballast why not dig up some soil from the garden. Heat a small amount in the oven or microwave (best done if the wife / girflfriend isn’t in!) to kill any germs (or small creatures) living in it.
Ian
I found that the sand tubes that we use to add weight to the back of our pickup (yes, it snows here) is an excellent source of sand. Buy a cheap strainer (NEVER, EVER USE YOUR WIFE’S!!) to get out the non-prototypical sized pebbles out . You can always use them later as talus at the base of a hill/mountain. By the end of the snow season, the bag they use doesn’t want to keep the sand in it. After I strain it, I store it in an empty plastic kitty litter bucket.
I’ve ballasted over 1500 feet of track with silica sand blasting grit, available in eighty pound sacks for around $10.00. You can choose between fine, medium and coarse. I use medium. To color it I buy masonry stain, either black or ruddy red. You put the stain in a bucket with water. Pour your silica into the resulting soup and soak it well. After that remove it, put it on a cookie sheet -NOT one of your wife’s- and bake it in the oven at about 250 degrees until it’s dry. Spread it and glue it down with half water-half white glue and a dash of detergent. After it’s dry check for loose spots and glue them again. It makes a good hard ballast and looks great with track painted oxide red.
HI Jim, Les Perry here. Small world isn’t it. I use stone dust from local quarry. I sift it through a sreen wire then as mark in utah, glue it and vacume it. I find the quarry will give me a 5 gallon bucket free of charge
I use Kitty Litter. Have over 900 feet of track ballasted for years with no problems. I do not glue this down, it makes track changes very easy. Do not buy the scented product, just the basic and it’s light gray in color. Ihave used black sand blasting sand with the same good results, again not glueing it down.
I used a bag of oil spill clean up gravel stuff from Wal-Mart. I just sifted the bag using my wifes large flour sifter (she’s a chef and do not tell her i used it ) I obtained enough ballast to do about 100ft of double track main line ( although I unfortunately do not have the space for 100ft of mainline, i have plenty left over) the stuff is predominently light grey with lighter and darker shades, some black, so it looks realistic.
The bag cost $2.95, I only used the finest pieces for ballast so I have 99% left for other uses, like oil spills, I got plenty of ballast and it is very lightweight. Due to its absorbant nature it also take paints very well, and it doesnt attract cats !!
some more pics are on my site below.
Have fun & be safe
Karl.