I am installing approx. 24’ of masoniste spline roadbed on the new layout. The rest of the layout is pine strips for subroadbed and homasote roadbed on top a la the Howard Zane method. Other then the giangantic dust storm created when cutting homasote I have no problem with it but wanted to give the masonite spines a try being as some many have stated that they are far better then the method I am currently using.
Well to my question I have seem where some mount glue the track right to the masonite while others glue cork roadbed to the masonite and then attach the track to it. What method do you use any pros or cons to doing it either way?
In either case the masonite will need to be sanded smooth with a belt sander so I have read which should create more dust and fyi masonite makes a pile of dust when you cut it on the table saw. Took me 45 min. to an hour just to vacum up the shop this morning time that I could have been working on my railroad. I need to a clean up crew to follow me around…lol
Here is an old pic of mine. (I now have track everywhere) I was very careful when gluing it together so leveling was kept to a minimum. I used a rasp to level and also put in (built in) super elevation in the curves. All in all it work out well for my first ever attempt.
I think using cork would be redundant when using spline as you can bevel the outside splines on your saw and you end up with the same result as with cork. My only complaint about spline is that I found it all but impossible to fasten the track down temporarily so It got the caulk down without test runs and again I had no problems as I made sure it was eyeball perfect before I committed to caulking.
I would not use a belt sander as I think it is overkill especially if you were careful gluing your splines in the first place. The mess would be just awful and you would be finding dust forever.
I cut my splines with my radial arm saw but I rolled it outside first and at last reports the dust cloud was just entering Russian airspace. Good luck.
I finished up what I could tonight and I completely see the virtue of using 1/4" over 1/8" masonite, but I used what I had laying around I like the idea about the rasp I only mentioned the belt sander as it’s waht the author of the article I read used. It didn’t turn out all that bad but it isn’t as neat as I owuld have hoped. I guess after sanding etc. it will look ok.