Ive been looking for a long time for a ballast color I like. I want ballast to have a red/gray natural granite color as seen on many railroads in the midwest. I found that color in real red stone granite chicken gritt. I get it in 50 pound bags and use it on ice on my sidewalks in the winter. So the other day I took a hammer and beat some of these rocks up into small pieces about the size of medium to fine ballast. Im using it for n scale. Then I washed them by putting them in a cotton t-shirt rubber band to the top if a plastic container to get the dust out. I sprinkled some in the middle of some track to see how it looks and it looks great. The thing I like is that the pieces are not all the same size like purchased ballast and the color looks more natural. Just wondering of anyone has tried using real stone like this and if there are issues when it comes to gluing it down?
I used local beach sand on two successive layouts, and have enough stored to use it on the next one…hopefully coming up within the year. Beach sand is quite consistent in size from particle-to-particle.
Washing is a good idea, but so is screening. Have you tried panty hose? I use it to screen garden soil for my switching yard and engine servicing area. Also, test it with a fridge magnet. Smoothe it out, thinly spread on a counter or whatever, not a metal sheet, and run a magnet over it held just a half-inch from the sand.
But, yes, I don’t see why something that is clean and uniform in size couldn’t be used. Glue it in place with diluted matte medium, like Mod Podge from Wallly’s.
-Crandell
If you purchase ballast from Harley Smith from Ohio (best in the hobby as far as I’m concerned) or Arizona Rock & Mineral (equally as good) you are purchasing real rock not dried out cork or rubber or anything else the others are selling. The standard ballast gluing methods work just fine.
Paul Scoles does. http://www.paulscoles.com/ Be sure to use a magnet over it to remove mineral material from the rock before gluing. Also try using 2 different size screens like these http://www.desfox.com/accessories.htm to size your material. Too big of stuff stays on the top one. Too small of stuff goes through the bottom one. Just right size stays in the bottom one
ratled
I have used numerous gravel and sand. I take a small plastic margarine tub and drill holes through the bottom. Start with the smallest drill bit that you want for your smallest size rock. If you want to go a size larger, just use the same plastic tub and drill larger holes.
I picked up some “Blue Stone” dust at the local quarry and it works well for yards. I sift out the larger particles using a series of tea strainers and flour sifters. The fine dust that is left can be handled using the same techniques utilized with a glue/water/alcohol mixture to secure roadbed.
The Blue Stone and cinders were scattered in irregular patterns along with some sand and coal where appropriate. Larger stones were used on rock walls as loose stone. Medium stones worked well for river-bed shoreline.
Best thing was the price; zero for a 5 gal. pail.
Doc