I am building an HO Scale layout, and I need some help. I have a table with homasote on top and I painted the entire piece. I now have the Woodlands Scenics Roadbed, and I need to know how to attach everything. I am using atlas snap switches and walthers flextrak. I have a package of track spikes.
I was think white glue for the roadbed to homasote. Would this work? Right now I have pins used to set it. I also have Atlas books showing how to cut it for switches.
Also, I have noticed there are no holes in the flextrak for spikes, what do i do? Wait til ballasting to glue everything down?
I used some latex caulk when I was laying track and I needed to pull some up for some reason or another, destroyed the track and the cork roadbed. I then started using white gkue, if tou need to pull up some track, simply wet it with wet water, wait a few minutes and it will come right up. I personaly would not go back to using caolk. As far as the spikes, I used them to hold everything down (don’t drive them in all the way) and after the balasting was done I remover the spikes. The ballast will hold the track in place. One mans opinion. Mike
Just cuz’ we always need the other side… I’ve been using latex caulk. If you use it be sure to put it on VERY lightly… spread with a putty knife very thin… if you ever want to remove it. I’ve not used homasote, but roadbed caulked to plywood will not come off in a usable way. Roadbed caulked to foam may or may not be reusable. I just went through a lot of track removal, and several guys here suggested yellow wood glue for easier removal (if that’s important to you).
Yet another vote for latex caulk. I recently pulled up some WS foam roadbed that was attached to the plywood subroadbed with latex caulk and it came up with no problems. The roadbed is now in a box waiting its next assignment.
Well, I’ll dissent with the crowd here and go for yellow glue. I use it to glue Woodland Scenics trackbed to plywood and then to glue the track to the roadbed. I use Atlas code 83 nickel silver. Pulling it up is nothing more than a 4" putty knife between the parts you want to pull apart. The only spikes I use is at some turnouts where I want to limit the ertical movement of the roadbed. I’ve puleld up many sections and relaid them. Sometimes I have to repalce the roadbed but only once have I every had to replace the track.
I use white glue. It’s easy to remove from foam, if you mess up. Although, if you use glue on Homasote, it is likely damage either the roadbed or the Homasote, if you try to pull it up.
Atlas flex track is predrilled. I think Walther’s flex has dimples on the underside you punch out. If not, use a small drill bit in a pin vise to drill the nail holes.
Yup, latex caulk again. The DAP alex plus is resonably priced and holds well. Don’t use any of the bargain stuff. White glue would be OK on unpainted Homosote but wasted now, and the caulk will allow removal if needed. Caulk the track down also.
Bob K.
WS foam sheet roadbed pulls right up when attached to extruded (pink) foam with caulk. Cork is so-so on reusability. I haven’t had to pull up any WS foam roll roadbed attached with caulk, so I don’t know if that would be reusable.
At least at Home Depot, I have difficulty finding latex caulk with the word, “adhesive”, in the name. Is all latex caulk adhesive? If not, what should I watch out for? Is there a problem with caulk containing silicone?
The brand caulk I use from Home Depot is “PolySeamSeal” and it is the kind that dries clear (same price as the white stuff). Comes out of the tube white so you can see as you apply it, then dries clear - making it obvious when it has dried, too. It doesn’t say ‘adhesive’ on it, just “latex caulk” but it definitely sticks things together - it’s strong enough to even stick a Tortoise on the bottom of the foam, I didn’t even have to pin it in place, it was tacky enough right away to hold the weight of the Tortoise. All of my track and roadbed is fastened in this manner.
The silicone version will be more permanent. Roadbed and track tacked down with it is not going to come up without a fight, if at all. Latex caulk, with or without the word adhesive, will do the job.
I’ve had good luck with Liquid Nails for Projects, although there was another thread that was kind of down on Liquid Nails. The company does make several different formulas, so that may be the difference. I use it for pink-foam-to-benchwork, WS-foam-roadbed-to-pink-foam, and track-to-roadbed. After a year, nothing has come loose unless I intentionally pulled it apart. I haven’t ruined any track or pink foam doing this, but the roadbed just goes in the trash.