I have used a glue and water mix to put down woodland scenics foam and ballast. What will work the best to seal the top of the material (the loose stuff) to keep it all together without showing any signs of the adhesive?
I use Modpoge matte glue mixed 1-3 with water and a little alcohol. I think it dries duller than the WS cement.[2c]
If it’s done properly, there should be very little “loose stuff” after ballasting. What little there is should be picked up with a vacuum cleaner so it doesn’t get into your engines or spread around from vibration.
The standard method for ballasting is to put it all on dry, then spray with “wet water” to help break down the surface tension. “Wet water” can be a number of “favorite” solutions. I take a spray bottle of water and add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid. Soak it good. At this point I take Q-tips and paper towels and clean off the rails to get the soap off them. Next, I mix Elmer’s Glue about 50-50 with water, until I get the consistency of skim milk. Take this glue and apply it to the ballast with an eye dropper. Again, use lots, just don’t flood out the ballast. With a toothpick or tweezers, remove pieces of ballast that are above the ties or stuck to the rails.
Up here in New England in the summer, it takes about 2 days for this to all dry. I suppose it would be dry in about a half-hour in Arizona, but I don’t know for sure. Dry ballast will have a hard shell, and won’t feel mushy. Once it’s really dry, vacuum up the loose stuff, clean the track again and run your trains.