I am just starting to lay some cork roadbed on 1/2 plywood. A staple gun and 3/8 staples makes the job fast and clean, plus easy to adjust or repair. There are a number of suggestions on this forum about using chaulk, but not a mention about using staples. Is there a problem? Any experience?
Welcome aboard! I have used caulkng and held the roadbed in place with staples until the caulk had cured. After I removed the staples with a slotted screwdriver. The only problem I can see with leaving them in is that they may eventually work their way back up through the roadbed. I am sure their are more opinions out there somewhere. Take care.
Scott
I glue my cork roadbed down holding it in place with push pins until the glue dries. I then go over it with a surform plane to smooth and level it before layng track. With staples you can’t do that.
Enjoy
Paul
Like Paul, I glue my roadbed down, and use push pins to hold it until dry. I prefer regular white glue. When I used cork (I now use Woodland Scenics Trackbed), I used sandpaper or a surform tool to even everything out. The WS stuff needs to sanding.
Nick
I’d highly recommend NOT stapling cork roadbed! Cork is not completely smooth, and after it’s mounted to your sub-base, you’ll want to vigorously sand it smooth with medium or coarse sandpaper. Having staples all over will just tear up your sandpaper and make getting a nice, smooth surface basically impossible (the staples will leave either humps or dips, neither of which is desirable). In addition, you’ve got metal in the roadbed, making the chance of a stray short grow.
Stick with glue for roadbed. I prefer silicone caulk for gluing down roadbed, and latex caulk for gluing track to the roadbed. White glue also works well, but wood glue and Liquid Nails really do not.
Ya gotta glue it!!! You should put something as a sub bed on the plywood,like styrofoam or homasote…Instead off staples,I use brads in my stapler,you don’t hafta pull them out when it’s dry.While you’re sanding it,sand a little bevel into the corners to superelevate[bank] the corners.You won’t BELIEVE the difference it makes in the appearance of running trains.
I agree don’t staple, glue it. However in lieu of caulk of white glue, try Ailene’s Tacky Glue, available in craft stores and quite inexpensive, often on sale. This stuff is easy to work with and sets fast enough that for most curves, push pins or temporary staples etc. are just not required. In fact, I used it to glue code 100 track direct to masonite when constructing two helixes with 30" radi without any need to temporarily pin the track in place until the glue set. I’ve also removed track that was glued to masonite with it and found it stuck to the masonite, but not the track, allowing me to reuse the track (would be more difficult if the track was glued to cork, as I suspect the cork would fragment , with some sticking to the track, if you tried to separate the two).
Try it, you’ll like it.
I have been stapleing my cork for years and have had no problem,once ballest is down you don’t see the staples.[2c][2c]JIM
I’ve done it both ways and have had no problems with staples, as long as they are driven flush with the top of the cork.
I lay my flex-track centers on 1/2 " plywood roadbed with a marks-a-lot. The same for turnouts. I can make any adjustments to the track plan at this time. Plan ahead for turnouts and cut cork roadbed to fit.
I glue the cork roadbed down with yellow carpenters glue using the centerline. Hold it in place with pushpins until the next day.
I glue down the flex-track directly to the cork using the same carpenters glue. I do spread the glue with a small spatula for an even coat. Hold the track in place with pushpins. I don’t glue the turnouts in case I may want to replace them.
You can cover a lot of ground with this method and it’s so easy. I’ve had this down for five years with no problems. I’ve never had to repair any track or roadbed.
I have tried staples but found they deformed the cork. With the glue method I don’t even need sanding to get everything level.
I started out with staples, it made things easy to remove and reuse the cork on another layout! Later on I used some short track spikes, which blended in well with the cork. Gluing was always just too permanent for me, and I was trying to build things as cheaply as possible!
A few years ago I built a layout on plywood, with part of the cork roadbed glued directly to the plywood. All was fine until I ballasted the track, and then it was NOISEY. If you put a layer of foam down first, even a fairly thin layer it’ll be a lot quieter.
I also agree that you’ll want to be able to sand the cork in case it’s not smooth. Not all cork is the same thickness.
Mark in Utah
I use hot glue. The working time is shorter, but if you’ve got a good line to follow for putting down the roadbed that’s not a problem. You also don’t have to wait a long time for drying and you don’t need pins. You can sand almost immediately.
I prefer to use track nails and fasten directly to wood/plywood (don’t use homosote, haven’t tried styrofoam) and no glue–I find that I can pull up the tracknails with my railcnippers and reposition the cork (and track) without making a mess (cork pieces, scraping up glue, etc). I find that this method allows me to easily reposition (and re-use) the cork. The hint about sanding the cork after it’s in position is a very good one–this method allows you to do that (the nail heads are usually slightly under the top of the cork).
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Not sure I understand the need for sanding except for banking. Maybe it is because I am using cork roadbed that I purchased 30 years ago. It looks like cork not someones off road tires. I will be doing some experimenting with chaulk, staples, spray adhesive. If I discover anything remarkable I will let you know.
Sanding comes into play particularly at joints where the ends may not be at the same height due to differences in the cork, being stretched, etc. Also, joints in the subroad bed/table top can cause humps in the cork roadbed which can be sanded flat. I use a surform plane which works like a rasp on cork roadbed.
Enjoy
Paul
karle,
Using masonite for a helix intrigues me. No other subroadbed? What keeps the masonite from “flopping around”?
I don’t recommend staples or using 1/2 inch plywood either. It’s too thin and flexable. Three quarter inch should be used instead.
Building a helix with masionite is explained in How to Build Model Railroad Benchwork By Linn H.Westcott.
Basically it’s held up by sticks on the edges. The sub-roadbed is made of two pieces of 1/8" masonite, laminated and offset.