use of automotive sound deadening material?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

A recent MR article suggested the use of auto motive sound deadener material as a layer between one’s plywood and cork to further absorb wheel noise. The article referenced the use of products from Dynamat and Design Engineering. However, the products I have seen from these vendors (here in the US) all have a foil substrate that is not removable from the underlying material. I doubt one can easily glue roadbed to the foil substrate and I am concerned about the interference effect of that foil substraight on DCC (perhaps I shouldn’t be).

Has anyone used those products as describe in the article successfully? The product used in the article didn’t have a foil substrate attached to it. I suspect the material was purchased in Sweden. Has anyone found a material here in the US that is similar to the material in the article?

2

Interesting. I have that in my car, Dynamat for my stereo system.

Its very expensive and is very messy, that stuff is made from roof sealant, and stinks too.

I would NEVER in my life want that on my benchwork.

3

Second what Motley said. Dynamat is stupid kind of pricey, something like $15/ square foot.

Home Depot has something in their building materials section called Blueskin that’s similar to Dynamat (though not as thick) and not nearly as costly.

Just as messy and stinky, though…

Stu

4

I have old MR magazines that show you how to cut Asbestos board on your table saw for road bed. Stick with the normal and natural building products. You will save some money and probably live longer. Lots of automotive products and accessories are made with questionable material. The US and Canada banned the use of Asbestos in brakes and clutches but it is still used today in gaskets and other heat prone areas.

Pete

5

I would consider foam or the 3/8" fan-fold insulation or Homosote to deaden sound for the roadbed, long before ever using Dynamat (for all those reasons mentioned).

6

Here in Arizona they don’t sell Homosote but do have a product called Sound Board, which I believe is also known as Upson Board, made from shredded and compressed sugar cane and other vegetable fibers.

Sound Board comes in 4 x 8 foot, 1/2 inch thick sheets just like Homosote, and is very easy to cut or carve into.

It is used as an insulation and sound deadening material in building walls, but makes a good sound deadening base for model railroad track.

7

I’d avoid using anything with asbestos like the plague, especially cutting it on a table saw. You’ll have asbestos dust all over everything.

8

I found a Canadian distributor of 2" camper tape. It came on 30’ rolls. It had foil on one side but that was easily peeled off. I don’t recall what I paid. I could lookup details if there is interest. The end result was very successful in that there is NO wheel noise transmitted to the benchwork and hardshell scenery.

Dwayne.

9

Here in Pennsylvania the local Home Depots carry homasote, but you will never find it in the store if you ask for it by name. But when you search the store and find the pallet of material, you will see that Home Depot calls it “sound board”, http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Sound-Choice-Sound-Deadening-Board-717008/202090237. I think that the Homasote website also calls it sound deadening board.

So, around here any way, Homasote and “sound board” are the same thing.

10

Maybe, but not very likely. I worked around steam turbines, some of which had steam inlet temperatures of 1000 degrees F. The piping had what were called Flexitalic gaskets. These were round gaskets with inner and outer metal rings and had filler material made using asbestos. There were programs initiated to go through the entire turbine to replace any asbestos containing gaskets with other material.

We also used some flat gaskets containing asbestos. These were also replaced.

I don’t recall exactly when all that happened, but I’d guess the early 1980’s

11

Dwayne,

That would be great if you could suggest what 2" in camper tape you found. I could only find 1.25" tape and that would be too wide at 2.5" under cork roadbed.

If I can find decent 2" tape I will go with that approach: plywood, tape, cork, track…

Thanks all for those that commented on the potential use of Dynamat/similar material!

12

It may be cheaper, easier, better, to use the Woodland Scenics foam roadbed with caulk, instead of the cork and nails, if deadening sound is your primary concern.

13

Good evening J,

(Sorry for the tardy response, we’re in home reno mode so some systems are not readily available.)

I got my camper tape from Gasketech in Kelowna, BC. The product I used was V610/615 Cap Tape. I found this company by doing a web search for V610 or V615 foam tape. I’m sure the same product is available in the US.

I thought the tape had foil on one side, but it actually had a mylar film on one side. That film was easily peeled off. I installed the tape, cork and track exactly as described in the MR article using latex DAP calk.

Here is a picture of the foam on the roll.

Here is a picture of the final installation.

Good luck and have fun.

Dwayne A