I have 5/8" plywood, then 1/2" foam, then roadbed then track. What can I use to glue the “track” to the roadbed, since my “spikes” wont reach through to the plywood?
Is hot glue the answer? It is what I used to put down the foam and roadbed…or is there something better?
As always, thanks in advance to all who reply.
Carl, railroadinmedic, building the CF&W spur, Rock Island TN.
I use Liquid Nails for Projects to glue my pink foam to the benchwork, my WS foam roadbed to the pink foam, and the track to the roadbed. Other modellers have different preferences, but latex caulks seem to dominate. They are cheap, they have a reasonable “working time” before they set up, they don’t take too long to harden, and you can generally get the track up again without destroying it if you want to make a change. Some of them may interact with either the foam roadbed or base, so you have to be a little bit selective. Don’t use silicone, either, because it smells and gives off irritating vapors.
Latex caulk,liquid nails (make sure its safe for foam though), elmer’s glue (the yellow stuff, not the white stuff)… the list goes on, but I think you get the idea.
Personally I like the elmers glue the best, although if I was better at using a caulking gun (ie controlling the bead…) I would probably use that.
Another vote for El Cheapo Latex Caulk. For a $3.00 tube, you can glue down many sheets of foam and about 200’ of track. It takes 40 minutes to tighten, so working time is quite good, and when you realize you need to remove a section of track, you simply slide a metal spatula, steel ruler, or a blade of some kind between the ties and the roadbed, saw back and forth to tear the caulk (do all of this with care, of course), and lift your track section(s) to use them again.
The secret with any of these materials is to go light (go light…for those who may have colour acuity deficiencies). A 1/4" thick bead of caulk should be spread thinly, much like you would soft margarine, and then the track pressed into it. If it wells up between the ties, you did it incorrectly. Take it up, wipe off the ties, and thin out the caulking. Try again.
I am laying track right now using DAP Adehesive Chaulk - clear. Great tack to hold track while positioning. I put down 1/8" bead, spread with putty knife, position with T-pins and then lightly clamp with C clamps (with a glue block) and/or jorgenson clamps.
Selector-$3/tube! [wow] Your buying “top shelf” caulk!
Oops! Sorry. Forgot your in Canada.[:D]
I tack the track to the foam w/spikes and then put a liberal drop of CA between every fourth or fifth set of ties. Once the CA sets, I pull out the spikes.
The advantage of the CA is that it doesn’t squish up between the ties like other glue and it makes a strong bond.
It will hold on its own but once you ballast the tracks and set the ballast with Scenic Cement or matte medium, you’re pretty much good for life.
Craig Cooper
Same material, but a slightly different method.
I lay my track on 1/2 inch foam (over plywood,) using a cardstock template (pre-painted ballast color) exactly the width of the flex track. The template gets ‘caulked’ down first. Then I pre-shape the flex to assure that it will hold the desired radius, undercut ties for rail joiners and do all the other ‘housekeeping’ things that assure trouble-free track. I temporarily position the flex with track nails, then run my ‘designated derailment test train’ (under 0-5-0 power) at various speeds between track speed and Mach 1. If there are any issues, I deal with them. Finally I move the flex aside, lay down a thin film of caulk, put the track nails back in the same holes they came out of (to assure that the alignment is the same) and apply weight and/or clamp the track to the roadbed.
This works for me. Others have different methods, equally valid for them.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I use latex caulk. It is sticky enough to hold the track pretty much in position, yet gives me enough time to position it properly. I use map pins (the kind that look like top hats) to hold it in place around curves and put weights on the track until the caulk sets. The trick is to spread it thin. Very thin. I can still see my guidlines through most of it. It will hold the track securely, but like someone said, once you ballast the track, you’re set for life.
If you use the latex caulk as suggested by many of the modelers I would also suggest keeping a damp,not wet ,sponge handy and a small container of water. I’ll explain. Caulk has a tendency to squish out espespecially when compressed. A small damp sponge will make it easy to clean up or wipe the excess out. The water container will be used to rinse the sponge and clean your hands from the excess caulk. Just a suggestion[:)] Oh JUST IN CASE. make sure that you do not have ANY ELECTRIC equipment on while performing this. You could end up with permed hair do.
I avoid caulk or any permanent glue. I lay track with track pins, test it, and when it is satisfactory, I ballast it with water/alcohol/yellow glue mix. When it dries, I pull the track pins. The advantage is that I can reuse the track, turnouts, crossings, etc. by soaking the ballast for a few minutes and lifting the track. Since I seem to do this every year or so, I don’t lose track to “permanent” adhesives. BTW, 1" extruded foam [pink or blue] is the thinnest I have found in stock. The thinner white beadboard foam is generally not a good choice for a layout.
Anyone ever see this before. Looks kind of interesting. Could it simply be double sided tape? Sort of like carpet tape.
It looks thicker. It looks like double-sided foam tape. It’s an interesting concept, though. No caulk, no glue, no pins, no ballast bonding glue. I wonder how it is for removing the track. I tried carpet tape once and it didn’t want to give me back the track when I tried to remove it. I won’t try that again.
I’ve used Elmers white glue for my track; on WS foam roadbed with no problems!
Hmm, must’ve been doing something wrong then. Granted the last time I had a semblamce of a layout was when I was 12 or 13, and my “really great” loco was a LL trainset model. [tdn]
Hey Snowey, So, if I were to use yellow elmer’s, then of course I would need to spread it out very thin with a putty knife I am guessing, not mixing it with anything to thin it? Thanks again, railroadinmedic
Yes Sir, you are correct, it is technically 1" extruded foam (blue), I was in a hurry when I “guessed” the size of it. I already found out that the “Beaded” white foam is nothing to play with around a model railroad. Thanks for your help.
Also, I like your idea of ballasting it and it holding in this way. I can’t ever say that the layout will not be pulled up, so with this in mind, [the cost of track], that this is a good idea.
Thanks again…
Hey Seamonster, I am with you on that, I am liking all of the “pros” about it, but the one “con” is something to be dealt with…If it tears your track up when you have to pull it up, then I am liking the idea of ballasting it and using that as the “glue” to hold down the track.
I’ve used white glue with thumb tacks holding the track in place. I simply used a watered down white glue and water mix, then afterward ballast secures it permanently.
I use normal yellow wood glue. It works great and is easy to pull up, if needed.