Hey all, I’m ready to lay my track, and I want it to be semi-permanant (ie maybe pull it up again in the future to re-use) I was thinking to tack it down with spikes, but I’ve been reading through that caulk topic and it sounds pretty cool. I’m just not sure what we call it in Australia (almost everything seems to have a different name here!) Are you US guys talking about what we call “gap filler”? Basically “A flexible Acrylic Sealant” you use a caulking gun with right? I’m also worried that the bond may be really strong, like liquid nails? and end up ripping off the ties?
Anyways, thanks for reading my ramblings! And also for the advice!
Gentlemen, the latex caulk (gap filler) is quite strong in my experience. It does a good job, but none the less when used very sparingly…which happens to be the secret to freeing up the track for second use later. If you find that it wells up a bit between the ties, it’s about twice the amount you need. What we Canucks call a skiff ( a very light dusting or paint-thin coating) is plenty, provided you assist the bonding process by placing some kind of restraint (cans of cola, soup?) over the tracks for about 20-20 minutes. A couple of well-placed track nails to aid on curves never hurts, either.
What is a noogie? Some quaint expression used by English public schoolboys? The poor seppo before you thinks Crocodile Dundee was Australian obviously, but I am unsure what your excuse is?
No wonder you go by the name Grubby. Crandell and Tom are some of the most consistently pleasant, polite and helpful contributors to this forum. To paraphrase a certain foxy moron from Fountain Lakes, where’s your sense of “yumour”?
A noogie, knuckle duster, knuckle burn, knuckle rub…they’re all the same. Hold victim’s head firmly in the crook of one’s elbow and rub victim’s scalp vigourously with the knuckles of the free hand. Almost always done in good fun, except when done to humiliate someone who asks for it…such as someone who has no sense of humour. [:-,]…like buddy above.
haha thanks Tom maaaate, now I can understaaand wot tha bluddy hell ya sayin’…struth. [:P]
and the sheet styrene, I haven’t actually looked yet, I was just thinking about it that night after reading heaps about it on the forums. I’ve found a plastics and foam supplier just down the road and I will go looking for it once I’m up to making roads and buildings. I can’t wait to start experimenting with scratchbuilding bridges and structures. At the moment I’m in the middle of building a mountain and a tunnel system and about to start laying track… I’ll probably ask for more advice with the styrene in a few weeks [:P]
Clearly, Grubby, you are much more clever than I. So, in a spirit of good will, kindly explain your quoted post to me in 20 mono-syllabic words; fewer if you can.
Sarcasm is wasted over the internet obviously however, seppo = septic tank= yank = a very common Australian expression used to convey our feelings about Americans in general. If you want to take the piss, at least learn to do it properly.
The “strine” emphasis you place on our language is largely a creation of Hollywood and sounds stupid even to us. The US version of Australian accents is usually closer to an uneducated, somewhat effeminate englishman than anyone I hear on a daily basis. It is a simple enough stereotype based of your extremely narrow exposure to our culture versus our massive over-exposure to yours. Further, we have never “thrown a shrimp on the barbie” and never will, those things are called prawns.
As for being clever, you concession is accepted and you are free to move on… you people bite so hard sometimes.
The reason for the distinction is clearly you hail from Kanadia, and you should know better.
Well, taking your last statement as an example of how I disagree with you, I doubt my Kanadian heritage is any more limiting, or affording of enlightenment, than is your own. For what it is worth, I have worked with Auzzie exchange officers in my business as a military psychologist, and recall that their accents were distinctive, and quite close to those our culturally impoverished neighbours to the south claim them to be. I also don’t recall them being as dismissive of the American as you appear to be. Perhaps it is our proximity to our American neighbours that makes our perception of what we hear sufficiently disparate from yours, and our affection for them, too?
I do agree with you that sarcasm is often wasted, but not between us. [;)]
There is so much love for America right across the world, I am surprised you hadn’t noticed. Of course I am dismissive of your stereotypes, when I express similar standards in response you can feel your righteous indignation rising… all too easy really. I will taunt you no further however, the subject related to “lay techs cork” something that seems to have been overlooked in the quest for scoring a cheap laugh.
Back to the topic - I use something called Liquid Nails for Projects. You mentioned “liquid nails,” so it may be the same stuff. There are several different formulas of the stuff for different jobs.
This stuff holds well. I use Woodland Scenics foam roadbed on top of pink foam, and I use the same caulk for that. When I’ve had to remove trackwork I’ve glued down, I can get the track off easily enough (just slide a knife under the track) but the roadbed generally goes in the trash if I have to pull that off.
My wife has one of those Martha Stuart books about “gracious living” or something. I’ve found this book very helpful when laying track. After gluing the track down, I put a short piece of 1x2 wood on top of the track, and then put the book on top of the lumber. Nice and heavy.
In case you’re not familiar with Martha Stuart in Australia, well, consider yourselves lucky.
No worries. I ask because I’ve got a couple of the young blokes from the club coming around on Sunday for a “styrene school”. Hopefully I’ll remember how to use the stuff!
