I have removed the lead track of the turntable and it leaves a very rough surface with holes and ridges. I want to re lay the track and need to excavate the foam. I would then line the bottom of the “trough” with styrene or wood and lay the track on that.
How do I excavate 1/8" or so? BTW this lead is 2 lengths of code 83 at 22" radius.
Bruce
Use #80 sandpaper on a wooden block that is the size you want the cut out to be.Vacuum as you go. Fill with joint compound, Scuptamold or light weight hydrocal.
Good luck [:)]
Lee
Unless it’s terribly gouged , with none of the original top surface left intact, simply lay the new track in place - the remaining areas of the original surface should provide enough support. When you ballast the track, apply enough to fill in any voids - after the glue has hardened, the track will be fully supported, with no visible sign of the gouging.
If you’ve really made a mess of things, the best solution would be to simply cut out all of the chewed-up foam, right down to the bottom, then drop in a new piece of 2" foam, cut to fit.
You could also use patching plaster (not drywall joint compound) to fill in the rough spots. Finish the surface with a drywall knife, sand if necessary, then lay the new track.
Another option is to use a hot wire cutter, in conjunction with a depth guide, to remove the damaged surface, then re-surface the area with a new piece, cut to fit.
I gotta ask, though, and I’m not trying to be a wiseguy: howcum you used foam but don’t seem too familiar with how to work with it or repair it? [:-^][swg]
Wayne
I recently re-did a section that is covered with 2 inch foam. If did as suggested above and cut the portion out that was affected and replaced it. Much faster and cleaner. I then re-covered the area with plaster cloth. You can’t tell there was any surgery.
Wayne, I used foam because, when I began my layout, it was deemed “the thing to do”. I don’t think I will use it again. I do not like plastic for structures either.
The 80 grit sandpaper is working so far but I do like Waynes idea of using an entire new piece. We will see.
Bruce
I probably misunderstood the question, I thought you were trying to lower the grade of the track and then fill it smooth. I like foam for a lot of thing but it can be messy. If joint compound and scuptamold won’t fix it just throw the scene away. [:-^]
Have fun
Lee
And I’m just the opposite - I no longer use wood for structures, but find plastic easier and faster to work with. Unless you’re using real, full-size lumber, building size is too limited by wood, whereas it’s easy to make large structures from styrene, without fear of them warping or falling apart over time. Wood structural shapes can’t compare to those in styrene, both for appearance and ease of use. It takes a lot of work to make wood look like brick, but not much to make plastic look like wood, and the brick, well it’s available in ready-to-use plastic sheets. [swg]
Wayne
Bruce, are you trying to smooth a roughed up trough left behind by your track lifting, or trying to get even deeper, or just trying to give yourself a useful flush and level layer again, even if it can’t be foam?
For rapid gouging, a wire brush. For smoothing, 80 girt paper and smaller grit in stages, depending on the smoothness. For baby’s bum smoothness, probably jeweler’s rouge. [(-D]
If you just want a level playing field again, I would agree with Wayne, any patching compound, and if you know you’ll end up throwing away most, or a good bit of, a tube of latex caulk, why not squeeze a bunch of that in place, level it, and call it a new surface. It will dry hard in about 15 hours of open exposure in a modestly dry space.
Crandell
I get similar problems when I uproot track. I like to use sand to fill in the hollows. I don’t bother with further excavations and timber bed.
I insert the new track, check it for level and pack it if necessary, then I pour on the sand, brushing it down between and around the ties. Then I glue it in place with diluted PVA, just like ballasting. It sets like a rock and can be painted.
After a sprinkling of ballast you’d never know anything had happened.
Mike
How about using the foam in a can, just apply it gradually and let it foam up and then sand it as needed…?
Mark