Ballasting Track The Easy Way
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- Опубликовано: 29 окт 2017
- While working on Brian's layout, I came up with a much faster method of ballasting track. The key tool is a cast-off paintbrush handle after the bristles had been cut off to make a patch of reeds.
Since making this video, I've stiffened up my glue mix a little. I'm now using a 1:1:3 mix instead of 1:1:5. 
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Excellent work. As for having too much ballast on 1 side. I have never seen a railway with ballast even on both sides. So your work is more to real life, than ppl having ballast identical on each side.
Nice looking work. Instead of the spoon, I use a small paper cup that I have pinched at a point along the top to form a bit of a spout, giving me really good control when spreading the ballest. Also, when I am done spreading the ballest I take a small block of wood, lay it across the rails and move it along tapping it with a small modeler's hammer. The vibration cause the loose ballest to seek its own space. Last piece of advice.....if you have never done ballasting before, practice off to the side and test your abilities before transferring your skills on your railroad.
Can't wait to get to ballasting! Glad I found this video. Makes it look easy! Thanks for sharing your trick.
Very good idea for spreading ballast, looks very nice and the fact that you can get good shoulders at the same time really help save time. Thank for sharing this method and the tool you used.
Muse
I am so jealous. I was up to benchwork and some track on a layout in my basement, but then circumstances forced me to move to California and abandon the project. Very few basements here in California!! For now, planning a shelf-style switching layout...better than nothing I guess.
Good idea ! I will try this method for the rest of the ballasting of about 270 feet of Peco Streamline code 100 track. Thanks for sharing & Greetings.
LIke it, you make it look so much easier than most....thanks for sharing....Jack
This looks like a pretty effective technique, I will have to try it some day.
Nice!!!! Gonna give it a try! Thanks for sharing
THANK YOU...for sharing.
Great video on ballasting. Definitely save some time this way
Cool trick love the idea
Thanks for sharing your trick.
Nice I’m going to use this on my layout
Thanks for the tip with the brush.Isoproyl alcohol works ok.but detergent is much cheaper as a wetting agent.Also if you use acrylic matte medium it sets flexible so the track can be relocated.As a compromise use half pva or white glue with a.m.m to save cost.
I've done it both ways. I don't like the soap because of the foam problem when I shake it up to mix it.
GREAT idea!
In N scale I run the bottle along the edge of the rail and use the rail as a guide. Goes very quickly!
Wow you make look so easy Yet I bet it is not? I watched your video on your work shop and layout I never been Jealous of any one for what they have BUT you made me raise my eyes? wow what a set up love your rail way? How does any one afford some of the trains some are over two hundred pounds gosh? I proble buy a steam train up to about 45 pounds or second hand .... some people have fifty train sets Yeek....so good to watch there layouts run.... best wishes Ken...
Nice tip. Thank you.
Good idea!
Nice. Thanks.
Nice work Peter! Is the owner planning on using this layout for a club or just for his enjoyment at home? I am sure he is very pleased. Cheers, Dan
The layout is just a setting in which to display his trains. It's basically just two long independent loops for letting trains run and does not make any allowance for realistic operation.
G'day Peter, Good video on a good job done. Thanks for posting it, I assume it's H O Scale track I run N Scale can you think of any problems I may strike ? I can't seem to think of anything but when time permits a short note back with any thoughts will be appreciated. Cheers from Sunny North Queensland. Denis.
My only thought is to start with a 1" paintbrush as a 2" brush will probably be too cumbersome.
Thank you for your reply Peter, I did think I may need a smaller brush but I am going to try both sizes as I have a double track main to do and I have cut down 2 brushes for a bit of a Fiddle. Will let you know of the outcome. It will take a few days to get out to my Train Shed as I have Health issues of which I have good and bad days, at the moment I will have to improve a bit but it will pass at some stage. Again, my Thanks. Cheers, Denis.
I seem to have had good luck with diluting the glue with straight 91% alcohol. That way I can skip the spraying step. Is this something you have ever tried? Also, I have found Tite-bond does not skin whereas some other PVA glues do. Otherwise, I ballast my track the exact same way as you do.
I must try that. Thanks for the suggestion.
I don't know why, but watching your technique reminded me of Bob Ross.....
It's fast yes but I have found that by doing it this way it will look good while standing above it by 3 or 4 feet. But place the camera down more towards track level looking down the rail. You will notice that it wont look at all like a railroad right of way. It will look uneven and chunky as the brush piles up the ballast against the ties in the direction that it was moved. It will not have that settled look that it should from heavy trains pounding by all the time. At the end the camera is moving so fast I couldn't see much of anything.
Can you use this method for O gauge outside? Thank you.
I have used this same method for O-scale. For an outdoor railroad, you will have to substitute a waterproof glue.
I prefer dish soap to alcohol for that, but that's me.Thanks!
applying ballast using a stiff brush like that one I would only suspect that it would "pack" the granulates under the ties thus lifting the track without noticing - buy using a soft bristle - it would lightly place the grains between the ties and not try to shove them under thus eliminating the chance of lifting the rails.
Why does some use water and very little dish washing liquid.
How do you get the glue off the rails.
Bright-boy track cleaning block
So very sorry for being a bearer of bad news Peter, but you didn't need to ballast the freight yard..These tracks are so slowly traversed that they're right down on the ground, usually are lighter/lower height (like code 70 or 40 in HO), and look distinctly different from the main line profile.
If you've read this and happen to agree, you know you can simply fill in all the areas between the tracks with glued, real soil instead of attempting to remove the ballast you already have ..
This does not mean you are not otherwise a super great modeler. ..M, Los Angeles
Actually, I did have to ballast the yard. It's not my layout, but one that I was building for money. If the customer wants it done a certain way, then that's how I have to do it.
Rubbing or isopropyl? I am a newbie here :)
Isopropyl
Try using used coffee grinds
I don't drink coffee.
@@mpeterll
My name is my RUclips channel I have a few shorts of what I have done think it came out pretty good
Alcohol? Do you mean Isopropanol?
70% isopropyl alcohol
Interesting, you have duplicated my method.
How about alcohol with a drop or two of dish soap ...
You don't need the dish soap if you have the alcohol. Both ate there for the same reason but the alcohol does a better job.
@@mpeterll K ... Thanks for your reply!!!
You should consider changing hobbies; you loose your breath by literally pouring teaspoons of sand while speaking.
Give the man a break, that ballast is heavy.