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Ballasting turnouts can be tricky because there’s a lot of potential for the little stones and glue to interfere with the proper operation of the points. Cody Grivno shows you an easy technique for ballasting turnouts that keeps the points working just like they should.
Cody,
How far out from the edge of the roadbed should the ballast go?
Thanks,
Shawn
Hi Cody – I called Woodland Scenic and they told me their Scenic Cement doesn't need the 70% IP alcohol wetting solution applied beforehand, because there is already a wetting solution in their Scenic Cement. They said that adding more wetting solution will dilute their cement and make it weaker. You and David use the 70% wetting solution all the time for scenery and ballast, so … what say you?
Thanks,
Greg
Cody,
I noticed that you only ballasted nearly to the end of the web of the rail in the video but not beyond. Don't you also need to ballast the turnout rails up to and beyond the frog up to where the stock rails connect to the turnout?
Thanks Cody, ballasting turnouts is a much needed technique that was long overdo, and you make it look easy.
Cody, I'm curious if you have ever tried adding the alcohol into the scenic cement and then applied it directly to the ballast instead of making it a two step process?
Cody.
It took me a some time to get Video Plus. But wow it is great and the ballast on the WM&N can use some work and you tell us not just how bur why.I shall put this video to work
Excellent demonstration on ballasting. I watched a previous video on the MR web site that recommended using a plastic squeeze ketchup bottle with the pointed tip for spreading the ballast. I have a little more control with distributing the ballast this way. Either way gets the job done. I really like the Video Plus demo videos.
Cody: Great video! I noticed you used a Shop-Vac hose without an attachment. I use an attachment with my Shop-Vac that has a narrow opening that lets me control how much ballast I am removing from aroung the track. Mike Zook has an excellent suggestion for recycling ballast.
Cody, can you do a segment on modeling spray booths?
Why can't I download the video? I don't always have the internet to watch it on. If I had to pay for this, I should be able to download when I am online.
great you have more patience then me cody
@Thomas Hiser
You could put a handkerchief over the end of the vacuum hose and secure it with a rubber band. The vacuum will suck the ballast against the cloth, once the cloth is "full" hold it over your ballast container and turn the vacuum off. This will release the ballast back into the container and it is ready to be reused!
Just curious…why didn't you lay down the cinders first then the ballast?
Thanks Cody – that's the information that I needed. It looks like the biggest technique for me to learn is PATIENCE! Previously I was trying to do my ballast in long blocks of track and I wasn't "pre-treating" the ballast. I'll try your way on my layout expansion.
Cody – you vacuumed up the extra ballast with your shop vac in your ballasting videos. Is there some way to salvage this extra ballast to be reused ? Seems like it can get quite expensive if you throw out the excess ballast.