QUOTE (Sigma @ 5 Feb 2008, 18:35)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>It's my first layout.
I have everything ballasted except the points. When gluing on the track one time I used too much glue (stupid) which ended up nearly gluing the moving bits on one of my points solid, so I am a bit worried about gluing ballast on it. So far I have been gluing the ballast on with the PVA, water and washing liquid mix.
Any advice about this is appreciated.
Hi - this might help.
(take your time and it will go well)
(1) use a thin mix of PVA and water - no more than 5:1 water to glue - less preferably
(2) take a cotton bud with a wee bit of vaseline on it and wipe between the blades and the stock rail to stop glue sticking to them. Do the same each side of the tie bar. put a tiny bit of oil on the blade pivot too. (Less is more - it doesn't need much!). If U warm the vaseline so it is more liquid you can use a cheap fine paintbrush for this.
(3) brush the ballast carefully in place and pick out any bits between blade and stock rail with tweezers
(4) mist the new ballast area with METHS not water - this is a better "wetting agent". Put the meths in a window cleaner misting bottle. It semlls a bit but will soon dissappear - much faster than with water!!
(5) use a syringe the same as is supplied for refilling printer cartridges not an eye dropper to apply the glue
(6) Apply it quite sparingly to the ballast between each sleeper. a couple (or three) drops is all thats needed if U wetted it with the meths properly - it will flow into the ballast really well
Wait until its almost set then work the point by hand 2 or 3 times - if its stiff then add a bit more meths with the mister and keep working it a while. Pick out bits of ballast that are in the way with a toothpick and tweezers gain. Clean off the rails with meths and a cotton bud and U should be good to go.
(using the syringe U should have almost no glue where it shouldn't be anyway!)
regards
Richard
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