What is the best glue for bonding track to plywood?
I have used PVA in the past quite successfully and it is even stronger when ballasted, but the track may need to be pressed down gently while the glue dries.
Danny
This is the way I fix down track to the
My approach is slightly different to Brian's. We use thin ply (1/16th) over foam board as a composite baseboard. The whole thing is foxed to a substructure made up of medium density 2 x 1 inch balsa struts. Our main priority is to make the layout as light as possible whilst keeping it rigid and strong enough to take regular transit to exhibitions. One of our baseboards, we heard at NGS, has now done over eighty shows and that equates to well over a 120 days of solid operation.
We site the track and glue with Deluxe Speedbond (if you want something stronger then use their R/C Cockpit Glue). The reason that we use Speedbond is that it is slightly stronger than PVA - we do not have any links to tDeluxe Materials except as a customer but have always been pleased with their products.Track pins are used to temporarily align the track until the glue has set.
Point motors are placed under the baseboard and the foam board there is removed and replaced with a 5mm thick softwood pad to give a firm name for the unit. It is of course important to test these units before proceeding further.
I would absolutely agree that testing is vital. We do tests when the track is set and then after the rails and sleepers have been painted and weathered. We do a final test after the ballast has been laid and set fully.
This method has worked for us on eleven layouts so far.
I use Woodland Scenics Foam Tack Glue. It bonds well and sets quick enough for me to start the next part, but leaves me time to position the track (about 1 hr set time?) I don't have to worry about the glue being reactivated when I am ballasting. That being said, I also use foam board on top of plywood.
Fix the track in place with pins partially driven in and bent over the ends of the sleepers. Then ballast with the age old, tried and trusted method of ballast and PVA. Pull out the pins and you're done.
May I put in a word for "Matt Medium" instead of PVA. As suggested pre-curve if needed flexi track, then coat track bed with M/Medium as you would if using PVA, weight or pin track down in required position. Once happy with position wire, test and so on before ballasting (dry) with your chosen material before securing the ballast (I use a mix of Anita Decor ballast & fine sand) with diluted M/medium. The advantages of M/Medium over PVA are it drys matt (no shine unlike PVA), remains slightly flexible (unlike PVA) .and does not set rock hard as PVA does so it reduces transmission of noise & vibration. All in all what's not to like? A similar ballast glue was also made by Anita Decor but I don't know if it's still available.
Hope this is helpful.
John Bruce.
Oh-oh, I've begun using PVA. What's this 'reactivation during ballasting'? That sounds ruinious.
Quote from: Turin 60 on May 06, 2018, 22:14
May I put in a word for "Matt Medium" instead of PVA. As suggested pre-curve if needed flexi track, then coat track bed with M/Medium as you would if using PVA, weight or pin track down in required position. Once happy with position wire, test and so on before ballasting (dry) with your chosen material before securing the ballast (I use a mix of Anita Decor ballast & fine sand) with diluted M/medium. The advantages of M/Medium over PVA are it drys matt (no shine unlike PVA), remains slightly flexible (unlike PVA) .and does not set rock hard as PVA does so it reduces transmission of noise & vibration. All in all what's not to like? A similar ballast glue was also made by Anita Decor but I don't know if it's still available.
Hope this is helpful.
John Bruce.
Eerm, I may have missed something John but I have had a tub of Marven Matt Medium for about 20 years from back in the halycon days when Hobbycraft actually stocked hobby products instead of just being expensive box shifters. Anyway - back then I remember reading that Matt Medium is basically a reinforced or strong type of PVA n'est ce pas?
I react as i have just discovered that due to lack of regular use, my Marven Matt Medium tub has the cap "welded" to the tub and trying to get it off has resulted in a shattered cap - so the remaining Matt Medium is now going to rapidly dry out and force me to purchase something else. As I can't find Marven Matt Medium anywhere, I am now at a loss as to what to do - I was going to go for Bostik Wood Adhesive as that very definitely IS a very strong PVA type, but if it won't do what Matt Medium does, I feel "snookered"
Expert advice please!
Mick
The ubiquitous Hobbycraft have a range of painting mediums https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/art-supplies/painting/painting-mediums (https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/art-supplies/painting/painting-mediums) How to find out which is most flexible, I'm not sure.
Quote from: Tom Haythornthwaite on May 07, 2018, 05:03
Oh-oh, I've begun using PVA. What's this 'reactivation during ballasting'? That sounds ruinious.
There are some types of adhesive that are softened once cured that are softened by the addition of water. In my experience PVA isn't one of them, so PVA for ballasting track should be fine.
It does release minute amounts of Acetic Acid as it cures (the A in PVA stands for Acetate - unless it is Poly Vinyl Alcohol) which can be a problem when using it to stick fine lead shot into closed cavities in locos and stock (the acid reacts with the lead causing it to swell and eventually split the model it has been put into), but on an open layout there shouldn't be a problem as the acid vapour can't build up.
Thanks Julien!
That reassures me about fixing track, and worries me about installing lead!! (I'll scrape it out and try again.)
Tom
Another vote for artists acrylic matt medium - wonderful scenic glue.