In reality there's no absolute right or wrong way - whatever works for you is the right way! Being both frugal and preferring to work smart rather than hard, i have found 20% - 30% white glue with a drop of dish detergent is sufficient to hold the ballast in place. I just give it a soaking spray, smooth it out with a stiff bristle narrow paint brush (and sometimes my finger), and wipe the tops of the rails with a paper towel. Done!! It's stayed in place for over 20 years.
I use chicken grit for balast.I have noticed that you may have to go over it a second time to get it to glue down good.Nick
John C. posted:Do NOT NOT NOT glue down your ballast! When you want to change or attempt to repair or add wires it is a GIANT hassle! I learned the hard way. NEVER again.
There is another reason that ballast NEEDS to be glued down. If you don't, you can never clean your layout with a vacuum without losing all your ballast.
Equal parts of water and white glue with a little dish detergent mixed in to decrease the surface tension.
Spray the ballast with water mixed with a little dish detergent prior to applying the glue.
The spurs have proportionally more cinders added in.
Peter
I would add that mechanically working the glue/ballast mixture, once applied, helps eliminate the glue bridge-ing that the wet water helps eliminate. Thicker the ballast, the more likely glue bridge-ing will occur.
Note these modules. I like to add some green.
I'm from the "there's no absolute right way to do it" school. For what it's worth and I'm not an expert but, Peter Riddle, who some might consider one, only glues the ballast on the outsides of the rails using the 50/50 mixture, wet water technique.
Just sayin'.
Mike
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