Posted by: "David Engle" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Mon Jan 8, 2007 6:48 pm (PST)
How about just enough liquid dish-soap, a few drops, or so, to break the
surface tension?
=====================
Dave et al --
Doesn't matter. If the stuff floats on plain water, it'll float on
soapy water.
A recent Model Railroader magazine (either Dec. 06 or Jan. 07) has an
article on applying Woodland Scenics ballast (made from ground-up nut
shells) that prevents floating away. It's a multi-step, multi-day
process. Basically, they spread the ballast between the rails first,
then spray it with isopropyl alcohol, then dribble on white glue to glue
it down. This is followed by spreading glue along the outer roadbed
slopes and sprinkling ballast on the glue. When the glue is dry (maybe
36 hours), they come back and apply the finishing layer of ballast on
the outside of the track, including between the ties, then overspray
with alcohol, then apply glue. The previously-applied ballast on the
downslope prevents this last layer from washing down the slope.
For those of you who think stone ballast doesn't add significant weight,
think again. I have gone through 50 pounds of stone ballast, and am on
my next 25 pounds. However, you'll never catch me rying to use (again!
Once is enough!) lighter-than-water ballast (nut shells, cork,
whatever). The fact that MR had to publish a fairly long pictorial
article on the nut-shell process says to me that there have been copious
reports from readers about dissatisfaction with non-stone ballasts.
And watch out for that isopropyl alcohol! While it's lighter than water
and thus less inclined to carry your nut shells away, it produces
copious fumes as it evaporates. The stuff can knock you out -- and it's
poisonous.
Dick Karnes
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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