Ok, I will start from the begginning.
I am doing a 4 x 8 NYC rural scene. I have down the track (on cork) Ive laid down about 60% groundcover, and I have planted about 10 Woodland Scenics trees, hand made and a barn scene and hobo house scene. It was all perfect. i was very impressed with myself.
SO I decide to take on ballasting.
Here is how my day went yesterday.
I pick up some medium dark grey ballast. I spend the afternoon in work reading, re-reading, comparing about 10 different techniques for laying ballast.
I decide on how I am gonna do it and I head home.
Here were the steps I took.
I created a 1/2 water, 1/2 white glue, couple drops of detergent spray bottle and let that gel.
I open the shaker of ballast, and start by pinching it between the tracks, to be followed by each side of the outside rails, and then outside slope down.
Problem #1 - either too much or too little, but the in between track ballast was just movin around, kicking up so to say. running my finger down it, or taking a fine brush to sweep it off the rails was fruitless. But I moved on.
Problem #2 - The ballast kept spreading to my ground cover, it was like a fungus.
Problem #3 - I put the ballast bottle on the edge of the track, and sure enuf as I turned to grab it, (slow motion) as it tumbles to the floor. Arghhh!
My wife comes down, and here I am ont he floor, scooping and slicing a white powder off the floor. She turns her head to the right, and in the top of a shoebox is ground up dark green lichen. Its a wonder she didnt pack up the kids, call me an addict and run away screaming!
Anway, so eventually I finish about 100 scale yards of track, and I break out my spray bottle. As I begin to spray, I suddenly realize its not mist, but stream. everything between the track was saturated. I tried running my finger through it, but it just kept clumping up. Argggg!
I just put everything down, and went to bed.
this morning, the ballast outside the tracks is still there sitting pretty, the ballast inside the tracks in clumped up like little beebee's all over the place.
Any help or hints or thoughts or solace would be appreciated.......
V
I am doing a 4 x 8 NYC rural scene. I have down the track (on cork) Ive laid down about 60% groundcover, and I have planted about 10 Woodland Scenics trees, hand made and a barn scene and hobo house scene. It was all perfect. i was very impressed with myself.
SO I decide to take on ballasting.
Here is how my day went yesterday.
I pick up some medium dark grey ballast. I spend the afternoon in work reading, re-reading, comparing about 10 different techniques for laying ballast.
I decide on how I am gonna do it and I head home.
Here were the steps I took.
I created a 1/2 water, 1/2 white glue, couple drops of detergent spray bottle and let that gel.
I open the shaker of ballast, and start by pinching it between the tracks, to be followed by each side of the outside rails, and then outside slope down.
Problem #1 - either too much or too little, but the in between track ballast was just movin around, kicking up so to say. running my finger down it, or taking a fine brush to sweep it off the rails was fruitless. But I moved on.
Problem #2 - The ballast kept spreading to my ground cover, it was like a fungus.
Problem #3 - I put the ballast bottle on the edge of the track, and sure enuf as I turned to grab it, (slow motion) as it tumbles to the floor. Arghhh!
My wife comes down, and here I am ont he floor, scooping and slicing a white powder off the floor. She turns her head to the right, and in the top of a shoebox is ground up dark green lichen. Its a wonder she didnt pack up the kids, call me an addict and run away screaming!
Anway, so eventually I finish about 100 scale yards of track, and I break out my spray bottle. As I begin to spray, I suddenly realize its not mist, but stream. everything between the track was saturated. I tried running my finger through it, but it just kept clumping up. Argggg!
I just put everything down, and went to bed.
this morning, the ballast outside the tracks is still there sitting pretty, the ballast inside the tracks in clumped up like little beebee's all over the place.
Any help or hints or thoughts or solace would be appreciated.......
V