josef2000 Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 (edited) Hi there, I've got a layout in the shed which I wasn't happy with so I've made a new layout by creating a plan with SCARM on my PC. The old layout is 9mm ply with cork stuck on top with evo stik wood glue, I've used this wood glue for my ballasting also. It's great stuff and very strong. However now I'm trying to remove it and nothings working. All the track has been lifted so I don't have to worry about damaging anything except the baseboard really. I've tried using a wallpaper scraper, tried water too but that just seems to make a mess. If anyone has any tips or tricks could they let me know? Edited July 27, 2019 by josef2000 Inserted tags Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted July 27, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 27, 2019 (edited) Very hot water is a good starting point as it will melt the glue slowing the track to be removed along with the ballast. Getting all of the ballast off is a pig of a job. Edited July 27, 2019 by Kris typo 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 OP is saying the track has been removed - the trouble is getting the cork off the plywood. If the track has come up then, presumably, your wood glue is not the waterproof version. However, the problem with lifting the cork is that the water will have difficulty getting to the glue in order to soften it. Assuming I am right about the glue, perhaps try damaging several areas of the cork rather than lifting it at one edge, so as to allow pools of water to sit for a while in contact with bits of the baseboard surface. You may then be able to remove patches of the cork. Eventually you should then be able to tackle the remaining bits with the wallpaper scraper and water. Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 1 hour ago, HLT 0109 said: OP is saying the track has been removed - the trouble is getting the cork off the plywood... Except that the title refers to removing ballast... The hot water suggestion is a move in the right direction, a steam cleaner or wallpaper steaming kit will soften this adhesive. BUT! While that would be OK for getting any ballast off the cork, getting the cork off the plywood is likely to be problematic, as the ply glue will almost certainly start failing if you can get enough steam under the cork. Lots of work to only wreck the ply is not much use. It would help if the OP could clarify... Is it possible to take the ply tops off the frame, turn it over and reattach to the frame? Don't bother trying to get most of the cork and/or ballast off, other than where the frame attaches, much less risk of ruining the ply. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josef2000 Posted July 27, 2019 Author Share Posted July 27, 2019 My apologies, I'm new to this forum and website but I'm trying to remove the ballast and the cork. Sorry for the confusion and lack of clarity Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josef2000 Posted July 27, 2019 Author Share Posted July 27, 2019 11 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said: Except that the title refers to removing ballast... The hot water suggestion is a move in the right direction, a steam cleaner or wallpaper steaming kit will soften this adhesive. BUT! While that would be OK for getting any ballast off the cork, getting the cork off the plywood is likely to be problematic, as the ply glue will almost certainly start failing if you can get enough steam under the cork. Lots of work to only wreck the ply is not much use. It would help if the OP could clarify... Is it possible to take the ply tops off the frame, turn it over and reattach to the frame? Don't bother trying to get most of the cork and/or ballast off, other than where the frame attaches, much less risk of ruining the ply. I would love to flip the ply over however the baseboard is secured with mainy screws and nails in many places and seems I have a bigger risk of damaging it 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 You will have to experiment then with hot water or steam to see what can be removed, try it in an area where any resultant damage can be coped with. Really you need to learn from this. Think about 'reversibility' of construction when you next build from new. Strength is great, but being able to undo significant parts is often useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andymsa Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 What about sanding it with very course sandpaper or a belt sander, of course a messy method but the mess can be kept to a minimum using a hoover aswell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damo666 Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 Do you have an Oscillating Tool (sometimes called a Multi Tool)? Have a look at this video at 1min 14 sec If you do DIY or see yourself building small joinery items, like baseboards & frames, it's a tool worth investing in. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted July 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2019 This isn't going to be what you want to hear, but it sounds to me as if the bonding agent you used to secure the cork to the baseboard top has been too good at it's job and is resisting demolition. It may be better to scrap and rebuild with new baseboards rather than attempt to recover and re-use the old ones. The only other suggestion I can come up with is to build a new baseboard surface from plywood and framing to go on top of the original one; this has the advantage of allowing you to use the original legs and boards as a support. The disadvantage is that it will increase the weight, which is important if the layout is to be portable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogTired Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Maybe this is a case of a little overkill, but have you tried a sanding disc on a angle grinder. I used this method to remove hard glue from wooden doors which i was battling to remove, it took it off the doors in minutes. It may be worth a go if nothing else works. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Torper Posted July 31, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31, 2019 I've just done something similar - no ballast, but cork stuck onto a ply surface with PVA wood glue. I used a paint scraper and brute force, and eventually got most of the cork off. I then used an electric hand detail sander (because I happen to have one) to remove the last stubborn remnants of cork and restore the ply to a smooth finish. It would have been a lot more difficult if I'd had to sand it by hand. DT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 (edited) I've had the same problem in the past, though using ordinary PVA. In the end it was a good scraper and a huge amount of patience. And just to add, since this episode I have used Depron™ 3mm foam. Much easier to make a nice shoulder for ballast and 1000 times easier to remove if needed. Edited July 31, 2019 by JZ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexAshton Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I find an old 1 inch wood chisel held almost flat against the baseboard surface so it doesn't dig in works well. Be patient and always work the chisel away from you though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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