Binding agent for granite ballast

[richard-g8jvm]

I'm ready to start ballasting, I've heard that mixing Cascamite or similar to granite chippings, then spraying with water works well.

But Cascamite has become expensive.

But I was recently laying some ceramic floor tiles over vinyl tiles so had to use a rubberised, flexible, tile adhesive.

The stuff I used comes as a powder , white, but when mixed with water goes grey, and its less than £2/kg.

Has anyone already tried mixing granite chippings to this type of ceramic floor tile adhesive power , laying on the track, clearing the sleeper surfaces , then moistening with water. ????.

I've used it successfully on landscaping by using a very wet mix and painting it over plaster bandage, it hides all the bandage edges and gives a matt slightly rough surface.

 

 

Richard

[richard-g8jvm]

Well I've tried it on a 1 mtr section of track, and It goes down OK, I was a little worried as there was a white dust covering on the sleepers but when spayed

with water, I used one of the spray bottles used for a household descalent , But any mist spray seems to be OK.

Just go to wait until its fully dry, so far it looks good.

 

The tile cement I used  was Proflex SP +ES , about £16 for a 20kg bag, and I used 20% by volume added to the granite chippings

 

I'll post again when its dry

 

Richard

[Campaman]

I was going to say best to do a trial piece and see how it works out...

[richard-g8jvm]

Yup, I'm impatient

 

the ES, easy slip component seems to separate out a little leaving a few white marks around the chairs, but I 'm pretty sure a brown dirty wash would cover that up.  it may even  brush away

After all Locomotives are dirty things, and track beds didn't stay pristine very long, the ProflexSP grey would be a better binder, and I think a 10% cement to granite would be better,

I'll try that on some other sections.

 

It is a very low cost way of binding ballast down, its still not 100% dry yet , as the granite is still showing that green tinge.

 

I hoping that using a flexible binder that the noise when anything is run over it will not increase too much, all the track is on a cork base.

 

Richard

[Branwell]

Richard,

 

I've been experimenting with dextrin recently - I believe it's similar to cascamite, but is cheaper and doesn't seem to set quite as hard. Happy with it so far.

 

David V

[richard-g8jvm]

Hi David,

interesting.

Now its dried out you can see the whiteness showing through, but the material its self is ideal, it makes a good track bed and just for the hell of it I lifted the track pins and you can wiggle the track and the ballast doesn't crack up.

I'm trying hard to get some of the grey ProfexSP, the smallest bag is 5 kg, but by the time you get shipping costs , it s cheaper to buy a 10 kg bag at £15 plus postage.

I'm talking to the manufacturers to find where they have shipped the 5 kg packs.

While mixing granite chippings I tried some charcoal coloured grout and used that in front of the engine shed, taking up to railhead height ,its firm enough to stay in place, but easy enough to slide a finger nail ,ect along the inside of the rails to give flange clearance. And it looks sorta like ballast mixed with ash and oil.  It breaks up easily so if I change my mind it can be broken up and vacuumed away. The Proflex SP also breaks up with a hard application of a nail brush and doesn't bind to the plastic sleepers.

 

Richard

[MikeTrice]

Any chance of some photos?

[richard-g8jvm]

When I get the grey proflex down I'll put photos of both the granite and grey proflex ballast and area I've used charcoal grout and granite chippings.

The Proflex SP +ES goes grey when wet , but drys too lite, so I've lifted most of it. I'll get back to the manufacturers tomorrow and find where they

have dispatched the 5 kg bags to, and if not too far go and get it, if not there are 10 kg bags 25 miles from here

Just hang on a bit please

[MikeTrice]

No problem.

[14Steve14]

I have also heard of people using copydex type glue. They do say it works and it does remain a bit flexoble. I have not tried it, so do not know for sure.

[richard-g8jvm]

The problem with Copydex is its very expensive, the flexible floor tile adhesive is cheap. I've arranged for a 5 kg bag to be attached to an order to a tile house

in Walsall, so I should have it Thursday. Still have to drive 25 miles to get it, but there is less wastage. 5 kg is still more than enough to cover a huge layout.

 

Richard

[dasatcopthorne]

The problem with Copydex is its very expensive, the flexible floor tile adhesive is cheap. I've arranged for a 5 kg bag to be attached to an order to a tile house

in Walsall, so I should have it Thursday. Still have to drive 25 miles to get it, but there is less wastage. 5 kg is still more than enough to cover a huge layout.

 

Richard

 

Richard.

 

For a few years now, I haved used quick drying water based Matt varnish. I mist the dry ballast first with water with about 5% IZpA added but you can add washing up liquid.

 

I dilute the varnish 50/50 with water then add 5% IPA to this. It drys clear, Matt and not quite as hard as PVA.

 

Dave.

[bike2steam]

I use water based wood varnish, by using a mixture of matt light/dark oak, and walnut shades means no need to paint. Can't understand why some use the long-winded, and messy pva method.

[richard-g8jvm]

Hi

I used a 3:1  Proflex SP grey to granite chippings, it dry much faster and the colour of the granite is unchanged, I ran out of the chipping with a green tinge, and the next bag

was move a brown colour.

Two pics as promised.

The darker area is charcoal coloured grout and granite chippings mixed, there's still a lot of work to do on it, but the trackbed is firm, no appreciable increase in noise levels, and doesnt crack when moved. The 5 kg bag cost me £7, and enough left to re-ballast many times, 4 1/2kg + left in the bag.