Best way to ballast


i would also recommend doing scenery and grass before ballasting, i got to excited and rushed it. i feel its the last thing to do after everything else
 
In the log loading area I just went out to our garden and got a shovel of topsoil and then sifted it through a fairly fine strainer and put it down.

IMAG0278_BURST002.jpg
 
ctulanko said:
A couple of questions from a beginner here...do you guys use fine or medium ballast for HO layouts? Also, for those of you that posted about using rock, do you have links you can share regarding where to purchase it?
Click to expand...

For the polymeric sand I used window screen stretched over a 2x2 frame that i built and I sifted the larger stuff out..which i set aside to use for rocks later. As with any natural product you use, i then ran a magnet through the material to remove any iron. TO find the gray I had to go down to a local building supply store. They weren't one of the chain stores though becuase in my area they only seemed to have the tan. At any rate I bought it from these guys http://thompsonbldg.com/home.php
 
I forgot to mention the sand had to be dried before using. None of the critters survived the screening and glueing process, I just dried mine on newspaper.
 
ctulanko said:
A couple of questions from a beginner here...do you guys use fine or medium ballast for HO layouts? Also, for those of you that posted about using rock, do you have links you can share regarding where to purchase it?
Click to expand...
Two popular brands of real rock ballast include:

Arizona Rock & Mineral (http://www.rrscenery.com/)
Highball Products

Do a Google search to find online vendors who sell these products.

- Jeff
 
Thank you everyone.
I'll be taking lots of advice

- Wait till almost the end for the ballast
- Special attention to the turnouts
- Since I don't have any alcohol, just beer, I'll go for the 1 to 1 water/glue/dishwater soap and the water/dishwater soap
- Clean rails after
 
A friend of mine, is starting a new company, that will sell all kinds of rock, for ballasting and scenery use. He is a geologist from one of the Limestone processing plants that are in the area.

He uses screens from IIRC, #20-60 for the ballast. The limestone, other rock, etc. that he uses, comes from the company's "fines" piles. This is rejected material, that can't be use from making anything the plant produces. BION, he has the company's approval to do this.
 
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