ballasting n gauge

[Fish]

I have watched almost every you tube video on ballasting.  But I am running into a problem.  After laying down the ballast, when I wet down the ballast and apply the cement (woodland scenic) with an eye dropper I keep getting ballast particles winding up on the track ties.  I am sure that I am removing all ballast from the ties prior to gluing.  Also I have noticed that the cement when applied tends to reshape the ballast.  I am applying the cement carefully, down close to the track.  My wet water contains dish detergent as stated in numerous videos.  Any suggestions how I can get a smoother result when applying glue or what I may be doing wrong?

[brokemoto]

You are going to get some on the ties.  It happens.  If you look at prototype track, you will see ballast on the ties.  Unless you have high piles of it on the ties, do not worry too much about it.

The way that I do my ballast is to do it in sections of three to six feet.  I put tape on the tops of the rails.  You must, of course, cut down the tape, as all that you want to do is cover the rails.  You do not want too much overhang/excess tape.

Next, I put a line of Elmer's™ or whatever white glue that you choose, down the middle of the track and on each side.  Next, I spray the glue lines with water.  I let the glue lines spread out, then I pour some ballast in a shaker and shake it on the places where I sprayed the glue.  I let it dry, then take a brush and brush  up the excess.

[Fish]

Thanks for sharing  .

[popsssss]

the way i o it is after ballasting is dry i use small toothbrush shaped wire brush to clean and loosen ballast on ties vaucum off test  when trains are running smooth ill repaint and wether ties

[bbmiroku]

Instead of diluting your glue with water, dilute it with rubbing alcohol.  The alcohol really shoots the glue down into the ballast.

[gatrhumpy]

Spray wet water on the ballast after you get it where you want. Wet water is a drop or two of dish detergent with water added. It gets rid of the surface tension of the water and ballast so that the Scenic Cement goes in between the ballast particles.

[Maletrain]

I assume you are using Woodland Scenic ballast, which is really walnut shells that have been ground-up and painted.  So, they float on water.  That tends to make the glue application change the shape of the loose ballast that you carefully created with a brush.  Using a mister to wet the ballast might help avoid floating the ballast, if you can figure out now much misting is enough and how much will cause float.

Another possibility is to use heavier ballast materia, such as Arizona Rock and Mineral, which is actually rock that has been ground-up.  However, loose particles of that are much more detrimental to locomotive gears if they get picked-up.  And, some of those particles are magnetic, so it is easier to pick them up with steel parts on the locos.  If you do use the rock ballast, you still need to use "wet" water, because just the surface tension on those small rock particles is enough to float them on regular water.

[inkaneer]

What you are experiencing is the ballast floating on the wet water.  Try using Scenic Express ballast.  It is real rock and tends to stay where placed.  It is also cheaper than the Woodland Scenic ballast.