08-29-2010, 12:47 AM
Gary S Wrote:DocWayne, I'm using 70% alcohol for the wetting agent. So I need to put more of that on first? I am using a 2 water to 1 glue mixture with a couple drops of dishwashing soap, and the glue does kind of sit there for a bit before soaking in. Should the glue immediately soak into the ballast?
Hmmm. I'm not sure, Gary. I don't use alcohol as a wetting agent (can't stand the smell), but use only a few drops of liquid dish detergent in a large sprayer. The reason the ballast floats is because the surface tension of the water is too great relative to the weight of the ballast - you need either more wetting agent or heavier ballast. I wet the area until water runs from the bottom edges of the ballast (not possible on your curbed bridge), then apply a 50/50 mixture of white glue and water, adding it until it also appears through the lower extremities of the ballast profile. This can take up to several days to harden (I had some areas that took a couple of weeks, but the material was quite deep.) When dry, the ballast will be solid - really solid, as I discovered when trying to clear a spot for one of my crossing shanties. I had to cut around the perimeter of the area with a utility knife, then use a scraper to gouge it out. I'm glad only one shanty needs to be located on the edge of a deep ballast profile.
Wayne