The cork, if it's scale 'roadbed', should have angled sides on one side. It comes bound, as a single strip, but you can see an angled cut running down the middle of it. You separate the single strip into two thinner strips, place the vertical edges back-to-back over your centerline (track's main axis), and the angled edges now face outward. Pour whatever you need to use a 1" artist's longish bristled brush in broad strokes downward toward the ungroomed bead of poured ballast. Keep stroking and let the grains get pushed into the ties between the rails until those are only flush up to the tops of the ties, and then move outside the rails and do the same. The grains 'should' eventually adopt a natural 'angle of repose' over the angled edges of the cork roadbed.

When you have the ballast looking good, take the artist's brush by the hairy end and tap the handle gently all along the rails, tap-tap-tap, and you'll see most of the grains remaining on the tops of the ties move off and settle where the rest of them need to be.

When you're ready, pre-wet the ballast with a garden sprayer hand spritzer (not the large pump kind, the squeeze handle type) and give the ballast a good blast from a safe distance. If you're too close you'll move some of the ballast, so keep the nozzle away from the ballast. The idea is to use a drug store 70% isopropyl alcohol and water mix to break the surface tension down into the ballast so that your dribble adhesive mixture won't bead and run off the top of the ballast leaving gouges in it and a mess of wasted glue mix. So, a single wetting blast atop the ballast's surface won't be nearly enough...it needs to be partly soaked down to a depth of about 1/4" or more. Too much and the glue will still run out since the alcohol and water mixture is taking up space in the interstices between the grains.

People have their own preferences for glue. Everyone uses wood glue if they have a wooden frame; it's cheap, and it's available. That's what I use, maybe one part aliphatic resin wood glue to about four parts water, and add two drops of liquid dish detergent. I also add a couple of small pebbles to the empty wood glue bottles I use to dribble the glue mixture onto the pre-wetting ballast.

 

Thanks for your post. My cork doesn't have the angled sides outwards which is what I'm having trouble with. Seems I need to really build up the stone to get over the high outer edge.

 

Cork is hard to cut maybe although id be tempted to put that edge bevel in maybe with a razor blade or some.

Having said that... Does the cork strip have a center cut line in it? Snap it apart, the cut line is bevelled, place the two pieces back to back with the bevel sides out...

 

Crap, I already glued down everything with the bevel sides in.

 

Well it's no worry I've just about taken all my stuff back up and put it back supposedly improved ...

I don't know what kind of glue you used but a putty knife works for me...

 

Yup, break out the old putty knife and get to work.

 

I find it’s always easier to understand when you have images of the issue…..

 

Thanks. This is helpful and I obviously laid it wrong so I have no slopes on the sides. Not really wanting to bring it up since I have my track laid and soldering already done but I guess I may have to.

 

If you employed water soluble white glue, carefully remove the track, soak the bejeezus out of the cork, and when softened, using a spatula, lift the cork up and away.. Clean and dry the area, split the cork correctly and re-lay the salvaged sections with the beveled edges on the outsides using white glue and push pins..Most first draw a center line where the track runs and glue one half of the cork up against that line...Then when THAT is firmly in place put the other half of the cork against it having run another bead of glue under cork or next to that center line......

 

Or Google how to lay cork roadbed for model trains…..you’ll be amazed how many sites you will get that will show you how….

 

Get some cheap caulk. Lay a bead of caulk down each side of your cork roadbed. Smooth it out with your finger to form a 45 degree bevel.

After it dries, paint it if desired (or not), and let the ballasting begin!