I have been searching but have not found an answer. What do you guys use to tack down micro trains flex? Will the Marklin nails work?
I prefer not to see nail heads on my layout, so I usually tack down the track with superglue, then complete the track laying with ballasting with woodland scenics glue - it holds the ballast and track well. Of course YMMV. JamesTraction
Liquid Nails! Hahahaha... Seriously, you can use any clear acrylic adhesive caulk from any brand. Nails are so 1960s, and they WILL damage your ties (not to mention the nail heads look un-prototypical). Caulk will also enable you to safely remove track if need be with the use of a knife and some gentle force. Please, for heaven's sake DO NOT USE TRACK NAILS ANYMORE!
If you really feel the need for nails, look for Marklin 8999. As someone who nailed track for decades, it can be done quite nicely: after a lot of practice and having built a special pair of tweezers to hold the nails as well as a special nail set. Nails don't hold very well into cork roadbed and almost not at all into foam. I agree with the rest that glue is the way to go. I like a slow setting glue or caulk so I have time to get everything just right and use push pins to secure the track until it dries. Just be careful around turnouts it's easy to get the glue into the mechanism. Mark
I'm with James on this one. I make sure my track is where I want it a little at a time and use a squirt (carefully) of thin CA and set it with accelerator and move on down the line. When all track is layed down, I go back with ballast and white glue/water mix to set the ballast and the track is going nowhere. Nail heads certainly destroy any appearance of scale. It is bad enough to have the rail joiners to contend with and trying to hide them. PS. This is a case of whatever works for you is the right thing. In James and my case, I think James would agree with me that we 'hate' ugly nail heads.
I never use nails, period. Don't like the look. Don't like the kinks in the flex track either. Worst case scenario is gluing the track down then putting in nails! What?
So much depends on what your are using for road bed, and table top below road bed the harder the material you might want to consider using a pilot drill, but that aside if it is nailed down too tightly the track will bow and and goes out of gauge, plus you have the nail heads in view and most of us avoid that look, that is why many of us use glue, and I use "T pins to hold track down while glue sets, I am using 2 inch blue foam for table top, and on top of that the black roadbed from woodland scenics and I use their glue to hold down their roadbed and the "T pins to hold it in place while glue sets then use the same glue and "T pins to hold track down while glue sets then go back over it an ballast with ballast and diluted white glue and once this is set you are ready to do scenery and please put tape over track while doing your scenery then remove tape and clean track before you start operating. Some of us will even use paint to high-lite our track and road bed to make it look more realistic.
If you are going to use nails, z.scale.hobo has just entered into an agreement to be a dealer for Peter Post tools. They make a magnetic nail driver that makes driving track nails very simple ... they also make track cutting tools for custom track applications, track cleaners, brass brushes for cleaning locomotive wheels, etc. Take a look at my new page here for these products: http://zscalehobo.com/peter_post/peter_post_numbers.html Frank Daniels Owner - z.scale.hobo Irvine, California USA www.zscalehobo.com
Whatever happened to the screws NOCH used to make, they were great for the NOCH layouts and for wood too?
I have used the hot glue gun for kato unitrack back in 2000 and my MT Z track layout in 2004. It holds well and can easily be removed later with a razor and putty knife if need be. My advice though is to only tack the inside. That way all curves get a ever so slight elevated look which in my mind is safer in case a loco hits warp speed and more prototypical. I'd imagine it would work the same with flex. However, when I did use flex I used AMI instant roadbed with great results.
Ah, good old Noch 53330. It is just Marklin 7599. I also have 50-packs of those screws on the page I linked for much less than what I was offering them when it was an official Noch product. Same screw dims.
Tim, Noch also made a #6013 screw which would go in the actual hole on the marlin track, If i can figure how to get a picture of the two I will post it. These small screws you had to pre drill but held up great and were hard to see when installed. Here is an address of what they look like; Unq2oZtbVsAp140976428218P6906.jpg
jdo: I guess I'm the "other hobo..." I am Frank at z.scale.hobo in Irvine, California. Only been in business 15 years, so kind of new around here. :funny: Wow, nice item... definitely before my time as a Noch dealer (logo and packaging is the giveaway). While Noch has discontinued this item, Peter Post supplies a z scale screw (for flat head screwdriver) that is a 0.9mm head... I don't have any on this first shipment, but will add them to my future orders. Thanks for pointing this out as a potential Marklin fastener. I've been kind of targeting Rokuhan and Micro-Track for the screwdrivers and going after Marklin with the nail driver tool. Nice to see there is a way to fasten Marklin Z track with a screw. Regards, Frank Daniels Owner - z.scale.hobo, a Noch "Top Dealer" Irvine, California USA www.zscalehobo.com
White glue for me. Then I hold track in position with the help of an heavy book until glue dries... Dom
jdo: Will do. I just received my first shipment of Peter Post tools, track cleaners and screws today. I did not order those Marklin track screws when I placed the order in early January and will bring a few sets in. It will take a while since they are coming from Germany. I now have in stock Marklin track magnetic nail drivers, nails, magnetic screwdrivers for Rokuhan track and Micro-Trains' Micro-Track, track cleaning "pens" and other cleaning tools. I am very excited to get these products out to customers. Frank Daniels Owner - z.scale.hobo, a Peter Post Werkzeuge Dealer www.zscalehobo.com Irvine, California USA
Guess I must be riding the last train from Gun Hill, 'cause I actually do use nails. I don't like their looks either (which is why I usually pull them again after the track's ballasted and thus held in place securely), but one thing that personally bothers me even more is a stretch of straight track which isn't straight. Prototypically correct in a few cases, plain awful IMHO in most. With nails, you can align piece after piece taking your time, because the nails don't rust away as quickly as the glue dries...
