Not much progress on the module lately.
I did manage to complete a pre-test module module though to see how well the Kwik Seal adhesive caulk and the Pliobond works.
I used the Kwik Seal to glue down 3 pieces of CV ties on a small piece of cardboard. The tie strip in the middle is a CV 2002 Branch Line tie strip. The outer 2 pieces are both CV 2003 Mainline tie strips. The CV 2003's have the small bend-over spike bars built in. The CV 2002 Branch Line tie strips do not have that and have to be glued and/or spiked down. The tie strip on the right is glued down to a strip of Topper Tape while the other two are just glued down to the cardboard directly.
The Kwik Seal works wonderfully, both on the plain cardboard and the Topper Tape. It sets quickly yet it remains liquid enough that you can still make adjustments for several minutes after application. It is also quite tacky so that the curved tie strips don't slide around on their own either. Below I have used it on the #7 turnout and the 36" radius curve leading into the #7 turnout (the turnout closest to the camera). You can also use a putty knife to pry up the ties after the Kwik Seal has dried, although I haven't tried this yet on the Topper Tape.
Spiking and CV ties.
Metal spikes work well with CV ties as you can see below. These are Micro Engineering Small Spikes. There are only two actual spikes in the photo below. Can you spot them? I have also attempted to bend over the built-in spikes on the CV ties with mixed results. I need to go pick up a smaller nail set to use for this because the one I have is too big. I ended up using the tip of a small flathead screwdriver for some of these and it didn't work too well.
You cannot use metal spikes on top of the Topper Tape. The Topper Tape is too spongy and you can't get a good firm base for driving the spike into the tie. You also cannot use the bend-over spikes on the CV 2003 ties on top of the topper tape for the same reason.
Pliobond and CV Ties.
Looking at the very top photo again (and the one above too), all of the rail on the three tie strips is code 70 and is glued down to the ties with Pliobond. The Pliobond works great for gluing down rail, but it is quite messy and not that easy to work with. There will be spots where there is dried Pliobond stuck to rails and ties that you have to go back and scrape off with a hobby knife. I have two kinds of Pliobond, one is the low VOC type and the other is regular type. The regular type is a little easier to work with although the low VOC type I have is several years old and might be past it's shelf life which could be why it was a little gummier than the regular type which I just bought.
Pliobond is a contact cement which means you apply it to both surfaces and let it dry, then apply another thin bead to one of the two surfaces right before you tack the pieces together. You really only have one shot at this but if you don't put any pressure on the rail as you lay it down, you can still make adjustments to it. The Pliobond works great at gluing rail down to the CV ties. The bond is very strong yet flexible enough that it can move around without breaking the bond.
Using Pliobond is somewhat messy and I now know I have to buy some of the plastic micro tips made for dispensing Pliobond on small parts such as rail and ties. I used a regular 22 gauge syringe and it worked ok, but maybe a larger gauge syringe would have worked better. The glue in the syringe started to gum up after a while and it got more difficult to dispense after a few minutes.
Overall impressions of CV ties.
I haven't tried to make a CV turnout yet. That is coming soon. I have mixed thoughts about the CV ties though, just based on this very small experiment. It is definitely more work and more time consuming to use. The Pliobond is also quite volatile and requires good ventilation to use. I found myself getting a headache after breathing the fumes for a couple hours even with fresh air coming in.
Gauge: If I were constructing a layout to Proto:87 standards, I would not use CV ties. According to the NMRA, Proto:87 track gauge should be .649" - .663". The CV ties above with code 70 rail gauge out at around .665-.670. That is, however, still within standard HO gauge of .649" - .672".
Appearance: I like the way CV ties look with the tieplate detail and the slight randomness of the tie pattern. However, the more I read about other people trying to "superdetail" HO scale track, the more I am thinking it is a lot of work for not much visual payoff in the long run since it is harder to notice the small details in HO scale.
Cost: 99' of CV ties including ME unweathered code 83 rail costs around $160 give or take a few bucks. 90' of Micro Engineering code 83 flex track is around $180 give or take a few bucks. Cost therefore is not enough of an offset to make CV ties worth the extra effort. The CV turnouts are quite inexpensive though, with a single turnout kit around $13 or two turnout tie strips alone (without the detail kit) for under $10.
In summary, based on what I've experienced so far in this small experiment, I'm thinking that for the larger layout I will probably try out a combination of Fast Tracks for turnouts and custom trackwork and Micro Engineering flex track for regular straights and curves. I may also try my hand at traditional handlaying with wood ties to see how that works out.
I did manage to complete a pre-test module module though to see how well the Kwik Seal adhesive caulk and the Pliobond works.
I used the Kwik Seal to glue down 3 pieces of CV ties on a small piece of cardboard. The tie strip in the middle is a CV 2002 Branch Line tie strip. The outer 2 pieces are both CV 2003 Mainline tie strips. The CV 2003's have the small bend-over spike bars built in. The CV 2002 Branch Line tie strips do not have that and have to be glued and/or spiked down. The tie strip on the right is glued down to a strip of Topper Tape while the other two are just glued down to the cardboard directly.
The Kwik Seal works wonderfully, both on the plain cardboard and the Topper Tape. It sets quickly yet it remains liquid enough that you can still make adjustments for several minutes after application. It is also quite tacky so that the curved tie strips don't slide around on their own either. Below I have used it on the #7 turnout and the 36" radius curve leading into the #7 turnout (the turnout closest to the camera). You can also use a putty knife to pry up the ties after the Kwik Seal has dried, although I haven't tried this yet on the Topper Tape.
Spiking and CV ties.
Metal spikes work well with CV ties as you can see below. These are Micro Engineering Small Spikes. There are only two actual spikes in the photo below. Can you spot them? I have also attempted to bend over the built-in spikes on the CV ties with mixed results. I need to go pick up a smaller nail set to use for this because the one I have is too big. I ended up using the tip of a small flathead screwdriver for some of these and it didn't work too well.
You cannot use metal spikes on top of the Topper Tape. The Topper Tape is too spongy and you can't get a good firm base for driving the spike into the tie. You also cannot use the bend-over spikes on the CV 2003 ties on top of the topper tape for the same reason.
Pliobond and CV Ties.
Looking at the very top photo again (and the one above too), all of the rail on the three tie strips is code 70 and is glued down to the ties with Pliobond. The Pliobond works great for gluing down rail, but it is quite messy and not that easy to work with. There will be spots where there is dried Pliobond stuck to rails and ties that you have to go back and scrape off with a hobby knife. I have two kinds of Pliobond, one is the low VOC type and the other is regular type. The regular type is a little easier to work with although the low VOC type I have is several years old and might be past it's shelf life which could be why it was a little gummier than the regular type which I just bought.
Pliobond is a contact cement which means you apply it to both surfaces and let it dry, then apply another thin bead to one of the two surfaces right before you tack the pieces together. You really only have one shot at this but if you don't put any pressure on the rail as you lay it down, you can still make adjustments to it. The Pliobond works great at gluing rail down to the CV ties. The bond is very strong yet flexible enough that it can move around without breaking the bond.
Using Pliobond is somewhat messy and I now know I have to buy some of the plastic micro tips made for dispensing Pliobond on small parts such as rail and ties. I used a regular 22 gauge syringe and it worked ok, but maybe a larger gauge syringe would have worked better. The glue in the syringe started to gum up after a while and it got more difficult to dispense after a few minutes.
Overall impressions of CV ties.
I haven't tried to make a CV turnout yet. That is coming soon. I have mixed thoughts about the CV ties though, just based on this very small experiment. It is definitely more work and more time consuming to use. The Pliobond is also quite volatile and requires good ventilation to use. I found myself getting a headache after breathing the fumes for a couple hours even with fresh air coming in.
Gauge: If I were constructing a layout to Proto:87 standards, I would not use CV ties. According to the NMRA, Proto:87 track gauge should be .649" - .663". The CV ties above with code 70 rail gauge out at around .665-.670. That is, however, still within standard HO gauge of .649" - .672".
Appearance: I like the way CV ties look with the tieplate detail and the slight randomness of the tie pattern. However, the more I read about other people trying to "superdetail" HO scale track, the more I am thinking it is a lot of work for not much visual payoff in the long run since it is harder to notice the small details in HO scale.
Cost: 99' of CV ties including ME unweathered code 83 rail costs around $160 give or take a few bucks. 90' of Micro Engineering code 83 flex track is around $180 give or take a few bucks. Cost therefore is not enough of an offset to make CV ties worth the extra effort. The CV turnouts are quite inexpensive though, with a single turnout kit around $13 or two turnout tie strips alone (without the detail kit) for under $10.
In summary, based on what I've experienced so far in this small experiment, I'm thinking that for the larger layout I will probably try out a combination of Fast Tracks for turnouts and custom trackwork and Micro Engineering flex track for regular straights and curves. I may also try my hand at traditional handlaying with wood ties to see how that works out.
Good stuff! I wondered how squishy the topper Tape would be when compressed like that. If you switch to ME flex track then that obviously wont be an issue except for turnout areas.
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