Cork

[Snizotch]

Has anyone ever cut their own roadbed from a sheet of cork bought at a hardware store? I'm considering trying this, and I'm wondering if anyone has experince doing this. Is it hard to do? Is it worth the effort, or should I just order the cork road bed that comes pre-cut.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[ezdays]

Firstly, welcome to the Gauge. To answer your question, I'd say that it isn't worth the effort. You might save a few dollars, but you'll be asking for headaches as a result. Pre-cut comes already beveled for a consistent looking ballasting, it's uniform in thickness and is split so that it is more flexible and conforms to your track curves better. Cost wise, you're looking at around 20 to 25 cents a foot depending on your scale.

 

[60103]

I used a sheet of cork for a large area that was going to be flat. Otherwise, I'd not use the sheet unless there was no local supply for roadbed.

 

[Snizotch]

Cool, Thanks for your input guys. I'm putting together an HO layout. I havn't had a setup since I was a kid. I'll post some pictures of the layout when I make some progress.

Again, thanks for your suggestions.

For what it's worth, i have a Walthers HO set on order from internettrains.com. They must be the slowest online ordering company i've ever dealt with (and i've orderd a lot of stuff online). Also, they don't seem to answer emails. If I order train stuff online again, i'll be sure to look for a different source.

-Wally

 

[cidchase]

How much are you paying for the sheet? Nothing wrong with do-it-yourself, IMO.
You could use thicker sheets, cut your own turnout beds, make it wide for double
tracks, select your own angle, etc., if you want to take the trouble. Could be an
advantage.

 

[60103]

Wally: take some pictures whiule you're making progress. They're useful if you want to write a how-to.

 

[Snizotch]

My wife just called and said she bought a roll of it for $8 at a craft store (Michaels). I'm not sure how much square footage it is, or how thick it is. I'll find out when I get home from work.