Ballasting made easy, At least for me

That's good that you found a way to speed up that tedious task.  Are you able to post any pictures for us?

Never thought of a mustard bottle good idea

Mike, I have used the same technique and it works fantastic.  The mustard bottle has been easy to use and clean out for the net time around.  I would love to see pictures if you have any.

Right on Mike, the better ballasting machine. Dollar Store squeeze bottles for $2.05 a pair. I mix a gallon of each, wet water and 50/50 wet water /glue in old plastic jugs and away I go dribbling mustard and ketchup.

I use Brennan's Better Ballast.

I actually used non-clumping kitty litter for my ballast.  Works great and only cost $1 at the dollar store for a 2 lbs bag.   

The road bed I am using has a very high profile and the old way the ballast was just falling off the shoulder and I had to brush it up with straight scenic cement before doing so. Very slow No wet water so it would stick to the shoulder better. . This way it goes on very fast and stays put because very small amounts in a controlled manner are being put on. Between the rails I run the brush back and forth maybe three times quickly and I am done. Wet the area and Squeeze the bottle and move it right down the track in a hurray Next is the weathering mix using the formula that came with the ballast. Applied the same way.

Looks good.

Great idea. Thanks for sharing! Terry

I agree.  The mustard bottle is superb.  Mine got caked with glue and gunk pretty quickly but I had the ketchup-mustard set so I have a second one.  It is by far the best way I have found. 

I used very small cups (actually, used Keurig coffee make cups with the top cut off) to pour the ballast, a 'chip brush" to sooth it, a used window cleaner bottle to spray the alcohol to wet the ballast, and the mustard bottle. Nothing special.  The only thing that did surprise me was this:diluted white glue really works much better than diluted yellow glue for ballast.  No idea why.

I am having a similar problem with Woodland Scenic's foam roadbed.  What is "scenic cement?"  Would yellow or white glue work just as well?  Working inbetween the rails is pretty easy, but getting the shoulder right is harder.  Around here, our natural ballast isn't all that weathered.  Maybe we get enough rain that it stays pretty clean?  Our rail ties are fairly weathered with cracks and splitting and tar and whatnot.  Not sure how to achieve that effect.  Hate to have to carve up each tie with an Xacto-knife!

Mike

Scenic cement is just white glue and water mixed 50/50. I just buy it premixed from scenic express.  The funnel out put size compared to the ballast size is why it goes down so precisely and gently on the shoulder. The funnel made it work. You will find the correct speed after one or two attempts.

With a paper cup method you put on to much and the weight and speed made it fall off the shoulder. To little and you have to go over again and goes way to slow. The controlled pour allowed a very fast application.

As far as the application of the cement from the mustard bottle I don't dribble I pour the glue out and move it quickly down the rail. I cut a small amount of the spout off to allow rapid poor. I found that if you spray large amounts of alcohol you can just pour the glue on and it doesn't stay on the ties. On the shoulders I pour at the edge of the ties and let it go down. Then one more pass in the middle of the shoulder. 

If your still having the shoulder problem try applying  the scenic cement before ballasting. A four foot section of track takes no more than maybe 5 or 10 minutes

mikemike has found a different method of application that works well for him and others should try it.

My track shoulders are also raised 5/16" [on cork roadbed] but as my last photo above at the rail crossing shows where the ballast is yet to be glued, I have no problem retaining the profile with the dry ballast on the shoulders. Certainly when wet water and glue mix are applied some minor granules of the ballast "float" downward but that is easily handled when as a final step I rapidily clean any scatter and dress the side with a straight edge such as the little yellow template. 

The old cliche applies, "different strokes for different folks" Happy Railroading!

PS: Dennis Brennan suggested using the mustard/ketchup bottles years ago and it has proved very successful as compared to the turkey baster I used back in the early 1990s.

I might point out that my roadbed is a higher profile and it is a rubber like material. The woodland scenic foam may be more slippery on the shoulder. 

Used a high profile roadbed - the original VinylBed with gargrave track and ross curves.

A rubber ballast was applied from a small plastic cup crimped at the edge.

There was no need for glue, if any ballast shifted out of place,  just sweep it back with a paint brush. 

May I offer for the board areas an alternative spray bottle to the widely acclaimed Windex or trigger bottle...

I have found using a 7 Floz salad dressing pump spray bottle to vey very effective. It produces a nice fine and broad spray that is very control able.  Plus it is small enough to fit in your hand and not add extra weight.

You should always clean out the spray tips with clean water to keep them from building up with 50/50.  Not a worry with wet water.

Give it a try...

JZ