Laying The Cork Roadbed

Once I had some bench work done it was time to draw some track centers and lay some cork.

I purchased the cork from two places. The first was Staples and then I found the same size roll cheaper at Lowes. The one from Lowes has a finer mix of crock pieces in the roll than the one from Staples. I have installed both types on the layout but have yet to put done ties and rail. I measured 3/4 " all along the length of the cork, then cut them into strips 3/4' wide by 2' long. The roll comes in 2'W x 4'L. Once I had all the strips cut it was time to glue them down. In the past I used a solvent based contact cement. This time around I used a water base cement. Lepage's contact cement was the one I went with. I applied cement to both the cork and the bench work. Following the instructions I allowed both pieces to dry, then applied cork to one side of the center line then on the other. I used a roller that's used for wallpaper. This works great for making sure the cork is pushed down on the glue for a perfect bond. This picture of Mitchell yard shows the cork that has already been laid and you can see the roller in the upper left.

Here is a video on my YouTube channel were I show you how I cut the roll of cork into 3/4" strips.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9lqOIZcFwE 
Hope you enjoy it and find some helpful tips.