Having a "ballast" with my n-gauge hopper

[potatan]

I'm thinking about Ballasting my N-Gauge layout, Little Brickling. So I've bought some mighty fine ballasts in salmon and grey, and have had a go on a little test track with my new hopper. It seems to be laying down so much ballast that I'll end up running out before I reach the end of the platform, but I've read a few videos and understand that it will need thinning out / brushing back / teaspoon-charming to get it to sit well within the sleepers and inside the rails.

I've digested all the info about everone's favourite unguents to use to spray, drop and otherwise adulterate the ballast with, plus I'm going to have a test with some dry powdered ballast cement that needs mixing in a ratio of 1:7 which will be fun.

What I'm pondering about is how to make a straight edge with a little slanted shoulder on the outside edges of the track?

Like this /¯¯¯¯¯\ - but also how to prevent raggedy edges. Maybe raggedy edges are okay once they are delineated with a bit of foliage, grass, concrete slabs for electrical conduits etc. but all the advice I've read doesn't seem to cover the edges.

Note, at the moment on this layout I'm not using cork underlay underlay, so I might be trying to do something impossible.

Straight edged tips welcome.

Pic of my lovely salmon ballast which I'm intending to use in some sort of industrial/quarry scene with my Class 03 British Industrial Sand liveried shunty-boy. This is just a dry run, no ballast has been harmed yet.

[Dad-1]

I'm pleased to see :-
" no ballast has been harmed yet."

Some use a cheap making tape to define the finished outer edges.

I don't do 'N', but would use a finger the brush along until the sleepers
become visible. I do this both between the rails and along the edges.

I tend to be awfully fussy and work with a kebab stick point & stiffish
paint brush to get the right thickness lay and clean sleepers, bad enough
in '00'. This sort of work can be called 'character forming'

Geoff T.

[Phred]

I use a little artist brush to manipulate the ballast.
Never heard of 'dry powdered ballast cement'. Does it do something special?
50/50 water and PVA glue with a drop of dish washing liquid works fine for me.