How do you joint different sizes track like from code 100 to code 83 together?
Put a railjoiner onto the bigger code rail (code 100 in example), solder it and then crush the loose end so the smaller code (70 in example) rail sits on top of it and solder it to the joiner. If you
do it right, you won't even have to touch up the joint.
How do I make the curve reasonably regular?
Use a pencil on the end of a string and tack the free end of the string to the track base at the center of the curve (i.e. center of the circle formed by the curve). Then keep the string taught and
draw the centerline of the curve on the track base with the pencil. Similar methods use a solid beam instead of string.
The way I laid out my curves was to get a yard stick and drill a couple of holes in it to get the end of a pencil through it. I drilled the first on at 1", just big enough for a nail to fit, and the
drilled other holes at the radius plus 1". Think that hole was about 1/8th of an inch. Draw the radius on the sub roadbed, glue the cork (if you're using it) halves down, then ust the center of the
cork as the center of your track.
Paul
The problem is that the circle center may not lie on the benchwork or even on anything firm. I used string with a nail on one end and a pencil on the other to do some large curves on my layout, but
to fix the center I had to c-clamp a batten off the edge of the layout to set the nail in for the center. Curve radius was about 50" in that case.
David Redmond
Glueing Track
My track doesn't have holes in the ties for nails. How do I hold it in place?
A construction cement called "Liquid Nails" will hold the cork and track in place. Just a thin coating of this with the track pressed down onto it will set in about 30 seconds... even with the 8"
radius curves which the flex track will not hold on its own.
An alternative is to use white glue spread with a finger over the surface of the cork. You will need temporary pins along the track to hold it in place while it dries.
Anybody have any advice on soldering rail?
There are many ways of soldering rail and what you will be soldering to the rail. Please see the section of Soldering Rails for more information.
I picked up an idea for giving my track a rusted look which involves spraying the sides of the rails with red auto-primer paint, after which I'm supposed to wipe the tops of the rail with white
spirit. Is this a mad idea?
Not mad at all, sir!
I painted my track with spray cans of Pactra flat "light earth" and "dark earth" as well as "hot rod primer" (a dark grey). I had all three cans and alternated shots of paint so they blended and
varied...then came back with the rag dipped in thinner for the tops of the rails, plus an abrasive block once all was dry. Everything worked fine and to my eye it looks good.
Bud
I did something similar, but I was aiming to color the ties more than the rail, and I pre-coated the tops of the rails with mineral oil using a cloth to make paint removal easier at the end. Remember
to oil the contact points on the sides (not just the rail tops) of switch point rails!
I use cans of flat black, earth brown, and gray to color the ties. I started by spraying lightly and irregularly, but straight down from the top, a base of brown. Then I switched to flat black and
sprayed a section here and there. Then I took the gray and did some more irregular sections. Sometimes I sprayed these at the rail sides, but mostly top down to hit the ties. Then I went over the
almost whole thing again with another light coat of brown but this time included the sides of the rails.
With the oiled tops on the rails, it was pretty easy to wipe off the paint. Then I took a bright boy around to double check.
This method was described in an article in Model Railroader magazine. I believe they did this track weathering on an uncut plywood deck so that the paint shadow cast by the track durng the process
could be used to determine where to lay the roadbed later. I did my weathering with the track, wiring, and roadbed in place.
Dave
I've made my 1st layout and it's not perfect -- in several places gap between rail joints about 1 mm (0.039'') -- too much for N scale locos to run smooth. I'm wondering if anyone knows how to fix
it, may be fill with some material?
Grab the white glue (or epoxy) and fill the gaps with a piece of styrene plastic in the gap and after it is dry, just sand or file down to the rail dimension. You can do this with that section of the
track being electricly isolated.
I have filled gaps up to 1/8" using solder. If your gap is larger than that, I'd cut the track back about 4", and lay in a new section that fits better. To fill the gap with solder, first blob on a
good amount in the center of the gap, then let it cool. After this, just "dab" the solder with the iron, otherwise it will all melt and run out the sides. (this is where it becomes an art form) As
you dab, the solder should try to stick to the iron, and will form little "peaks" as you pull it away from the rail. Keep doing this until you have peaks higher than the rail head all the way across
the gap. Then take a small metal file, and file down flat across the top. Then turn the file on edge, and remove all solder on the inside of the rails down to the top of the rail joiner (the inside
of the rails should be flat and smooth. Then just round off the solder on the outside of the rail. When you paint your track, you won't even notice it. Bob
'Course, if you simply put in a rail joiner first, there is some metal below to catch the first melted solder!
Eliza Jones