Fast Tracks

I'm looking to purchase one of the switch building kits and forgive my lengthy post explaining it.

I suppose I would consider myself new to the whole handlaying track scene though when I was last active in the hobby (about 13 years ago or so) I had scratchbuilt a handlaid #6 turnout as a test to see if I could do it. (I did, to my amazement. And if I do say myself, a healthy dose of pride. )

Anyways. The kit looks right up my alley as the videos of the turnout building are positively awesome and i'll say frankly that the efforts your company has put forth the SHOW how to use your tools only make it that much easier to believe in ones self that they too, can do it. Just look at Home Depot / Lowes. They do exactly the same thing for the same reason..IT WORKS!. But I digress...

Regarding the turnout building videos, it shows the inclusion/usage of various tools that are NOT included in the kits. I'm sure this was done to keep the kit cost reasonable, not to mention (from what I have read on these boards) you have a very large product list and not that many pairs of hands to maintain it. So I had been rewatching the videos and writing down the various products used and then cross referencing with the web site product listings.

I think it would be really cool to provide a tool set that included all the tools used in those videos. I know this poses a problem with the current kits as they *DO* include a pointform tool, but say there would be two tool sets. One including the point form tool and one without (in case you already purchased a turnout kit) I have admittedly not priced out a kit as individual parts to see if there is a price break by doing so, but I am assuming it is. (I know, bad word "assume" )

From what I see in the videos, this is the list of products NOT including that already in a turnout kit that are used/shown):

StockAid tool
Frog Helper, (I know..NOT required but bear with me)
File tool Kit
Track cutting tool (Rail Nipper)
Zona Jewlers saw (and maybe spare blades..the fine ones.)
Acid Paste Flux (solder is already in the kit)
Micro Brush

I know I did not include the Weller soldering iron or the conical shaped adapter for it. My opinion is to keep the cost of such a kit reasonable, and the fact the user may already have an iron, I would leave that as a seperate product. Thier choice.

But as you can see the list is pretty long and it took watching the whole video series and then cross referencing to get it. So such a kit would perfectly compliment a turnout kit purchase which would then give you every tool (sans the soldering iron as mentioned above) to follow the videos exactly and more importanty, put all the turnout building tools at the users disposal with 2 simple purchases.

I will also apologize in advance if it seems i'm barging in here as a new forum poster making demands (or"passionate suggestions" as I would call them). But I do think it's important that you get feedback from someone who is in your target demographic. Someone new to this aspect of the hobby who wants to handbuild turnouts as easily and reliably as possible and just wants to buy what is needed in a package. (or two) So I have everything I need to do the job and to follow the videos verbatim. There is obviously the option to make said purchases over time, for various reasons as is currently available to buy, but such a package would make that easier. And if there was a bit of a package price break by doing so, thats just frosting on the cake.

Respectfully,
Thanks for listening to my ranting.

I think Tim and Ron assumed that most of us would already own some of the more generic tools already. Also I don't think they are here to "re-invent the wheel", more to bring to the market what is missing.

The rail cutter for example, anybody who has used flex track would own one. Or they would be using the jewellers saw. Who hasn't used some sort of small wire brush to clean the wheelsets of their rolling stock? And anybody who has done some electrical work ( my trains run on volts, not fresh air), would probably have a soldering iron. Which of course would mean the solder etc.

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Now waiting for a better currency exchange rate before I order.

As I said, "assume" is a bad word.

I just priced it all out (the current kits) and there is a savings of about 18.00 US by buying the parts in a kit. Since such a "tool kit" with the items I have listed above would be comprised of less expensive components It likely would be less of a cost difference to buying them individually than the turnout kits already are. So the net is it's really not an advantage besides my original point of someone walking in the door wanting to get started. I have soldering tools. I have solder/flux/files. But are they the BEST for THIS job? Probably not. The file patterns are probably too course, the triangular file too thick. The solder, rosin core (ya it works, but as the video states the acid core is better for this application) So, even if I do have tools that will likely "do", in my opinion the precision nature of this whole affair demands "the right tool for the right job"

I may have been away for many years, but I remember this: if your trackwork is not right, your not going to be happy. Nothing, IMO is any more important (to build correctly) in layout construction than trackwork. If the trains dont run, it aint no fun!

So, in the end I will just buy the other tools individually. It's really not that much of a price difference and with all the jaw flapping and video re-re-watching I have done..the doggone stuff would already been halfway to me by now had I just ordered it straight away! It's all good.

If you do a bit of digging in the forums and on the rest of the site, there have been discussions about what is the best jewellers saw, the best dremel etc. At the end of the day, it's all about personal preference.

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Now waiting for a better currency exchange rate before I order.