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 Post subject: Point Form ver. 2
PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2004 7:43 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 11:22 pm
Posts: 311
Location: Port Dover, Ontario
R & D complete, and the first production run nearly complete, and the Point Form tools are almost ready to release...

The last minute redesign was well worth it, the new point forming tools work like a charm, you simply slide the rail into a groove in the end of the tool, one end for switch points, the other for frog points, and file the rail flush with the tool, a perfect angle is formed every time.

The tools went through a lot of incarnations to get to this point. We explored every possibility, including hardening, painting, powder coating, and several other approaches. When all was said and done, we came to this version, which has the best of all possibilities.

We decided against hardening the tool, it would significantly add to the cost, and does not serve any purpose. Sliding a file over a hardened tool kills the file almost instantly, making filing quickly frustrating. The tool, when use properly, will last for hundreds of turnouts.

I was hoping to have some sort of coating on the tool as well, just for ascetic reasons, but ultimately decided against it as it added to the steps involved to manufacture the tool, and would only become quickly scratched when clamped in a vice, even if powder coated. I finally decided to just engrave the steel, it give the tool a nice "industrial" look, and is very durable.

All that is left now is to write up the documentation and get everything onto the site, hopefully some time this week....


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Cheers!

Tim Warris
Fast Tracks
http://www.fast-tracks.net
service@fast-tracks.net
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 Post subject: Point Form Tool
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 9:58 am 
Great news Tim! If I could order one today, I would. I will be watching your site each day for the release.

You have one of the best sites I have seen. Interactive is not a good enough description for it.

On another note, I have handlaid dozens of turnouts in HOn3 (using code 55) over the years, and I would typically leave the stock rails as long as I could, as I want the track to flow through the turnout instead of meeting at the turnout. I am currently working on my first turnout using your fixture, and it is going pretty well. I am having a bit of trouble with the diverging stock rail being srung away from the outside edge of it's groove (toward the point rail). I did gently curve the rail to match the groove, but it still springs away. Is this normal? In the instructions, you also mention putting a slight kink in the stock rails, but the photo is unclear. Which direction should this kink go, and what purpose does it serve?

You also mention using flux liberally. I assume you prefer acid flux, but you don't say. Is this the case? I have been looking for acid flux, but so far, other than PBL, have not been able to locate it.

You were also correct in the bench sander recommendation. What a nice tool for filing the stock rails. I was able to notch the base of the rail nicely without touching the railhead. I'm looking forward to using it for the frog and switch points as well.

Keep up the great work.

John


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