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PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:42 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 8:14 pm
Posts: 7
I'm running into trouble with step 1 in UG07, and I'd appreciate some help and advice.

In the past, I have formed frogs by using longer rail than I need, soldering the frog, and then trimming the non-soldered ends to the proper length. This lets me tweak the frog to a nice sharp point before soldering, but the method doesn't work out so well for the crossover frog, because if rail 2 (from page 4) is forced out of its slot in the jig if the rail is over-long. Meanwhile, so much material has been routed away on the jig that rail 1 (from page 4) doesn't really have a surviving "slot" on the jig to retain it in place during soldering.

I can see how to trim rail 2 just a little conservatively and make that part to work. The stumper for me at the moment is getting rail 1 to stay put. I seem to be left with a situation where I need one hand to hold the solder, a second to hold the soldering iron, and a third to pinch the rails so that they stay together during soldering. This seems to need real care in N scale, since the rails are prone to roll if they aren't squeezed just right.

I've looked, and there don't seem to be any frog helper jigs for forming the crossover frogs.


How do people manage to hold these rails in place properly while soldering the crossover frog?

Thanks!


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:48 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 8:14 pm
Posts: 7
Incidentally, the documentation in step 1 could be improved. The text leads one to believe that one should file using the "frog" slots on the point form. One should instead be using the "crossing" slots. Wouldn't hurt to update the doc to make that clear. I figured it out based on experience with conventional switches before I went hopelessly wrong, but it was touch and go.


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 5:54 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
One helpful trick is to file the base of the rail sides (both sides) so there is more playing room in the alignment. Make the flangeway a bit tighter - then open up some with a very thin file afterwards. I used to get "automotive point files" from a tool distributor - but since they don't use points in distributors any more, those are not available. There are some fine very thin diamond coated files that come with some of the file sets. I hate to buy a set to get just one file for use - but I've sold the sets without the nice thin file at need at silent auctions and made out well enough.

-ed-

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.


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