Fast Tracks

Greetings,

I planned to cut the gaps in my rails with a cut off wheel and then use the wooden gap fillers that are sold here. However I like the tiny gaps shown in the videos when a saw is used. A friend of mine is a Jeweler and I asked her bring her saw and blades over when she and her husband came to visit so I could cut the gaps for the frogs. She had two size blades with her. The first was so thin I could hardly see it but the other was thicker so I used that. I cut all of the gaps for the completed turnouts which look much nicer than the gaps cut with a cutoff wheel. The gaps are still pretty small. In fact they are small enough I am a bit concerned they could touch if the rails expand in the summer time.

She is ordering me a saw through her connections and will get me blades too. I need to know what thickness to order that will cut a gap that is small but still large enough to prevent the ends of the rails from touching if there is any expantion of the metal in the summer time. What size blades do you all use?

Christopher

Christopher,

I use an 0.008" blade (0,2mm). You can apply some ACC or epoxy in the gap and prevent the rails from closing up. I use a thick bit of paper and the ACC. When fully dried and cured, a light filing will make things smooth.

-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.

Greetings,

I have of course read about the epoxy trick but I would not have thought of the AC and paper trick. Do you use regular printer paper or do you use 90 lbs. stock.

Glossy or Matte finish?

I will give this a try.

Thanks,
Christopher