Making points


gabby

Bob Hayes
I'm looking at making a couple of No6 points and was wondering how you make yours. I would like to get some ideas for keeping the sleepers steady whilst in the process.

Also what is the distance centre to centre of sleepers??
 
Wayne thanks. I guess I could go there and enlarge by 300% from HO. I'll give it a go and see.

I just thought there might have been different ways that people make points and was basically after how they get the sleeper dpacing right.
 
I make my points using a vertical sander to grind my points on. I also use a variation of Paul Mallery's method of forming the points by bending the last couple of inches in toward the center of the track so I wind up using more of the web of the rail. I've been doing this in HO for about 40 years and I have great results. If you would like to read more on his methods of building turnouts, I would go on Amazon and get a copy of his "Track Work for Model Railroaders". He explains it much better than I can. I've used this method from code 172, (O Scale) down to code 55, (N Scale).

I also glue my ties down on the roadbed, prior to laying the rail on them. I suppose you could glue yours to a piece of wood prior to spiking the rail down. I'm assuming that this is being used outside, in which case it may be better to glue all the rails to the turnout ties held in a jig. Using a glue like GOO, or Pliobond, run a bead of the glue down the rail, and then press into place. Then take a HOT soldering iron, laying on top of the rail, slowly move the iron down the rail, quickly heating the the glue. this when dry in a few seconds, results in a very strong bond between the rail and ties. When all rails are in place, simply lift the completed switch from the ties jig.
 
I also glue my ties down on the roadbed, prior to laying the rail on them. I suppose you could glue yours to a piece of wood prior to spiking the rail down. I'm assuming that this is being used outside, in which case it may be better to glue all the rails to the turnout ties held in a jig. Using a glue like GOO, or Pliobond, run a bead of the glue down the rail, and then press into place. Then take a HOT soldering iron, laying on top of the rail, slowly move the iron down the rail, quickly heating the the glue. this when dry in a few seconds, results in a very strong bond between the rail and ties. When all rails are in place, simply lift the completed switch from the ties jig.[/QUOTE]

Carey thank you. I too tried the glue method (liquid nails) last time before spiking but didn't last long in our weather (sub tropical) after awhile.

The jig idea will be done before the next one attempted and I'll just try a different method
 
The glue that I recommended, is a rubber based glue, and it actually can be used as a contact glue, but the heating by the soldering iron makes the glue cure almost instantaneously, compared to letting the glue cure naturally. Since it is rubber based, it will be weather-proof. Are the composite sleepers, (ties on this side of the pond), a printed circuit type board, or something else.
 



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