Not another flex track thread??


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psychobeagle12

Member
Now, I know there are more than enough threads on flex track, with some great replies (I'm looking at you Selector ;) ) but I decided I needed to start another one, because I just don't quite understand the technique on the curves. Some guys have demonstrated sliding part of the inner rail into the previous piece of flex to avoid kinking on curves. My question is, do you have to pre-bend the track before soldering? Last night, I tried to solder two pieces together by offsetting the rails as stated, then bending the track into the curve. All this did was bind my rail joiners and make it impossible to use the two pieces I soldered together for anything but short pieces of in-between rail and what not. So, how exactly does this work? Do I have to bend the rails to the appropriate curvature first? I am very confused on how this works. Advice is much appreciated! Thank you!
 
Everyone does it slightly different then the next guy, it doesnt mean its necessarily wrong either.

When im laying flextrack for curves i normally lay them straight out on my cement floor in basement and solder the 3 foot sections together. This to me this is easy, and never get kinks. Once it is soldered together then you just move the track from floor to layout and lay it out to the straight peice of track before the curve and you get no kinks. Now laying track on a helix you cant do it this way

This video here is like what you are talking about how i believe selector does his it is a good method
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKPB_-eFLEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyucN1tV0zY

Al mayo has some really good helpful videos

Al does goof off some in the Beginning of his vids but so what right...some people do not like him but im not one of those people. I think he has some awesome model railroading skills, if you havent watched any of his vids i suggest you watch alot of them, his weathering skills are top notch as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIxP9CKm1Uo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLVFkbVpUeI

Check out this video as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YutgvqxjfyU
Eric has some good videos as well
 
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Actually I rather enjoyed Al's videos as well. I did watch those right after I posted this message the first time, and found them very informative. I plan to still use Selector's approach, but kind of mix it with Al's and see how that goes. The other two videos only show the finished product, not the actual technique, which is the main problem I have. Al's videos show exactly how to perform the task, making it much easier to follow them. Thanks!
 
psychobeagle12 said:
I just don't quite understand the technique on the curves. Some guys have demonstrated sliding part of the inner rail into the previous piece of flex to avoid kinking on curves. My question is, do you have to pre-bend the track before soldering?
Click to expand...
No, solder in place after bending.

Last night, I tried to solder two pieces together by offsetting the rails as stated, then bending the track into the curve. All this did was bind my rail joiners and make it impossible to use the two pieces I soldered together for anything
Click to expand...
Yup if you want to solder on a bench then you need joiners close to each other and plan on destroying a whole row of ties as the soldered piece moves into its final place.

Do I have to bend the rails to the appropriate curvature first?
Click to expand...
Bend them to the right curve in place on the layout. Otherwise there is no way (well without doing a math problem) to know where the actual joint will end up being.
 
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I soldered my pieces in place. Lay down the track using caulk, wait for everything to be secure, then soldered the joints. After the solder flowed, I kept the iron on the rail for a few more seconds while using the tip of scrap piece of rail to push the two pieces into a non-kink form, then remove the iron and wait for solid solder before removing the outside force. Voila!

I did make sure to do my first few solder joints in a spot that will never be seen, in a tunnel. This way, I can get over my learning curve and no one else would ever know! For me, the learning curve was to remove the first two or three ties on either side of the joint. Its easier to slide new ones in later than it is to remove damaged ones from soldering. Melted ties are very easy to see, and for me at least stood out like a sore thumb. Now I just have a small pile of rail ties to go back and slide into position.
 
I know a person who hand-lays his turnouts because he has to. Otherwise, he uses flex track. He actually pre-bends flex around small curve forms screwed to his work bench. He bends them tight and makes sure the bend is permanent. It sounds like you'd need a tough stomach to actually do this, but I have done it. I don't happen to think it's necessary, but if you don't want to fight your flex, especially when making curves, fashion a curve with a flange that protrutes atop the form so that your rail can't twist or flip up as you do this. Probably 1/2" or 3/8" plywood would work.

I only bend the sliding rail tip when I have to mate it to a section of curved flex that is already in place and I don't have a hankering to rip it up and replace it. So, carefully impart a shallow bend to the rail tip and feed it into the tie spikehead details. To help prevent snags, bevel/champher the corners of the rail foot flanges. Remember, you should be beveling the rail head anyway to help the wheels make it around the curves without snagging, so, while you have the file in your hand, might as well dress the foot edges at the same time...n'est-ce-pas?

If you are melting ties, it might be that your 'time gradient' is too long in terms of the not-hot-enough tip having to be held in place too long. Get a hotter gun and when you touch the tip, a LOT of heat transfer will take place (the physics says heat transfer in a nominal condition works at the fourth power of the differential. So, the higher the temperature moving toward cold, the faster the rate at the fourth power!!!!). You can get the solder to melt and set about as fast as you can touch the tip and withdraw it again. With some metal clips on the rails on either side of the joint acting as heat sinks, you should be fine.
 
No, no melted ties here! I am actually good at the soldering skill. It was the rest of the skill that I was having issues with :D I think I see now how you guys do it, and I plan to make the attempt when I get home. Thanks!
 
I use FastTrack SweepSticks to get the first piece of flex track into the desired radius leaving the last few inches sticking out straight. I cut the long rail to match the short rail dealing with the extra ties, etc. Then I join the next piece with rail joiners to the first and solder. Then I use more SweepSticks (I bought a lot) to get the new piece (including the end of the first piece which was left straight) to the desired radius again leaving the last few inches sticking out.

At this point I usually glue down those two pieces otherwise it gets a bit unwieldy.

The reason for leaving the last few inches straight is that it is easier to insure there is no kink when I solder on the next piece if the pieces are straight. Then when you shape the track to the curve the soldered rails keep the now curved joint kink free.

YMMV.
 
So mister fcwilt (if that is your real name)... you keep your rail ends even with each other? I kind of thought I would use the offset method shown in the videos posted above.

Thanks.
 
Well my name is Frederick Charles Wilt from which I derive fcwilt.

I just find it easier - fewer ties to mess with. There is one video up there where you can see the track is slightly kinked - not enough to be a problem most likely - but enough that you can see it.

Sliding the rail through the "spikes" can be easy or hard depending on the brand of track. I am using Peco 83 and the "spikes" are tiny and easy to mess up during the sliding. I've done it in certain circumstances but don't enjoy doing it.

The important thing is the result - a smooth curve with no kinks - if you find an approach that works for you then go with it.
 
Ahh I see. That's a cool name ya got there ;)

I have yet to connect two pieces of flex track. My dioramas never needed anything longer than 24". So I have yet to find my approach as you say. Thanks for the help!
 
So I laid a really nice curve last night! Using the slide the rail in the ties method, I laid the first full curved track. Only problem: I was laying the track on WS Inclined foam, and since there are gaps underneath, I put newspaper strips across the top to hold my ballast up out of the gaps when I ballast. Yeah, the wet water I used to put the strips down did not, as I thought it did, have glue in it, so all the newspaper came back up! Oh well, the track stayed down, as did the paper that was underneath the track, so now I just have to redo the other paper and finish the curve. A few more pieces of flex and I am DONE!!!
 
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