In hopes of avoiding more expensive mistakes I am posting this question and some photo illustrations.
As with others I have seen on the net I’m having a great deal of difficulty using flextrack to put my layout together. The problems are always related to cutting curves. I think I have learned that the answer is to cut your flextrack at a point where it is straight in line with the piece you hope to join. Once you have lined it up you measure the gap and cut a piece of flex at that length to fill the gap. Is this correct?
If this is the process, I am attaching two illustrations where I need to do this. I have laid the curves and, in both cases, think I have come to a point where, when cut, the flex will line up with a straight shot to the track to be joined. My question is, if I cut the flex at that point, will the rails be even, or will I have the same problem of the inside (moving) rail longer or shorter than the other? IF this is the case how will I ever get flex to line up properly to be joined to existing track.
I lay the piece that needs cutting in position but over top of the other. I use to use a sharpy to mark where to cut but now after a lot of practice I just hold my thumb nail at that spot lift and chop![:O]
What brand of flex track is it? Atlas, Walthers, Peco, ME?
Also, what code number? 100, 83, 70, 55?
The most effective way to join sections of flex track, especially on curves, is to solder two sections together on the outside of the rails. I would not be filling in short sections to fill gaps.
I have made a jig block that fits snugly inside of my miter box. It has two grooves in the bottom of the block that the two track rails fit snugly inside and keeps it from shifting or tearing tie mountings while cutting. Sometimes I need to curve one end of the flextrack until the sharpie marks on the track line up straight.
It is important to have the rail joiners attached on the end you are not cutting and in perfect alignment with the end of the track you have just previously laid to get a correct measurement. If you are gapping the joint rather than soldering cut it 1/16" short. If it is a long piece I will use quilting pins to hold the track in place while I am marking where to cut it. Then remove the pins and cut the track in the miter box. Other folks use a Dremel with a metal cutting disk witch I assume works just as well.
You may need to remove 1 to 3 ties after cutting to allow enough room for your rail joiners. After track is in place you can slip individual ties in place to fill the gaps.
It’s code 100 Atlas Flextrack. In the second illustration two pieces are already soldered and the joints are tight against the other end of the flex track soldered pieces.
I’m still a little confused, because I may not have asked the question properly. Let me try again:
In the past, my problem cutting flextrack was that the inside moving rail never lined up where I thought it would after measuring and cutting. It was always longer or shorter than I thought it would be. So I’m trying to understand how to measure and cut properly.
Do I understand those who have already answered that, in the photos I have submitted, where the flex track is down and nailed in place, if I cut the flex rail at the point where the rails meet, then the inside moveable rail should line up and not end up being shorter than where it will be after the cut?
Am I asking this correctly? Does anyone understand the problem?
OK, as to the sliding rail question: The rail will still slide and you will probably not get it right on the first try. What I do is line the track up and mark it. Then when I cut it, I leave it longer than where the mark says to cut it. Then I fit it again to double check the length. Then I start trimming it down, refitting the track as I go and soon it fits just right. Sometimes I have to trim the same piece a couple of times. I don’t try and cut it all at once.
Also, as was mentioned, I don’t fit short sections in unless there are two complete sections coming together and they are too short to connect together. If I am going around a curve and have to add a section, I will solder the next section together while the new section is straight and the old section has a straight section at the end of it, then form it to the curve.
As for where the joints line up, they don’t have to be exactly opposite each other. You just have to remove the ties back far enough on both sections to clear the rail joiners on each rail. Then fill in the ties after the joint is made. But now you have to watch out that the ties that you add under the rail joiners do not push the rails up and make a hump. So you have to trim down the ties where the rail goes over them on the top side. I use a rat-tail file to do that with.
Think it’s all been covered, but the easiest way is to line up the two tracks, overlapping the long piece, and mark the point where the one section ends on the longer section. I use a Xuron rail nipper to cut my track, it makes a fairly clean cut on one side - the other side gets sloppy, so make sure the tool is oriented to put the sloppy cut on the side that will be scrap. Cut slightly long. Don;t try to force the track together though, if it’s a bit too long, nip off a little at a time to get it right. If it’s REALLY close - touch it up with a file and it will fit perfectly.
Seeing as how I solder ALL of my track together when I need to cut the track off - I lay the short piece over the other track and using a single edge razor blade to scratch/mark the lower track.
Then using a Dremel and a cutoff wheel I just cut the track off and test the fit - if all is well then slide the jointer on and bend the track to engage the jointers! If not slightly grind the end a bit and then check.
Well, the question the LION asks is why are you joining two rails there?
LION works from the tangent track through the whole curve system back to tangent track. Yes, eventually you do have to join to what is already laid, but you try to do that on a straight section, right in front of you,.
OK, LION also knows that this cannot always happen this way. LION cuts his rail with a motor-tool, and so him can get a gap that is too big. Take out some track and try again. The LION has has little snips all over the place because him cannot measure too good.
Ach/// fill it in with solder and dress it with a file, the trains will never know the difffeffeffeerenenence.
