I am having problems installing my soft, pliable, insulating, rail joiners. I need to insulate both rails for my programming track but these things keep flexing instead of going on the rail (code 83). Is there a trick to putting these on the rail? Is there a better way to maintain a gap?
I use a small file to taper the end of the rail so insulated joiners will go on. They are very difficult to put on if there is any snag or rough spot on the end of the rail. Flex track rail cutting machines always leave a burr on the end of the rail, particularly on the bottom.
There is a better way. Cut a gap in the rails with a cutoff wheel in a dremmel or use a snap saw ( Atlas ). insert a piece of styrene into the gap and secure it with CA. After the CA dries cut and trim the plastic to the shape of the rail.
Bruce, must you use insulating joiners at all? Could you not just leave a 2 mm gap? For the rail lengths you are talking about, a gap that size would be highly unlikely to close, ever.
Crandell
Bruce,
I used plastic joiners for a time but never liked how they looked even after they were painted. So now I glue down the flex track, solder a metal joiner in place, spike the rail up to the joiner and then use a Dremel tool to cut the gap. The thickness of the gap just happens to be the same as an old credit card - pieces of which I CA in place and then shape. The spikes hold everything in place and the plastic is easy to shape.