I’m planning on starting to do the roadbed this weekend. I’ve already decided I’m going to do spline type. My dilema is whether to use homasote or masonite. I think I’d rather use homasote, but am wondering how sharp of a radius it can be bent to without breaking. I have 2 sections that need to have 23 and 21 inch radius curves on them. Will homasote break if bent that much? I may be able to strecth it out to 25 and 23, but that is going to start to make my ailes a bit tight. Thoughts, opinions?
It has been a LONG time, but I once built a layout with 20" radius curves using homosote spline roadbed. The entire secret was, be VERY gentle. I experienced some breakage when trying to laminate from the inside. Laminating from the outside worked OK.
Were I to do the same thing today, I’d opt for larger curves. I’m not using spline on my present layout because there are extensive areas where minimum subgrade+roadbed thickness is mandated by various non-negotiable conditions.
I used 1/4" MDF for my current layout. However, I also have no curves sharper than about 28". I feel that the 1/4" MDF could have bent down to near 20" with some care, but not much lower than that.
On my previous layout I used “cookie cutter” 3/4" plywood with cork for the roadbed. After viewing Joe Fugate’s video series I would like to try masonite spline roadbed for my new layout. I have had lumber yards rip plywood sheets into 1x4 lumber for building benchwork, but they don’t have the equipment to rip the splines. I do not have the tools to cut the splines. Any suggestions???
An inexpensive ( <$50 with carbide blade) circular saw with a cheap carbide blade is all you need. Support the masonite on scrap lumber (foam sheet is even better) and guide the cut with a clamped on piece of 1X or long offcut of sheet stock with a “factory” edge. If you need more info, just yell.
When I cut the spline myself, I would use a table saw.
I’d first use a circular saw to cut the 4x8 sheet into four 2x4 foot sheets. I’d do this to two sheets, and then stack a 5th 2x4 foot section on top of the other four (this leaves three 2x4 foot sections unused from the second sheet), then tack the five sheets together with 5 or 6 finishing nails pounded almost completely through all 5 sheets.
The 2x4 foot size makes the stack of 5 sheets easily maneuverable on a table saw. Then I would set the fence on the table saw to the 7/8’ inch spline width and rip 5 four-foot strips of spline at a time.
Be aware that masonite is hard stuff, and it dulls a saw quickly. Cutting it also generates lots of fine sawdust.
This method will give you lots of consistent 4-foot spline strips pretty easily. Four foot spline strips are not quite as convenient as 8 foot strips, but if you need to cut the strips yourself, this method works about as good as any. I like the fact you get 5 consistent strips every pass.
I like Joe’s approach, and I might try that next time I need to cut some spline. I had a friend who had a table saw help me. We just ripped the masonite into 3/4" x 8’ strips one at a time. I only needed 4 sheets worth, so it wasn’t too bad. But it did take a while. We used a carbide-tipped blade. Randy
I guess I need to invest in a table saw. The wife has asked for some suggestions for Christmas, and I would like one of those new sound equiped locomotives, however a good table saw might be a better long term investment as I have an empty basement crying for a new layout.
A table saw isn’t a bad idea, but it may be a limited-use item once you have the benchwork up. It took me a little time to find a friend who had one, but that was an easy way to go once I did. If you don’t think you’ll use the table saw in the future (or, as in my case, you’re not sure where you’ll put it), you could also pay to have somebody cut it. The lumber yards I spoke to were pretty expensive ($0.15/foot) but somebody recommended calling a woodworker and they were less than half the price (The quote I got was $75 for ripping 2 sheets of OSB into 3" strips and 2 sheets of masonite into 3/4" strips). On the other hand, the cost of cutting may be close to the cost of the table saw, so if you have the space that may be the better way to go. For cutting long sheets my friend had a roller on a stand that you use to support the boards as they go off the back of the table saw (unless you have the space and the money to install a true table saw on an 8’ table). Randy
Try stopping by where they are building a stick built house(I know, wrong time of year) I had the guys rip several sheets of masonite on their lunch break for the cost of a 6pack. They had a large saw with a rip fence and a carbide blade already. Took them maybe 20 minutes
I have used Hardboard which I believe you call Masonite in the US down to a 9" radius, our secret was to wet the board, clamp it and let it dry for a week. After it was dry it was still very stable.
Maybe I’m totally lost here, especially since I didn’t see anyone else respond to this aspect of it. But I don’t understand how homasote could be used for spline? Our club used pine spline with homosote roadbed on top of it. I imagine the spacer blockes would just rip off the top layer and not hold vertically at all. Neither can I imagine a homosote spline being strong enough to support much of anything. I mean I am sure it would support the trains, but a time goes on and it gets bummped or clipped from the bottom and then someone leans on it - Snap!
If you do an image search on google for “spline roadbed”, you’ll get a few different sites with information about it. I do think I’m going to go the masonite route.
It will do it automatically, just as it does for a curve. You rough in the easement length in your mind, but you should know how long the actual grade must be to get the rise and clearances later. So, start your grade where you know you must (there’s an easement back to level at the top that will take just as much room), and anchor your splines a few inches earlier so that they will begin a slow bend upward just beyond that point.
When you fasten splines to riser, pre-drill a hole with a countersink. That way, your splines won’t split (D’Oh!) and the screw head will not make a kink in the track or roadbed above it…(D’Oh!!)
Generally, you won’t find a table saw at a jobsite while framing. The siding/ exterior trim and interior finish crews will have them, however, unless they have a garbage blade to change to for your rips good luck. It couldn’t hurt to ask though. Just the cost of a cheap blade- $15-20 and buy them coffee, etc. may work instead of buying a table saw.
About 30 years ago I watched some narrow-minded individuals - alright, they were narrow gaugers - at one of the local clubs trying to bend homasote down to a 16’ radius (splined) curve - it would bend to 17" but snapped before it would bend down to 16". They finally gave up and adjusted their track plan and settled on 17" and it is still 17" to this day.