I want to scratch build a timber trestel bridge i have a book from MR and it shows one i want to build but all the meserments are real scale i need to know the size for HO. I did see a referance table for nearest stripwood sizes but it shows a 10’’ and 12" both being 1/8 inch stock. i was wondering what sizes that others used for this or is their an easy way to make my own scale timbers. Thanks in advance.
If the measurements for the trestle are given in feet, multiply it by 12, then divide by 87. This will give you the scale dimensions in inches. For example, if the trestle bents are listed as 40 feet high, multiplying it by 12 gives you 480. Then, dividing it by 87 gives you approximately 5.517 inches. Good luck! I’d like to see it when you’re done.
Finding scale timber may indeed be very difficult if not impossible,but I think that my R/C plane experience can be of help to you.First,I suggest you use balsa as it is easy to work with.It can be glued easy with carpenter’s glue,can be painted or varnished if you wish and will look very real.One very good supplier of high quality balsa is Midwest Products who sell it in sticks,sheets and even blocks.Just visit their web page and you probably can mail order directly from them.
Now for the “scale” sizes…balsa can be readily obtained as small as 1/16 in. sticks but you can cut it yourself from sheets with a tool called a “Balsa Stripper” made by “Master Airscrew”.It’s dirt cheap (around $6) and is easy to use.Replacement blades are no.11 Xacto blades.You can get it at any hobby supply store (Tower Hobbies,Hobby Lobby,etc).Caution is recommended when using,very sharp blade…
You can always use “Northeastern Scale Lumber”. Should be available at your local hobby shop, if not get it online, Walthers is a good place to look. You may also want to pick up an “HO” Scale ruler, it makes life alot easier.
Kappler and Mt. Albert make scale stripwood as well. Much easier than trying to rip your own. If cost is an issue, buy a couple of packages of the correct size scale lumber and then buy the closest size in the cheaper brands of strip wood. All of my train buddies have quite a stock of scale lumber…
just to throw an idea out there. I used made a tressel 3feet long 8 inches high supporting 2 main lines using long match sticks they are very inexpensive. I paid $1.00 per box at the canadian dollar store they come 60 in abox and are aprox 11.5 inches long when you cut the flint. I would send a pic but I dont have any as of yet. they scale seems to work o.k but you may have a different opinion however its worth a shot ! good luck.
Hi. I think that would be fine, although the braces would have been 4" X 10" or thereabouts, and those matches are square timber in profile…more for the bent pylons. I guess a fellow could rip pine coffe stirrers down the middle and nip off the rounded ends for those.
Seems to me that, if it is going to be a showpiece and in plain view on a layout, a scratchbuilt tresstle will take a great deal of time to build well. I hope to be able to do that some day.
i read somewhere online that someone did exactly that , he included a thank you to his local Starbucks for providing the lumber at no cost [:D]
If you have a power jig saw you can rip your own scale lumber using thin tounge and grove wood flooring. ( It’s usually pretty much straight grained) I use a thing board and two clamps as a guide to keep the stock parallel with the saw cut. You can make any size you want with a little patience and not really too much time.
I got most of my scale lumber material at AC Moore, the arts and craft store. They have an extensive lineup of wood stock in all sizes and it’s pretty cheap…