[Al]

Remagen is likely to be a portable layout for a few years until it finds a permanent home. This means I'll need to fit track joints over the baseboard joints. On my old OO layout I fitted copper strip along the joint edges and soldered rails so that when the boards were bolted together the rail end matched up. However, in N gauge I don't think the alignment would be accurate enough for he rolling stock.
What would people recommend...?

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (Al @ 25 Feb 2008, 08:40) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Remagen is likely to be a portable layout for a few years until it finds a permanent home. This means I'll need to fit track joints over the baseboard joints. On my old OO layout I fitted copper strip along the joint edges and soldered rails so that when the boards were bolted together the rail end matched up. However, in N gauge I don't think the alignment would be accurate enough for he rolling stock.
What would people recommend...?

***For really good alignment you really need two things: the copperclad at the baseboard ends as above PLUS baseboard alignment dowells which are far more accurate than bolts.

The Dowells should be put in place as the baseboards are built. I've included a picture of some I had made in quantity that are really easy to use and very accurate. I use these on my own large layout.

My usual procedure is:

build baseboards
* Clamp together in proper alignment and make 1/8" pilot hole for dowells and drill clearance holes for bolts.
* separate and complete drilling for dowells/install dowells (18mm spade bit for shallow counterbore on face of end board then bore * through with a 13mm for dowell base to be a tight push fit.
* push boards together / bolt together, lay trackbed across joint and when in place permanently cut at gap
* lay track across joint and install copperclad sleeper at each side of gap.
* Then cut at gap

This way alighment is always really good.

To help describe it better I removed the brand headings etc (due to list rules) and included an attachment / segment of one page of my catalog below that shows what they look like and describes the installation of alignment dowells in more detail.

Regards

Richard

 

[teleman]

I use these ones from Station Road Baseboards . You fit them the same way as the other posting but you only need a 7.5 mill hole .

http://www.stationroadbaseboards.co.uk/cart_dowels.htm

 

[upnick]

Teleman

Just having an earned cuppa after using levelling feet from stationbaseboards following your recomendation of them, i had searched all over for the feet and now my first board is nice and level ...... lol
No peace for the wicked though off to sort the second board, then to the track planning and laying .... lol

upnick

 

[alastairq]

if baseboard alignment is likley to be inaccurate..then , quite simply, end all cross tracks some way short of the edge, and link with lengths of flex track,with 'sliding' fishplates?

these can have their own, ballasted bases,using thin card or plasticard...with a bit of track flexibility at the ends....

 

[Ron Young]

QUOTE (Al @ 24 Feb 2008, 23:40) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Remagen is likely to be a portable layout for a few years until it finds a permanent home. This means I'll need to fit track joints over the baseboard joints. On my old OO layout I fitted copper strip along the joint edges and soldered rails so that when the boards were bolted together the rail end matched up. However, in N gauge I don't think the alignment would be accurate enough for he rolling stock.
What would people recommend...?
Our club has found pattern makers dowels the best method. Ron Young, Falkirk MRC

 

[DiesAL]

I used pattern makers' dowells and they are fine.

On a related topic though I had difficulty drilling perfectly horizontal and symmetrical holes for the dowells in the softwood battens at the end of each baseboard section.

Any hints on how you do this accurately for future reference?

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (DiesAL @ 18 Mar 2008, 05:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I used pattern makers' dowells and they are fine.

On a related topic though I had difficulty drilling perfectly horizontal and symmetrical holes for the dowells in the softwood battens at the end of each baseboard section.

Any hints on how you do this accurately for future reference?

***We based the design of our dowell on a patternmakers type with a couple of improvements, the most important of which were to bring the price to a more acceptable level for use on larger layouts which need a lot of them AND to make it easier for an amateur carpenter to register and install them.

The basic way to ensure alignment of the dowells is (1) clamp the board ends together and drill a pilot hole at right angles. (2) Separate the boards and make a shallw counterbore for the face flange with a 19mm spade bit (3) bore for the shank from the back with a 13mm spade bit.

alignment by eye is fine with our dowell - the patternmakers dowell is less forgiving (its designed for use by experts after all) and needs an accurate hole. To do this cut off a short end of pine at a perfect right angle (say 25mm long) Cut a shallow groove in it (along the grain) with a stanley knife or similar to guide the drill.

hold the end of the wood block firmly against the baseboard end and drill with the shank of the drill bit lying in the groove - this will ensure a right angle hole on both x and y axis.

Richard
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