Board Joints

[Dog Star]

This thread is prompted by the need to lay track across a baseboard joint of Hartley Hill.

I guess that most of us have had to cope with track across joins between baseboards... and most of us have tried different methods of protecting the rail ends against knocks in transport. So what works (in what scale) and what does not?

For my tuppence worth I have tried the C&L brass rail supports for 7mm track... and I shall not do so again because:-

[1] the brass is too thick / half etch line is not wide enough to form the rail support neatly without additional work;
[2] shape of support seems to be too wide / too deep to hide effectively with S7 track made using 1.6mm ply sleepers;
[3] forming the recess, for the brass etch, in the end of the baseboard is quite difficult ( vertical groove from the top of the baseboard down to a circular recess).

So plans are a-foot for something different for Hartley Hill.

Now, how do you do yours?

 

[Dikitriki]

Hi Graham

I faced exactly this problem - how to make Heyside as bomb-proof as we could to avoid rail/baseboard end damage.

I cut some decent pine to sleeper dimensions, about 5mm thick, but this dimension is not critical at this stage.

I then cut some copperclad to replace the final sleeper.

The copperclad sleeper was Araldited to the pine and set aside.

The bottom of the pine was sanded back until, when place on the baseboard, the top of the copperclad was at the correct sleeper height. The pine/copperclad sleeper was then glued in position directly onto the baseboard surface (not the cork covering) to provide a very firm bond.

Once set, brass chairs were soldered in place and the copperclad gapped. Once painted and ballasted, it looks like a normal sleeper. No grain though on the top surface, but I'd rather have the security of fixing.

I managed to find a pic of one such sleeper creeping in at the side of this photo....



Yours

Richard

 

[Dog Star]

I cut some decent pine to sleeper dimensions.
I cut some copperclad to replace the final sleeper.
The copperclad sleeper is Araldited to the pine.
The pine is sanded until, when place on the baseboard, the top of the copperclad is at the correct sleeper height. The pine/copperclad sleeper is then glued in position directly onto the baseboard surface.
Once set, brass chairs were soldered in place and the copperclad gapped.

Thank you for this description Richard, a neat way of achieving the desired protection of the rail ends.

When was the rail added to the chairs? (options... before the cast brass chair was soldered to the copperclad? after the rail had been soldered to the copperclad?)

regards, Graham

 

[Dikitriki]

Graham

I had all the rest of the track panel laid and fixed in place, and overlong rails protruding over the baseboard end.
I determined the depth of the fabricated sleeper by sliding the brass chairs on to the rails and then sliding the sleeper under the chairs. When it just slid under without raising the rails, I stopped sanding!

From there, glue the sleeper in place, let set, and then as the last operation solder the chairs in place to the sleeper and not the rails. This way I could fine-tune the alignment, both vertical and lateral, and set the gauge.

Richard

 

[Dog Star]

... glue the sleeper in place, let set, and then as the last operation solder the chairs in place to the sleeper and not the rails. This way I could fine-tune the alignment, both vertical and lateral, and set the gauge.

Thank you Richard, all is now clear. I hope you do not mind the suggestion... your two posts plus the photograph really ought to be added to the Permanent Way sub-forum as a technique. Hopefully you will agree.

Maybe I ought to copy my original question to a new thread ready for your details, what do you thuink?

regards, Graham

 

[Dikitriki]

I'm quite happy for the posts to be moved.

It is a useful technique, and one I am very happy with. I have had cause to realign a joint following a slight change of plan, and I couldn't break the pine sleeper/baseboard bond (I did use Titebond mind). I had to cut it away and remake the sleeper.

like you, I looked at the C&L option and felt that it was both insubstantial, with the half-etched line, and visually obtrusive, as well as being difficult to use.

If I get the height slightly wrong with my method, I use brass shim under the chairs.

Richard