2 discoveries: Homemade copper nails; tile adhesive for ties

[FJ and G]

I made 2 discoveries yesterday that may or may not interest you but might interest 1 or 2 people.

While I was adding the 3rd wire (rail), some of my ties pulled up. I used tile adhesive to fix them back in place and layed 5 or 10 lb weight plates on the track to hold it down until it dried. There are some positive sound-proofing qualities of putting this adhesive under your tracks. The downside is that I don't know any way of removing this stuff if you later want to reroute your track. I don't have that problem as my ties are made from lauan, cut with a table saw and making new ties is quick and easy for me.

2nd discovery was that I can make copper nails a lot cheaper and in the correct length I want, vice buying copper roofing nails. I take a 14 ga wire from a Romex cable (need to cut the cable lenthwise with a razor to get the wire out). I then cut the nail point with lineman's plyers, cutting a sharp diagonal, then cut nail to length. Then, using the plyers, I pu***he homemade copper nail into the ties (every 3rd tie) to serve as support for the 3rd rail wire.

The other advantage is that the homemade nail doesn't have a head, and therefore the profile of the 3rd rail wire is much sleeker. Soldering isn't as easy, however, as there's not much to rest the 3rd rail wire on.

With practice, it becomes easier and now I'm even confident enough to solder together handrails for some of my Williams diesels that have the really thick handrails.

I don't yet have any new pictures of the layout but the site below is where I was at last week (1st 6 photos and last few show track laying). Hope to get plan and more pictures on the site soon.

Dave Vergun

[Anonymous]

Hi,

what do you use as track? scale 2 rail ? where ? how$$ [:D]

thanks

B#99

[eZAK]

Dave,

If you need a small head on you wire nail clamp it in a vise and peen the end over until you get the head you want.

[FJ and G]

B#99,

Forgot to show the website (same one as last week). 1st 6 photos show present construction, last couple photos show procedure for the 3 rails, incl wire in center.

http://davidvergun.tripod.com/index2.html

Pat,

Roger that!

Next project will be to make my own miniature screws with a die, if I can find one small enough.

[wrmcclellan]

Dave,

You may already know this, but there is an easy way to get the wire nice and straight.

Once you have it out of the insulation (and asumming you have a nice length) clamp one end in a vice and grab the other end in a pair of heavy pliers (e.g. lineman pliers). Then you put some slack in the wire and then pull very quickly and hard (do not release it) and the wire will end up very nice, smooth, and nearly straight (depends on how you release it).

Looking forward to more pictures of the finished product!
Roy