By request, how I make ground throws out of brass

[shayfan84325]

I've mentioned my home made ground throws on a couple of threads, and some folks have asked for more information, so here goes.

These are a few shots of the finished product:

I build these by first cutting pieces of channel and tubing to 1/2 inch long.  For HO I like 5/32 tubing.  Then I stack them on top of a piece of 1/2 inch X .040 flat stock and solder it together like this:

Then I cut a diagonal slot half way through the tube, and then extend the slot straight down on each end using a small burr.

Next, I make the barrel.  This is pieces of 1/8 and 3/32 tubing about 5/8 inch long and a piece of 1/16 tubing about an inch long.  Slip them all inside of each other and solder them flush on one end.  So the 1/16 tube sticks out:

Drill a 1/16 hole half way through the fat end, about 1/8 inch from the end.

Next, we make a throw bar.  This is a piece of brass that will slide freely through the channel in the base.  I usually have to file this a little to make it slide easily.  Make it long enough that it will get the ground throw far enough from the track to avoid interferring with your trains.  Then solder a little piece of metal angle to the top of the throw bar and drill a 1/16 hole in the vertical side of the angle.  Elongate this hole a little with your small burr:

The nut is simply a piece of 3/32 tubing cut to about 1/8 inch long.

Now for assembly:

Start by sliding the barrel into the base:

Then slip the throw bar into the channel with the pin on the barrel passing through the hole in the angle:

Next, slip the nut onto the barell pin allowing only a little room for movement, then solder it to the pin (don't solder it to anything else):

The handle is a piece of brass rod.  I like to flatten one end slightly and then press the distorted end into the barrel hole (through the diagonal slot).  The slight flattening of the handle helps keep it in the hole without solder.

The way it works is that you use the handle to rotate the barrel, as the handle moves in the diagonal slot, the barrel slides back and forth in the base.  This moves the throw rod.

I use micro-engineering turnouts, so all I have to do is solder a short pin to the end of the throw rod and install it on my layout.  Be sure to cut the throw rod to length before you install the pin (or other attachment, depending on your turnouts).

When I made these in N scale I used 1/8 inch tubing for the base and made the base about 5/16 wide.  They were tiny, but they worked and looked great.

A good way to clean up the excess solder, like you see on mine, is a wire brush in a motor tool.

Write if you have questions/comments.

-Phil

[selector]

Thanks very much, Phil.  Nice work, and the size seems right.  It's a great idea, one that I will attempt. I'll save this and keep it for reference.

I appreciate your effort and time.

-Crandell