I have a quick question concerning rail gaps. When filling gaps with pieces of styrene, what kind of adhesive works best? The space I'm filling has no ties under it, but is atop a rail joiner. Thanks in advance for suggestions.
Gerry S.
I have a friend who uses a hot glue gun to fill gaps and just cuts the excess off with a x-acto knife. This method works really well over joiners.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
A rail gap is generally considered to be a gap for electrical purposes, usually to isolate one segment of a track from another. If your gap is atop a rail joiner, simply push the rails closer together. The rail joiner, while not a reliable conductor of electricity, would need to be cut or removed to make the gap an isolating one.
Wayne
Holy adhesives, Batman! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself) Thanks for the suggestion, sounds like a good one. I'll give it a try tomorrow and see how it works. Doctorwayne, I can't slide the rails as they're soldered at the other end of the flex track section, but thanks anyway.
If this is really an insulating gap (between two electrically separate lengths of rail) that rail joiner had better be plastic.
OTOH, if it's simply a space between rail ends at a rail joiner, why fill it in the first place?
As of the last few days, if I had laid any track I could get away with a gap about the width of tissue paper's thickness - secure in the knowledge that, come January, that gap will open to something over a millimeter. If I laid the track in January and blocked the expansion room needed for the 100 degree annual temperature swing, I'd have heat-buckled rails.
Our HO (HOj, 1:80 scale, in my case) rolling stock can handle gaps of 1.5mm. All it takes is making sure that the joint doesn't have any sharp corners or burrs to catch flanges and lift them over the rails.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
If it's an unintended gap that is supposed to be conductive, I suggest cutting a piece of rail to fit the gap, trim off the base flanges (so it will fit into the slot in the joiner) and place it in the gap. Solder it and file it smooth.
When I fill insulating gaps I shape a piece of PC board to fit and epoxy it in place. After a full cure period (cured, not just set) I file it smooth.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
For insulated rail gaps, I use ca to cement a small square of Plastruct .020" ABS plastic, on edge, into the gap. After the joint has cured, use your X-Acto knife to carve the top and sides of the plastic to match the contours of the rail. The dark grey plastic requires no painting, and will remain almost invisible (unlike white styrene) no matter how many times you clean your track.
PLEASE NOTE: your track and benchwork will contract and expand slightly, varying in the season, humidity, temp, etc. Small gaps are helpful, they won't let the track expand to the point of warping, deforming, etc, etc.
But you don't need to listen to me. If you're trying to insulate rail peices, please, fill that gap.
So there, my two pennies worth. Hope it helps a little.
I used the same method as DoctroWayne, but my styrene was white .020" thick from a piece of .10 x .020 strip. Although you can see the white, you really have to look hard to find it. I painted the sides of the rail rust anyway and it really is almost invisible. I also had a large (.06") gap at a rail joiner, so I just filled it with solder and filed it smooth. Works great and you can't see it either.
I like the idea of using Hot Melt Glue though and will try it on my next 'joint'
bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!