Ho Track Radius Tools

[LooperHo]

I'm new to this discussion board so forgive me if this topic has come up before. I am planning on building a new layout after I remove my current one. Which has several  problem areas. Lack of experience!! I see that there are radius guide tools available for 18" and 21" radius'. What do I use if I have a 19" or 20" radius? Thinking I may have to make my own.

[cuyama]

Many folks successfully lay out consistent curves with a trammel or home-made templates. But if you'd like to use a commercial between-the-rails guide, Fast Track's Sweepsticks can be purchased in the radii that you'd like to use:
https://www.handlaidtrack.com/sweepsticks-ho-curved

Byron

[UNCLEBUTCH]

Most anything will work.

I used a strip of foam board; 3/4 thick,inch and a half wide, about 30in long. It was handy.

stick a nail inn one end, thats your piviot point. Stick a pencile where you want, thats your R.  Not high tech, but works

[LooperHo]

Thanks for getting back to me. This is a great forum. I did some searching on line last night and found a hobby shop in South Carolina that is having a sale on many items. They had the track gauges on sale so I purchased different radii. The hobby shop is Blue Ridge Hobbies if you want to take a look.

Thanks again for the input.

http://www.blueridgehobbies.com

[mbinsewi]

I did, and do, what UncleButch described.  I used a wooden yard stick.  You'll probably need to use flextrack.  I think it's in 3' lengths, been a while since I bought any.

By the way, welcome to the forums!

Mike.

[BATMAN]

I use an old wooden yardstick with holes drilled in it. I also made these templates out of appliance cardboard. They are many different radiuses and I just use them to double check that I have not gone under a certain radius after laying the track.

 

 

[Overmod]

And incidentally, consider making up transition spiraling, too (at least one template published in MR for the purpose years ago)

[7j43k]

There are times, on a layout, where you can't swing a radius rod.  Then having a curve template can be real handy.

I made mine out of some scrap 1/4" ply.

Those snap together critter Cuyama pointed out look real neat.  I may get some to try them out.  I like that they go way-wide.  Very thoughtful.

 

 

Ed

[RR_Mel]

 

Like Brent I use a yardstick, the same yardstick I used three layouts ago.  I haven’t used it in thirty years but it still hangs in a corner ready to go.  I drilled a hole in one end an inch in and every half inch from 18” to 35½”, works great.  Don’t forget to figure in the I” lost for the pivot hole.

 

 

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[rrebell]

Ribonrail has all sizes in one ince incraments from 15" radius to 48" and straight sections too. 

[mbinsewi]

After reading Ed's post, I had to go back and look at Byron's link, pretty cool!  I actually did use the Ribbon Rail thing for aligning joints in the flextrack.

Mike.

[Phoebe Vet]

I used a decorative light chain for a trammel.  Not string, that stretches.  Where the pivot point is off the layout I established it with a photo tripod.

[UNCLEBUTCH]

[quote user="Phoebe  Where the pivot point is off the layout I established it with a photo tripod.

 

 

I have used a child's high chair,

 Like Ed, I made some up at different Rs, can't find em. Might have been used as fire wood

 

[/quote]

[selector]

The first radius tool one should reach for is either a to-scale drawing of a track system in the scaled representation of the available space...or use software suitable for the same purpose.

[MisterBeasley]

I use a big piece of a cardboard box, cut in a quarter-circle with the radius I want.  This is really just a preliminary template to make sure I don't slip under 18-inch radius for HO.

Once the track is down, I check it with a Ribbon-Rail gauge.

This is one of the short ones.  It fits perfectly between the rails.  In this photo, I'm actually using it to align Proto-87 girder rail.

[jjdamnit]

Hello all,

I too made my own out of wooden yardsticks.

I put a finishing nail for the pivot point at the 1-inch mark and then drilled holes at the appropriate marks.

Remember for a 19-inch curve put the hole for the scribe at the 20-inch mark not the 19-inch mark to account for the one inch lost at the pivot point.

You can also make fractional curves i.e. 21-1/4-inch by drilling the scribe at the appropriate mark.

With a wooden yardstick you can scribe curves up to 35-1/2-inches by putting the pivot point at the 1/4-inch mark and the scribe at the 35-3/4-inch mark.

Hope this helps.

[7j43k]

Below is a photo of General Tool's No. 523 adjustable trammels:

 

 

They clamp onto things that are between 5/8" and 1 1/2" thick.  Like a 1x2, say.  The sharp pointy things can be removed and replaced with a pencil.

 

Ed