If you don't want speed $$$ for a circle jig for your sabre saw, I just built a jig like this and it WORKED! Perfect arcs for the floor of the bridge made out of masonite. I believe it would be easy to cut large curves. The saw did not wiggle in the jig, but you could make a gate to clamp it in.
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
Simple and effective, I like it. Thanks for posting the video.
Don
Thanks so much for demonstrating how to achieve cutting a curve using a simple jigsaw.However, I was a bit disappointed in that your post title described how to create "Building a curved bridge".Where is the curved bridge?.
prrstation Thanks so much for demonstrating how to achieve cutting a curve using a simple jigsaw.However, I was a bit disappointed in that your post title described how to create "Building a curved bridge".Where is the curved bridge?.
Using the "polished" side of a piece of hardboard, sometimes called Masonite and using the tools and my track sections shown in the photo below, I layed out my curves and pier locations on what will become my bridge deck. I also drew the hardboard girder lines if I need to use straight girder sections. (The Scenic Express Bridge Girders may not bend tight enough.) The tape held the track in place so I could trace the curves.
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Based upon the video on YouTube, I made my jig.
Photo 4
As you can see my saw is really old, but it worked fine with a new blade.
Photo 5
I had a small place to sand to more of a circular arc. This is rough side up. Clamps really helped keeping everything in place. My pivot point was a bolt inserted in to two different small holes in the jig. The 1x2 was used to locate the pivot point. The small piece of 1x2 was my sanding block. All very simple.
Photo 6
Buckeye -- great explanation and the pics really helped bring it together, thank you! A+
Jon
So many roads, so little time.
Jon.....Thanks! More to come. The plate girders from Scenic Express arrived. I have started installing supports to attach the girders to the deck with wood glue. Purchase the stone paint today at HD.
Great work BUCKEYE!!!! I use to teach my kidos in shop class with lots o jigs like this. We had em for jig saws, band saws, table saws, routers......etc. Keep up the good work. Very nice.
Stay frosty my friend,
laz57
laz 57 Great work BUCKEYE!!!! I use to teach my kidos in shop class with lots o jigs like this. We had em for jig saws, band saws, table saws, routers......etc. Keep up the good work. Very nice. Stay frosty my friend, laz57
Thanks Laz!
Now that the plate girders arrived from Scenic Express, I have started to attach them to the deck.
First for an underslung bridge, we don't have fillets on the ends. Gotta get rid of them.
Miter saw did an excellent job trimming the ends
Butt joint looks good.
Small wood blocks will attach the girders to the curved deck. I used a very grade of 1x2 to make these blocks so I could make sure I had a 90 angle to the deck. Wood glue again. Do I make the girder flush or do I put the top of the girder 1/4 above the deck?
The outside girders are out of view, so instead of spending the $$$$ for the Scenic Express system, I used birch wood. The birch has a dimension of 1/32 x 2 x 24 trimed to the same depth as the Scenic Express girder with a sharp new blade.
All the supports are in place.
Photo 2 -- Clamping the birch to the supports.
Don't clamp directly to the birch. It will crush it and leave a big circle. All of the clamps were used when we built the benchwork for the layout. They are so handy. Yes, I'm doing this in the kitchen where the granite counter top provides a real flat surface for alignment.
Building the piers
About a 5 degree taper looked good.
The Scenic Epress girder was glued using super glue. It is a resin type of material. So far so good. However, I might need to go back and use the Dremel to sand the first coat of paint. Although I did a soap wash and it was throughly dried, I'm not getting a good smooth coating. More later.
Very NICE!!!! Keep on keepin on BUCKEYE. Love it!
Laz,
I think we could go into the custom bridge building business. My next problem is how to make tiny pot bearings. I'm thinking of using a Glue Dot for my elastomer for my pot.
Great Job, Buckeye. Very professional.
Thanks Chuck. Still not a great paint job, but it will be about four feet away from the front of the layout, so it should look okay.
Looking good Buckeye. If you had waited a little while, I could have shipped you my Cumberland Viaduct to use...
Buckeye Riveter Laz, I think we could go into the custom bridge building business. My next problem is how to make tiny pot bearings. I'm thinking of using a Glue Dot for my elastomer for my pot.
Yes BUCKEYE a glue dot would be a nice fit for the elastomer, but for more viscosity and elasticity not to mention strain, I think a dab of silicone would be in order.
Stya frosty my friend,
Back home so I continued working on the piers.
I made the bearings from scraps and a dowel rod.
I had some places to touch up on the superstructure, so......
Let's get this finished up.
Piers and bearings are painted.
The abutment needed at one end of the bridge.
Pier in place
Abutment in place. When in place only about an inch below the bottom of the girder will be visable.
And this is what it looks like in a preliminary fit up.
Note how much darker the piers and abutment appear with the flash turned off.
Your pictures really make it look easy to build. You've really done a great job. Where is it going to be placed on your layout? Are they certified for use in California?
I'm impressed.
Don....As the train leaves the truss bridge on the left end, there is a curve. The new bridge will be on that curve where those two Lionel girders are located in the photo below. Incidently this photo is really old.
You can see the corner of the station in the photo above and the same corner in the photo below. Just a tad of difference.
Yeah, I guess there is a difference! You really have a great looking layout! Should be in CTT magazine!
The bridge was installed and it was a tight fit.
I still need install a pier extension and paint the backside of the exisiting pier
on this end and do some touch up.
Now I will continue to work this corner for scenery. I am thinking of putting a bucket truck under the bridge so the bridge inspectors can get to the bearings and structural steel. I also need some birds to set on the bottom flange and poop all over the inspectors.
Just found this thread--what great work! Art I should say! Going way back, I gather you found the girders flexible enought to curve--is that correct? You commented about laying out the deck for the possibility that you whould have to use the girders straight, if needed, but I do see they were installed curved. Is that curving process at all tricky or just clamp 'em and glue 'em?
stuartmit I gather you found the girders flexible enought to curve--is that correct? You commented about laying out the deck for the possibility that you whould have to use the girders straight, if needed, but I do see they were installed curved. Is that curving process at all tricky or just clamp 'em and glue 'em?
I gather you found the girders flexible enought to curve--is that correct? You commented about laying out the deck for the possibility that you whould have to use the girders straight, if needed, but I do see they were installed curved. Is that curving process at all tricky or just clamp 'em and glue 'em?
Great work Buckeye. What part number are the Woodland Scenics girders????
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
stuartmit Just found this thread--what great work! Art I should say! Going way back, I gather you found the girders flexible enought to curve--is that correct? You commented about laying out the deck for the possibility that you whould have to use the girders straight, if needed, but I do see they were installed curved. Is that curving process at all tricky or just clamp 'em and glue 'em?
KRM Great work Buckeye. What part number are the Woodland Scenics girders????
Buckeye I think it was Me that missed who you got them from. Thanks!! Sucks getting old.
Buckeye,
What do those Girder sections measure with the fillets cut off the ends??
I think I will copy your lead for something I have that connects the two tables.
Thanks for the great idea!
KRM Buckeye, What do those Girder sections measure with the fillets cut off the ends?? I think I will copy your lead for something I have that connects the two tables. Thanks for the great idea!
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