I have almost finished my benchwork and has been putting 2 inch foam on the layout, on top of 9 mm plywood.
How do you make holes through the foam and plywood for feeder wires, etc? My drill bits are far from long enough.
br
Mitropa
You can buy a long bit that will reach through. I have one just about the size of a drinking straw (McD's, BK, KFC). Drill the hole, insert straw, then you have a channel to easily put your wires through and it will still be there and easy to slip your wires through if you need to change them.
It is possible to drill a hole in the wood and push a large sharpe nail through the foam, but your measuring and aim have to be very accurate.
Good luck,
Long bits are available at most of the big box stores. I also have seen them listed at Woodcraft (both the store and the online catalog).
Jim - Preserving the history of the NKP Cloverleaf first subdivision.
Long bits are available at both Home Depot and Lowes, as well. I thinkt he smallest is around 3/16", which is actually too big for a single feeder, but for paired feeders of the #20 wire I use it works out just fine. One of the two had a space on the rack for a 1/8" but they are perpetully out of stock - maybe othr model railroaders are grabbing them up.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I don't use a drill bit at all. I have a 1/8 or 3/16" music wire. one end is pointed, the other end has a slot cut it in it with a dremel tool cut off wheel.
I slide the stiff wire through the foam, pull it back out, turn it around, hook the wire into the slot in the music wire and shove it through the hole previously made.
Kelly
www,finescale360.com
I have sections of my layout that are 12" of foam. I made a "wire needle" from a wire hanger. I straightened it, then ground a point on one end. On the other end, I hammered it flat and drilled a hole in it. I "thread" the needle with the wire, then push it through the foam.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
For just foam, like my previous layout, any stiff piece of wire works. No need to even involve a drill, just push it through. I tried a piece of coathanger wire but it wouldn't drill through the plywood, so I got the long drill bit. I probably should have gotten a larger one to drill the throwbar hole, it would be easier then drilling multiple 3/16" holes and egging them out. Better for the drill bit, too, but I'll never use it again after finishing the layout, and I have less than 10 holes left to drill. Like the cheap Black and Decker drill bit I use to predrill screw holes, it's dull as anything now but I have so very few more holes to drill it's not worth buying a new one. I actually know how to sharpen drills, but I don;t have the proper tools.
You should be able to buy the long drill bits in a swedish harware store as well. Or you can drill a hole from the bottom and use the long needle as described above and fish it upward.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
You can usually find long drill bits if you hunt around for them. If that doesn't work, I think McMaster Carr ships worldwide. They have a really tremendous selection of tools/materials and are very reliable with reasonable shipping costs. They can be found at:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#metalworking-drill-bits/=af07q3
McMaster Carr has plants worldwide, and has European outlets.
Music wire ground at an angle also works, but going through the plywood takes some effort.
Another method I've used is to sharpen a thick walled brass tube at an angle and fasten a wooden "T" handle on the other end. I've used this to penetrate 2" foam over 6mm plywood. I then use a length of music wire to push out the cut core.
A third option would be to use a commercial cork borer which can be found at lab supply companies and on EBay. They usually come in nested sets from about 1/16" through 1/2". I have a set of these as well.
The long drill bits would be the most painless option of course, but finding the smaller diameter drills can be difficult at times.
Thanks all for great answers!
I will start looking for longer drill bits, then - it would be convenient to be able to drill through the plywood and foam in one move, so to say...
My solution was to purchase long drill bits from McMaster Carr. They have a 6 and 12 inch lengths. The smallest diameter was, I believe, 1/16". All of it was done online and I had the bits in a couple of days. BTW, the long bits are also called aircraft bits.
McMaster Carr also has other hardware items that are very useful in building the layout.
Cheers, RustyKen