any tips on cutting n scale track?
I use a set of rail nippers. Cut top to bottom. Others use a hobby saw and swear by it..
Springfield PA
Hamltnblue Others use a hobby saw and swear by it..
Others use a hobby saw and swear by it..
... or swear at it. Be kind to yourself and acquire a rail nipper.
Mark
I use either a Radio Shack "flush cutting pliers" or Xuron rail cutters.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Yup, the operative word is "Xuron." The rail nippers, as they're called, look like cutting pliers. They have one flat side and one beveled side. The flat side will give you the clean, flat edge you want. If the rail joiners don't slip right on, a couple of passes with a small, flat file will clean up any burrs.
Save them for cutting track. Don't be tempted to use them for wire cutters, or toenail trimmers. Just track, and they'll last you a long time.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Maybe I am old fashion but..Before I will shell out $16.98 for rail nippers I will use my trusty Dremel as I done for years with great success I may add.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I have the (what ever that x company is) cutters and it says to cut from the side in n scale?
I'm with Larry on this: cut-off disk in a Dremel. While you've got it plugged in, it's also great for cutting rail joiners off the "tree" and/or for cutting them shorter, and for dressing the cut rail-ends.
Wayne
BRAKIE Maybe I am old fashion but..Before I will shell out $16.98 for rail nippers I will use my trusty Dremel as I done for years with great success I may add.
The Dremel is harder to control and inconvenient for me. (Why isn't the electrical cord long enough? Where are my safety goggles?) Nippers make my life simpler.
Mark,I have limited use of my right hand and had to learn to work left handed..Talk about inconvenience after being a right hander for 57 years.
I use my cordless Dremel with fully charged battery..My safety glasses is either my eye glasses or my safety glasses which I leave along side of my Dremel box.
I also use the heavy duty fiberglass cut off disk that is very hard to break.
I like the Dremel; also, with a loop of coathanger wire above to hold the cord out of the way, and an outlet strip, solves...why isn't the electrical cord long enough?...
Re: Where are my safety goggles? Old 4 eyes here has his prescription lenses made that way, and augments with goggles or face shield when necessary.
My uncle gave me my first Dremel when I was in my 20's, and I've had it (and some others) ever since, and find them useful for so many tasks. But I keep misplacing the collet wrenches. Wish I had the patent on the Dremel.
Life is easier knowing there is more than one solution to a problem.
Also a flexible drive for the Dremel allows you to align the cutting disk to cut the rail easily.
Dennis
I used to use a rail saw that can be commonly found in hobby shops (the miter saw with the pink handle). I still sometimes use that, but mostly I use a Dremel tool now.
I use those Xuron things. Cut the rail vertically or it gets squishy.
I have used just about every thing out there that has been suggested for cutting track in my over 40 years of model railroading (and now I model in N-scale) the best thing that I have is the XURON rail cutter and a small file for cleaning any burs that may be left after cutting, I only use my Dremel with a very thin disc for cutting electrical gaps in the rails when required.
Keep in mind that the larger the rail the more aggressive a tool will need to be.
Boiler-man Keep in mind that the larger the rail the more aggressive a tool will need to be.
I've heard that one method used by real railroads to cut rail was to support it on blocks at each end, with the piece to be removed overhanging the block. A worker would use a hammer and cold chisel to "mark" completely around the circumference of the rail at the proper spot, then the opposite end of the rail would be struck soundly with a sledge hammer, with the ensuing vibrations causing the waste piece to drop away as cleanly as if cut by a knife. Perhaps someone with personal knowledge in this field could confirm or refute the tale.
I have to guess that this won't work. Sounds very unlikely unless there is another step in there that wasn't mentioned.
can some one give me a picture of how to cut n scale track using XURON rail cutters?
trainfan1221I have to guess that this won't work. Sounds very unlikely unless there is another step in there that wasn't mentioned.
A short search yielded this. Not quite the same, but it makes the original version seem at least possible.