How is this toy train track made

[SawdustMaker]

Hi,

I have been thinking of making some toy train track for my kids and I can see how to make straights, curves and points etc

However I can't immediately see a way to make the ascending / descending tracks for bridges etc.

Here is a photo of what I mean.

So does anyone know how to do it without spending a fortune on tooling / special router cutters etc.

Thanks
SawdustMaker

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I made a Brio bridge in two parts from solid Beech using just hand tools, I scraped the groves with a chisel. I made some blocks so you could add as much track as you wanted in between.


Pete

 

[big soft moose]

2 ways

either you could bandsaw the curve out of a solid block of wood ( or a cut it with a hand held fret saw if you dont have a bandsaw) and clean up on a spindle sander - or a drum held in a drill

or you might be able to make them flat and steam bend them on a mdf former - to steam them you use a cheap wall paper stripper conected to a bit of drainage pipe.

cut the grooves with either a router or a plough plane

 

[SawdustMaker]

I can see that I could chop a nice bridge curve out of a lump of suitable wood or even leave it as a big lump to make a hump back type bridge .. but the stumbling point for me was how to do the track grooves. I have a normal router setup with a simple table. So how would the track be routed in on a curve track. Would I use a bearing cutter of some sort?

The steam bent approach could be worth looking at as I would make some forms and then bend the track with the grooves already in it.

Thanks
SawdustMaker

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Scrape it, you could make a scratch stock with a suitable blade in it, wouldn't take long to do.

Pete

 

[SawdustMaker]

Scrape it, you could make a scratch stock with a suitable blade in it, wouldn't take long to do.

Pete, do you have a photo of such an implement ..

SawdustMaker

 

[Majorlarf]

If you pm me your e-mail address i can send you a pdf file on making the train track its from rockler who have the router bits for the track.

If anyone else would like the file just drop me a pm

 

[northwind]

Rocker make a set of cutters for a router:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17231

A bridge section could easily be made by laminating some thin ply together over a former, and then sticking on some rail edges as part of the build..

Spam trap, post another few posts and it's disappear:


http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17231

 

[Racers]

Hi, SawdustMaker

Its just a L shaped peice of wood cut in half with a blade clamped by screws like this one.
http://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/2008/1 ... -moldings/
It will only take a few miniuts to make, tip drill the screw holes befor you cut it in half.
They have loads of uses, making moildings cuting channels for stringing etc. I usd some stainless steel for the cutters but scraper blades or even saw blades and old jig saw blades work.
Buy a saw from the pound shop and you will have enough for life.

Pete

 

[big soft moose]

I can see that I could chop a nice bridge curve out of a lump of suitable wood or even leave it as a big lump to make a hump back type bridge .. but the stumbling point for me was how to do the track grooves. I have a normal router setup with a simple table. So how would the track be routed in on a curve track. Would I use a bearing cutter of some sort?

The steam bent approach could be worth looking at as I would make some forms and then bend the track with the grooves already in it.

Thanks
SawdustMaker

I would have thought that as the bottom of the track groves follows the curve you could just use a fairly small router hand held with a flat bottomed cutter and a side fence, guiding the side fence on the edge of the workpiece

but there are probably better ways - i am not a router expert

 

[xy mosian]

Personally I'd use a scratch stock. However for router use this cutter has to be the job http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Onl ... r_134.html. This of course is used 'side on', and would not shape the radii.
Aside from rails for trains these are very useful for grooving, or even rebating the edges of sheet material, frame rails etc..

HTH
xy

 

[dickm]

Elu used to make a convex base for routing out chair seats and the like. Could you do something similar, making a convex part-cylinder wooden sub-base, with a cutout for the bit to project through? With the right radius of curvature (possibly slightly less than the radius of the concave part of the track) this would allow you to rout out the grooves on both the concave and convex parts, running the guide fence against the side of the blank.

It's a thought, anyway.

 

[Noel]

Rocker make a set of cutters for a router:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17231

A bridge section could easily be made by laminating some thin ply together over a former, and then sticking on some rail edges as part of the build..





Edit -Spam trap. Post a few more times and it'll disappear.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Chaps

You all seem to be sugesting complicated, expensive, time consuming ways of making a bridge. I made mine with a coping saw, 6mm chisel and some sandpaper.
If you where making lots then get a router cutter and make a mould to laminate it or steam bend them, but for one KISS.

Pete

 

[xy mosian]

Hi, Chaps

You all seem to be sugesting complicated, expensive, time consuming ways of making a bridge. I made mine with a coping saw, 6mm chisel and some sandpaper.
If you where making lots then get a router cutter and make a mould to laminate it or steam bend them, but for one KISS.

Pete

Hear Hear
xy

 

[SawdustMaker]

Thanks all for your input.

Looking at the link posted by Pete, the scrape method this seems like an easy to get on with way that does not involve much. So I will try with that 1st and see how it goes.

Yet again this forum has given a wealth of info and help

Regards to you all
SawdustMaker