Railway Bob's Module Building Tips

Legs For The Modules - Part 1

2011-10-18T21:49:00.003-04:00

So far, we have a module that can only sit on the floor. We need to fabricate some legs so that we can get the module raised up to operating level. Your club may make your legs differently which may differ considerably from mine. This is how I make my legs.

The legs are made from 2"x 2" (which is really 1 1/2"x 1 1/2") spruce lumber that is available in any building supply/ lumber store. Usually 2"x 2" spruce gets a bad rap because of the tendency of spruce to warp and twist. However, it's all in how you finish the spruce that makes all the difference. So here goes with our first of my tips and tricks for making legs.

I get the 2"x 2" cut to length at the saw service of my local lumber store. I then take them home, fill in any cracks, imperfections, etc and give them a good sanding. You'll find that a 2"x 2" is good on three sides. It's that fourth side that will require a lot of attention. If you have access to a belt sander, the job is easy - a couple of passes along each side will do the trick. However, if all you have is some sandpaper, it will take a bit longer to smooth things out. The effort you put into sanding the legs will be well worthwhile. I find that a good sanding, filling and sanding the splits and cracks can turn a rough piece of lumber into a smoothly finished leg.

If you have access to a "chop saw" (aka a "mitre saw") it's very easy to set up a "stop block" and cut a whole bunch of legs to the proper length. An 8' length of 2"x 2" costs about $2.00 so it's always a good idea to pick up a couple of extra pieces. You're going to find that, as we fabricate the legs, a couple of the legs will try to twist and warp before we get them finished. This way, if we have a couple of extra pieces, we can discard the twisted pieces.

The question now is "How long do I cut the 2"x 2"s?". A good question! There are several things to take into consideration. The thickness of the track and roadbed, Styrofoam, and gussets are quite obvious. What's not so obvious is the "thickness" of the leg leveller when screwed completely into the leg, and the amount of "travel" required to adjust the module to account for imperfections in the floor. If you belong to a module railroad club, you have a club standard that's usually expressed as a {"plus-or-minus-so-many-inches". In my case, the plus-or-minus is 1 1/4". That means the leg leveller has to be capable of being unscrewed out an extra 1 1/4" or screwed in 1 1/4". Here's a table that I use to calculate the length of the 2"x 2"s, taking into account all of the above into consideration. I've left a couple of columns for you to do your calculations.

Thickness of Components	Mine	Decimal	Yours	Decimal
Track	1/8"	0.125"	.	.
Roadbed	1/8"	0.125"	.	.
Styrofoam	1½"	1.50"	.	.
Cross Member	3/4"	0.75"	.	.
Leg Leveller When Screwed Into Leg	1/2"	0.50"	.	.
Leg Leveller Adjustment	11/4	1.25"	.	.
Sub-Total	3 3/4"	3.75"	.	.
Less Height From Rail to Floor	45"	45.00"	.	.
Equals Length of Wood for Legs	411/4"	41.25"	.	.

Once I have the legs cut and sanded (or if for any reason, you can't work on the legs right away) I bundle them up and wrap them in duct tape - at each end and in the middle - and leave them in a cool dry place for about 2 weeks. The 2"x 2" right from the store has usually been bundled up which prevents the individual 2"x 2" from twisting and warping. The minute the bundle is broken, they'll start to twist in every direction. That's because the wood hasn't been completely dried out. By bundling them in duct tape and leaving them for a couple of weeks, most of the legs will have the chance to dry out straight.

After sanding each side and filling the splits and cracks, the next step is to locate the centre on each end of the leg. Simply draw a diagonal from one side to the other with a ruler. Here's what a set of 16 bundled legs look like after drawing the lines. I've already done the same at the other end.

At this point, I could start to drill holes and then paint the legs but I've found it's a lot easier and less messy if I paint the legs first. Since I'm working on 16 legs (actually it's 24 legs cause I've got another pile of 8 legs in the background) I can take steps to "mass produce" the legs.

After locating the centres of each end of the legs, I next hammer a 2" nail about 1/2" into the wood. This nail serves as a "leg" when I paint the wood. Think of it as a "peg leg" that I can use to flip the leg from side to side as I swab on the paint.

I next take a nail (in this case 16 nails) and twist an 10"-12" length of wire onto the end (this is how I use some of that surplus telephone wire). I then hammer the nail about 1/2" into the centre of the opposite end of each leg. The wire makes a handy-dandy hanger-upper as I finish painting each leg. .

Since I do my painting in my basement, I next nail sixteen 3" nails into the sides of the floor joists in the basement. I can then twist the wire around the 3" nails in the floor joist. This keeps each leg nicely out of the way of the others. I paint all four sides of each leg at one go. As I finish painting a leg, I hang it up by the wire on one of those 3" nails in the floor joists. Here's what 24 painted legs look like hanging from the joists. Quite a difference, eh!?

After the first coat of paint has dried, I lightly sand the legs to get rid of the fuzzies. I then apply another coat of paint and hang each leg up to dry. I like to give each leg three coats of paint. Since I'm doing 24 legs at one shot, I painted the legs using a small roller and a paint tray. In three evenings of work, letting each coat of paint dry overnight, I soon had my set of legs finished.

In our next blog, we drill holes for leg levellers and make threaded "rod" from carriage bolts.

Fixing The Short In The Peco Insulfrog

2011-06-15T20:11:00.013-04:00

As we mentioned in our previous post, the Peco Insulfrog is definitely DCC ready right out of the box! We do, however, have a potential shorting problem as the wheels on our locomotive go through the frog. This occurs particularly with 6-axle locomotives and on the Peco Medium and Long Radius Turnouts.

Let's take a look at how this shorting occurs.

As the wheel moves from the mainline or diverging route into the frog and towards the points, the inside diverging rail and the inside mainline rail of the frog get narrower and narrower until they finally terminate in the plastic part of the frog. While this narrowing is not so obvious in our photo below, it is very obvious with the Peco Long.

In the diagram below, as the locomotive wheel travels along the inside diverging rail, it starts to overhang the inside mainline rail.

However, as it gets closer to the tip of the frog, the wheel sometimes crosses the gap between the inside diverging rail and the inside mainline rail. Kazaappp!!! A short occurs and the command station/ booster shuts down. We then have to 0-5-0 our locomotive through the frog until the wheels clear the short.

This can be very frustrating and is usually what leads to the "dissing" of the Peco Insulfrog and its banishment from model railroad clubs.

And yet the fix is very, very simple!!!

Simply take a small mill file or a triangular file and file off the rail between the inside diverging rail and the inside mainline rail up to the plastic part of the frog. I like using a file instead of a Dremel because I can control, take my time and frequently check my progress. The idea here is to file wide and not all that deep. We want to convert the top part of each rail into a point as shown in the diagram below.

Remember, it's not like we're playing dentist here where we have to drill deep into the tooth. We're simply modifying a turnout. Then fill up the space with a bit of epoxy. We don't need a lot. In fact, keep it slightly below the top of the rails.

Voila!! The problem is fixed. A perfectly good DCC-friendly Peco Insulfrog turnout that still picks up the power to the locomotive!

Next up - the Peco Electrofrog.

Insulfrog Or Electrofrog? That Is The Question!!

2011-06-14T17:09:00.005-04:00

There's been quite a bit of discussion on the merits of the Peco Insulfrog versus the Peco Electrofrog with both the Electrofrog and Insulfrog getting a lot of bad press. All of this "dissing" the Insulfrog and the Electrofrog seems to be coming from commentators who have never closely looked at these two brands of Peco turnout. And new commentators to the scene get their information from previous commentators and so the bad reputation of these two excellent turnouts continues.

Let's take a close look at both the Peco Insulfrog and the Peco Electrofrog so that we get a very clear understanding of how "power routing" takes place on both of these beautiful DCC friendly turnouts.

For those pickers-of-nits, here's a diagram of the real McCoy with all of the naming conventions. In the real world, a turnout is never called a turnout. It's called a switch.

And all of those X's and Y's, Y1's, Y2'x, etc have specific lengths, depending on whether it's a #6, a #8, a #10, etc switch.

Diverging Route and Mainline Route
The three major parts of a switch are the points, diverging route and the mainline route. The train gets through the switch via the frog. The mainline route is that part of the switch that goes straight ahead. The diverging route is that part of the switch that curves. In model railroading, we buy our switches (turnouts) as either left-hand or right-hand. On the real railroad, left-hand or right-hand is irrelevant. The frog is bi-directional. The only thing that determines whether the switch will route trains to the left or to the right is the "bent and curved rails" - the stock rail and the closure rail. To make a bent and curved stock rail, simply take a piece of track, put it in the special clamping device, and close the large bolt. This puts a kink in the rail. Then bend the rail to the right radius. For the curved closure rail, simply bend the rail to the right radius. Of course, if you're working on the prototype, a few hydraulic jacks will greatly help the situation.

But I digress.......

The "Olden" Days Before DCC
Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd of Beer, Devon, England, introduced the Peco Electrofrog and Insulfrog in the "olden" days before DCC. In those times, power in a siding usually depended on which way the turnout was thrown (mainline route or diverging route) and how the turnout conducted the electricity through the points. It also depended on how the rails beyond the turnout were wired. If you wanted to constantly have power in the siding, then you used the Insulfrog. If you wanted the power turned off in the siding, you used the Electrofrog or a DPDT or SPST switch. Or something like that.

Looking from the top of the turnout, it's difficult to tell the difference between the two. Insulfrog? Or Electrofrog? They both look the same.

And then along came DCC which turned everything upside down on its head. Only we forgot to throw our analog theory books out the window. And so the debate on Insulfrog versus Electrofrog began.

Wiring A Turnout In DCC
In DCC, with few exceptions, electricity is fed to all the tracks - mainline and sidings - because we control our locomotives by a decoder and a throttle and not by the tracks or DPDT switches. That's the major difference between analog and DCC.

So we usually wire our turnouts thus - a pair of track feeds before the points on the turnout (red and blue wires on the left), a pair of track feeds after the switch on the mainline (red and blue wires bottom right), and a pair of track feeds after the switch on the diverging route (red and blue wires top left).

Many commentators do their critique on the Insulfrog or Electrofrog from the workbench and not from the layout. As I found out the hard way, there's a big difference when the turnout is incorporated into the layout!! You can very easily blow your command station/ booster if you don't know the difference.

So, let's trace the wiring of the Peco Insulfrog

Power Routing On The Peco Insulfrog
The power routing on the Peco Insulfrog is very ingenious but very simple. Power through the closure rails and the inside mainline and diverging rails DOES NOT come through the points. In case you missed that I'll restate it another way. Power to the inside and mainline closure rails and the inside mainline and diverging rails DOES NOT come through the points. Unless you haven't followed the rules of DCC for switch wiring and wired your switch differently than stated above. (And I don't recommend doing that!)

Instead, the reverse is true. Given that a welded (soldered) wire bond conducts power better than a mechanical connection (screw terminal, mechanical switch, rail-touching-rail), power to the points and the curved and straight closure rails comes from the inside and mainline diverging rails. In the photo below, with the route selected for the main line, we've shown that path in red and blue, along with arrows indicating the direction of current flow.

And in the photo below, with the points thrown for the diverging route, we've shown that path in red and blue, along with arrows indicating the direction of current flow.

Now take a close look at the two photos and notice the difference in current flow. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE!!!

And that's the beauty of the Peco Insulfrog. Right out of the box, they are DCC friendly. The points, the straight and curved closure rails, the inside mainline rail and the inside diverging rail are all powered with the correct polarity regardless of which way the turnout is thrown.

"But the Frog Ain't Powered", You Say!
Right away I can hear the screams. "The frog ain't powered!!!" Please take a close look at the frog. It's made out of plastic. It ain't ever going to be powered!!

And if you take an even-closer look at the frog, you'll see that there's two pieces of plastic - about 1/16" in length at the left end of the heel-and-toe of the frog, and another right at the tip of the frog that's about 3/16" in length.

Except for the heel-and-toe of the turnout, all bits and pieces of rail are positively powered. There is, however, that 1/2" gap between those two pieces of plastic. And this is where the power pickup on your locomotive becomes very important. Most diesel locomotives these days pick up power from both trucks. And many steam locos pick up power either from the two trucks in the tender or from several of the driving wheels. So, except for short wheel-base steam locomotives, that 1/2" gap becomes irrelevant.

A Look At The Underside Of The Insulfrog
To understand how power gets from the inside diverging and mainline rails back to the closure rails and points, we have to turn the Insulfrog over on its back. Immediately you will see there are two wire bonds underneath the frog.

If you follow the path of the power in the rails (the red and blue lines), it's these two wire bonds that provide the positive electrical connection from the inside diverging and mainline rails back to the inside closure rails and the points.

Yes, I agree that the point which is in contact with the rail will also conduct electricity, in which case, we have "double" positive connection (That contact actually comes from a phosphor-bronze spring tab at the front end of the point).

So, we have what we are looking for - a reliable power connection that will get our train through the turnout. And the Peco Insulfrog does just that!

There is, however, a little caveat. The wheels of a locomotive will sometimes short out on the inside diverging rail and the inside mainline rail. But that's a very easy fix. We'll cover that in the next issue of our blog.

Installing RJ12 Telco Jacks - Getting Ready Part

2011-01-31T22:16:00.001-05:00

Wow, hard to believe we've been away from this blog for almost 12 months. For those of you who were following our posts last year and wondering where we had disappeared to, my apologies. Things have been quite busy as you might see from our Railway Rambling blog, our Railway Restoration blog, our Foundry & Casting blog and contributing to some other blogs, to say nothing about things that I haven't blogged on. Anyhow, time to get back at it.

In a previous installment, we had cut holes in the side of our module frame so that we could install either Digitrax UP5 panels or RJ12 telco jacks. We also demonstrated how we had modified RJ12 telco jacks so that we had a nice slim package. Now that we've got the module all finished with the track power buss (with pigtails installed), it's time to install our last major component before we lay track - the RJ12 telco jacks.

However, before we get down to brass tacks, we're going to make a couple of jigs - those handy-dandy gadgets that make the work easier and stops us from getting the air blue with our cursing when things don't go right.

The first jig we're going to make is a "jack holder". It's simply a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" plywood cut to a bit larger than the jack faceplate with a hole cut in the middle so that the telco jacks sits flush in the plywood. As we wire up the telco jack, we're going to have the jack, two telephone cables and 24 wires hanging out all over the place. Trying to hang onto the jack, the cables and the wires while we try to strip, solder, and shring-tube the 24 wires would turn the job into a nightmare. Our jack-holder jig makes life a lot easier for us.

To make the jig, I took a scrap piece of 3/8" plywood left over from fabricating our carry-plates and cut it so that it was a bit larger than the faceplate of our telco jack.

I then turned the jack over on its back so that the plugs were staring at me and marked off the outer edges of the lugs that hold the plugs in place.

Next, I drew a rectangle around the pencil marks and clearly marked the four corners (when you're running your work through a band saw, a jig-saw, or a hacksaw, the corners can be difficult to see with all of the vibration, commotion and concentration).

Using my band saw, I then cut out the centre piece that I had just marked. The tools you use to do this will depend on what you have in your workshop. A jig-saw, fret-saw, hack-saw works just as well. Remember, it's a jig so accuracy and fanciness aren't important factors.

I next test-fitted the jig to make sure that it sat flush against the backside of the face-plate. We're now ready to get down to the task of wiring our telco jack.

As with any job, it's best to gather up the necessary tools before we start. Here's the tools we're going to need to wire some RJ12 6-wire cable to our RJ12 telco jacks.

Our wiring is going to take place in two steps - first we'll run our telephone cable from one jack to the other jack going underneath our middle cross member; then another cable from one jack to one end of the module; we then solder and install these two cables into the jack. Secondly, we run our telephone cable from the second jack to the other end of the module; solder and install the cables into the second jack. This is what the final result will look like.

(Insert photo of finished wired module)

So our first step is to measure and cut the first two pieces of cable. Cut these two cables at least 12"-18" longer than necessary.

As you can see from the photo with our tools and supplies, our 6-wire cable is coiled up and needs to be straightened out. To do this we run the cable across the edge of our work bench or some other sharp corner and alternately stretch the plastic sheathing so that the cable lies reasonably flat.

Now that we have our two pieces of cable reasonably flat, we need to remove about 3" of the plastic sheathing from the cable so that we expose the 6 wires. We first NICK the cable around it's perimeter. The operative word here is "NICK". Not "cut", "slice", "peel". Simply nick the plastic sheathing with a sharp utility knife.

We don't want to cut the sheathing too deep as we will cut into the coloured plastic insulation covering the wires. If we cut into the coloured insulation and the bare copper wires are exposed, we cut off that piece of cable and start all over again.

To expose the coloured wires, we simply twist the cable back-and-forth exerting a slight pressure on the plastic sheathing until the coloured wires start to appear. If necessary, we can grip the plastic sheathing in one hand and, using a pair of pliers in the other hand pull the sheathing apart, gently apply longtitudinal pressure on the plastic sheathing until it separates. Patience is a must in this operation.

We next insert our telco jack into our jig and tape it in place. The short wires coming out of the back of the telco jacks are usually twisted all over each other. Straighten the short wires so that we have the wires in order - white, black, red, green, yellow, blue.

We next take one of our cables, and holding it in place so that the end of the coloured wires touch the edge of the jack, we tape the cable to the jig. We then repeat the process for the other cable.

Make sure that the white wires are all aligned on one side of the jig!! It makes our soldering work that much easier. (Do you see our error in the above photo!?)

We want to reduce the number of wires in our work area (we'll have a total of 24!!). Tape the wires from the cables back onto themselves as shown in the photo below with a piece of masking tape. Next pull out the white wires from each of the two cables (we'll pull out each wire in turn as we need them). Straighten out the two short white wires coming from the telco jacks and push the other wires to the side. We want a clear and open work space for what comes next.

This is what our "package" of cables, telco jacks, and wires should look like.

Next, we get down to work and start soldering the wires together - white-to-white, black-to-black, red-to-red, green-to-green, yellow-to-yellow, blue-to-blue. All nice and neatly packaged.

Wire Threader & Long Drill Bit

2010-02-26T19:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple of handy tools for getting those track feeds through thick Styrofoam mountains. They're made from a couple of coat hangers.

The long drill bit is a piece of coat hanger with the end flattened out with a hammer on a piece of steel (anvil, bench vise, etc). I then cut off the end in a v-shape with a pair of wire cutters. The wire cutters leave a jagged edge on the cutting end that will zip through thick Styrofoam or plaster mountains.

The other problem we face with these deep holes is getting wire through them. This is where the wire threader comes into play. It's made from another coat hanger with the end broadly flattened out. I centre-punch the middle of the flat piece so that my drill bit won't wander and drill a 1/16" hole in the centre. I clean up the burrs on the drill hole and shape the end with a mill file so that it is rounded almost in the shape of the eye of a needle (well, almost like one).

The drill bit and wire threader work in tandem. Once the hole is drilled, I clean out the hole with the wire threader. When the hole is clear, I push the threader through the hole and thread the end of the wire (strip off a bit of insulation) through the eye of the threader. Wrapping the bare wire around itself keeps the wire on the threader. I then pull the threader and wire back down (or up) the hole until it appears on the other side.

Kinda fancy, eh!?

Installing The Track Power Buss

2010-02-25T22:12:00.004-05:00

Before we lay any track on the module deck, there's two things we have to get out of the way first -
1) Install the track power buss;
2) Install the LocoNet and telco jacks/ UP3/5 panels.

This will save us a lot of time and headaches later on. There's nothing worse than having the module flat on its back with the underside face up and the trackwork laying on the work surface. We usually compromise by stringing the track power buss on the surface of the gussets and middle cross member which leaves the wiring vulnerable to tearing out, or on its side which results in a lot of sag, wire staples, and hanging track feeders. If we can work on the wiring now, we can get it nice and snug to the surface of the Styfoam so that wiring the track feeds will be a piece of cake.

For the record (cause I know there`s gonna be discussion on this issue), I use a minimum of 14 AWG stranded copper wire for the buss and a minimum of 20 AWG stranded copper wire for the track feeds. Connecting the two, I'll use either 16 AWG or 18 AWG stranded copper wire "pigtails" to join the track feeds to the power buss. Once the track power buss has been installed (at the end of this blog), I don't ever touch the track power buss when I'm installing track feeds. All track feeds are connected via the "pigtails" - which results in a wiring job that's almost flush with the surface of the Styrofoam. No "saggy pants" on this job.

All wire connections are soldered. Plug connectors (Jones, trailer, power pole, 4-wire, 2-wire, etc) at the module ends are soldered to the buss. I don't use suitcase connectors. I don't use any spade terminals. I don't use terminal blocks. I don't use any brass screws. I don't use house wire. There are no mechanical connections from one end of the module to the other. I only use stranded copper wire that is soldered together and covered in shrink tubing because it's what I believe is the best.

I find the best wire source is the automotive supply store that carries trailer hook-up wire. It comes in 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 AWG wire sizes, 25' and 100' rolls, and in 7 colours - white black, red, green yellow, blue, brown. It's the same stuff that's used by the trucking industry to light up the trucks and trailers on our highways. If it's good for them, it's gotta be good for my modules! In North America, the major manufacturer is Grote Industries. Here in Canada, Princess Auto periodically puts the stuff on sale in 25' or 100' rolls for about 15-25 cents a foot.

I use two colours when wiring so as to keep the wiring job simple with one colour for the front (or back) rail and the other colour for the back (or front) rail.. If there's any problems, it's a simple matter of tracing two colours. In this case, I'm going to use black and white throughout - black-and-white track power buss, black-and-white track feeds, black-and-white "pigtails".

When soldering 14 AWG wire you need a soldering iron or soldering gun with a high wattage. A 20-watt pencil soldering iron won't do the trick. A 40-watt iron might do the job but it's going to take a lot of patience. On the heavy-duty 14 and 16 AWG wire, I use a soldering gun. The first click of the trigger gives me 100 watts. The second click gives me 140 watts.

There are two kinds of solder - plumber's solder and electrical solder. Plumber's solder is readily available at your local building supply store, along with acid flux. It's the kind of stuff you use on the copper pipe in your house. Don't ever use that stuff on electrical wire! It's easy tell if plumber's solder has been used by the green corrosion on the wires and on the soldered rail joiners. The corrosion starts to show up real quick.

Rarely will you find the name "electrical solder" on the label of the electrical solder. You have to look for the word "rosin" on the label. Rosin is the flux used to complete the soldering operation on electrical wires and circuits. It comes in various mixtures and "thicknesses". In any heating operation, oxygen in the air reacts and forms an oxide so that the solder forms a "blob" rather than flowing into and through the work. To keep the oxygen off of the work, we need a flux - in this case rosin - to do the job properly. While "rosin core" solders are advertised as having the flux in the solder, there isn't enough to do the job on our 14 and 16 AWG wire. Which is why we need some extra rosin flux. Rosin fluxes come in two states - paste and liquid and several kinds of dispensers - bottle, pen, jar, etc. Each is equally as good as the other.

A soldering job isn't complete unless the solder "flows" along the two pieces being joined, whether it's rail joiner to rail, rail to track feed, track feed to pigtail, pigtail to track power buss, or track power buss to plug. Using a combination of flux, solder, and the right amount of heat applied for an appropriate length of time, we can produce a connection that will last a lifetime. If you aren't familiar with the soldering process, practice on a few pieces of wire before tackling the track power buss. There are all kinds of instruction on the web which tell you how to solder.

Here's the material, supplies, and tools we'll need to install the track power buss.

1 pc - white 14 AWG stranded wire 6' long (one half of the buss)
1 pc - black 14 AWG stranded wire 6' long (the other half of the buss)
2 pcs - white 16 AWG stranded wire 18"' long (to fasten to the white 14 AWG buss and which we'll connect to our track feeds)
2 pcs - black 16 AWG stranded wire 18"' long (to fasten to the black 14 AWG buss and which we'll connect our track feeds)
4 pcs - 6mm (1/4") shrink tubing 1 1/2" or 2" long (to cover up the exposed soldered joints)
2 pcs - wire staples (to hold our buss in place at the module ends)
Rosin Core solder
Rosin Core flux
100/140 watt soldering gun (or equivalent)
BBQ lighter or other heat source (to shrink the shrink tubing)
Duct tape (to temporarily hold the wires in place against the Styrofoam when we apply polyurethane glue)
Polyurethane glue (for glueing the wires to the Styrofoam)
2 C-clamps (to temporarily hold the buss in place against the module ends when we apply polyurethane glue)
2 blocks of wood, 1"x 4" and 4"-6" long (or something similar) (to temporarily hold the buss in place against the module ends when we apply polyurethane glue)
Spray bottle of water (to speed up the reaction of the polyurethane glue)
6"-8" piece of telephone cable (to keep the buss wires separated in the notch of the middle cross member).

1) Mark the mid-point of 14 AWG wires with a marker, etc (at the 3' mark).
2) Mark the mid point of the 16 AWG wires with a marker, etc (at the 9" mark).
3) Measure 12" from the mid point of the 14 AWG wires on both sides of the mid point. Mark the spots on the wires with a marker, etc.

4) On each of the 6 wires, strip about 3/4" of insulation so that you are looking at bare stranded copper wire.

5) String the 14 AWG wire under the notch in the middle cross member.

6) Wrap a piece of 16 AWG wire around one of bare spots of their respective 14 AWG wire as shown in the photo below.

7) Apply some rosin flux. Apply the soldering gun and solder. Once the solder starts to flow, "cook" the joint (ie leave the soldering gun in place) for 5 seconds.

8) Roll on a piece of shrink-tubing so that it covers the bare soldered joint. Shrink the tubing with the BBQ lighter or your favourite heat source.

9) Repeat Steps 6) to 8) for the other 3 joints.

10) Centre the pigtails on each half of the module (ie the 1' and 3' "mark"). Make sure the white buss wire doesn't cross the black buss wire from end to end, particularly where it goes underneath the notch in the middle cross member. At one end of the module, using a C-clamp and a block of wood, anchor the two buss wires in place against the module frame. The two buss wires should be touching each other.

11) At the other end, pull the wires tight using the block of wood and the C-clamp as a lever. When tight, clamp the buss wires in place. Again, the buss wires should be touching each other.

12) Insert the 6"-8" piece of telephone cable into the notch in the middle cross member and between the two buss wires. The objective here is to ensure we have enough space to insert the 6-wire telephone calbe when we install our LocoNet cable. You may have to use a "poker" (eg popsicle stick, ruler, etc) to cut a shallow channel under the Styrofoam so that the cable can slide through.

13) About every 6"-8" or so, place a small strip of duct tape across the two wires so that the buss wires are flat against the Styrofoam and touching each other.

14) Drizzle some polyurethane glue in between each strip of duct tape and over the two buss wires. Spritzer the glue with water to start the reaction. If necessary where the wires are lifting a bit off of the Styrofoam, put some weights (eg clamps, etc) across the wires.

15) Once the glue has set and hardened, remove the duct tape. You may have to apply more glue to the stuff already set to cover the wire.

16 ) Set the module on end. Using the pliers to hold the wire staple, hammer a wire staple between the two buss wires and into the end of the module frame so that the buss wires are secured to the module frame. It's not necessary that the staple be driven in next to the Styrofoam as the polyurethane glue and the stiffness of the wires will hold them in place.

Voila! Buss wire installed.

Except for soldering our plugs (Jones, trailer, power pole, etc), we'll never have to touch the buss wire again. It's nice and snug against the Styrofoam and we have a very neat package. All of our connections with the track feeders will be done through the pigtails (which we'll cover in a later blog). Simple, eh!?

Later on, we'll show you a trick for keeping the plugs and LocoNet connections out of the way when we transport our modules.

Next up is the LocoNet. Or, maybe we might get started on the legs since I bought the wood earlier this morning. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Installing The Styrofoam - Part 4 - Finishing Up The Underside

2010-02-24T18:46:00.006-05:00

In less than 12 hours the polyurethane glue has set nice and hard. We've got some beads of glue on the underside.

I take a utility (or other kind) of knife and slice these beads off simply to make the underside look a little neater. An Atlas snap saw or a razor saw will also nicely trim the beads. You can leave them on if you want to. (You might not see the difference between the photo below and the photo above but the glue bead has been cut off, making quite a difference.

We've put on two or three coats of paint plus glue so we want to make sure the threads in the T-nuts are clear. Take a 5/16" bolt and screw it into the T-nut with your fingers. If the bolt sticks, gently use a wrench to tighten the T-nut. Make sure you don't strip the threads! The black paint has covered over the red paint I had on the blind T-nuts so I've freshened up this paint. (You may have to use a "tap" to clear the threads.)

Turn the module over so that we're looking at the top. Here's the tools and supplies we'll need to finish off the deck of the module.

I first and sand the glue off the edge of the module frame. DON'T sand the Styrofoam! (Yet.)

I next cut off any dried beads of polyurethane glue with the utility knife, making sure that the Styrofoam is flush with the edge of the module frame.

We next have to deal with holes, scars, scratches and scrapes on the top of the Styrofoam. We also have some large gaps between the module frame and the Styrofoam. I use spackling compound on all of my module work because it is much lighter than any other plaster product. I also have several hours before it starts to set compared to the 5-10 minutes for hydrocal or plaster.

When you first open the pail from the store, the spackling compound will be very dry-looking. It needs to be revitalized. I spray some water into the top of the pail and stir it all up with a paint stir stick. With the spray bottle, I add a small amount of water at a time and stir the paint stick until it resembles Cool Whip dessert topping - light and fluffy but very spreadable (the technical term is "plastic"). It only takes a few squirts to go from "plastic" to "soupy" so watch how you add the water.

I fill all of the imperfections and gaps with the spackling compound using a wide putty knife to produce a smooth surface. This first coat usually takes 24 hours to dry.

Once the first coat is dry, a light sanding gets rid of any ridges left by the spackling compound. Make sure you vacuum or brush off any crumbs from the sanding as they will mar the surface of the Styrofoam in subsequent sandings. A few more coats of spackling compound (with light sanding in between) and we can produce a top deck that looks almost like one continuous sheet.

While I might be able to put some railway track on the module in quick order (and get the modules included in next setup), it will be several months before I have a completely scenicked module. The pink (or blue or green) Styrofoam deck will detract from the other modules in the setup. A couple of coats of flat brown or grey latex paint gets rid of the pink. Make sure that it's latex and and not alkyd (oil) paint!!! Alkyd paint will turn the Styrofoam into a sticky mess.

After the first coat of paint, other scars and scratches may become apparent. It's a simple matter of applying a bit more spackling compound and covering up the white with some paint.

And voila! One completed module. Not bad, eh!?.

In our next blogs we'll fabricate some legs, add the track power buss, install the telco jacks (UP3/5 panels) and wire in the LocoNet (but not necessarily in that order).

Installing The Styrofoam - Part 3 - Applying The Glue

2010-02-23T00:06:00.007-05:00

Now that we have all of our materials and supplies gathered, we're ready to apply the glue and install the Styrofoam. Make sure you have a flat work surface, particularly if you aren't going to use the clamping method.

If any of the T-nuts are going to be covered by the Styrofoam, place a square of masking tape over the washer end of the T-nut as the polyurethane glue will expand into the T-nut.

Make sure you have the shop rag soaked in varsol close by. I put my soaked shop rag in a shallow plastic container so that the rag stays soaked. You will need your spray bottle of water close at hand, primed and ready. Your garbage pail should almost be at your feet ready to discard the two 18" strips of masking tape.

1) Place the Styrofoam on the two blocks on the floor so that you are looking at the 22 1/2" edge.

2) Squeeze a thick bead (or two thin beads) of polyurethane glue along the length of the 22 1/2" edge as shown in the photo below.

3) Spread the glue over the complete surface of the Styrofoam with the putty knife. The idea is to spread the glue along the length of the edge of the Styrofoam with the putty knife much like you would thinly spread butter on a piece of toast. It doesn't require a lot of glue as the glue will expand quite a lot as it absorbs the moisture.

4) Rotate the Styrofoam 180 degrees so that you are looking at the other 22 1/2" edge. Apply and spread the glue.

5) Rotate the Styrofoam 90 degrees so that you are looking at the 46 1/2 edge. Place the Styrofoam on the module frame so that it is resting on the two 18" strips of masking tape. Apply and spread the glue.

6) Rotate the Styrofoam 180 degrees so that you are looking at the other 46 1/2" edge. Apply and spread the glue.

You should now have all 4 edges of the Styrofoam buttered with polyurethane glue. You have a very sticky mess on your hands. This is where having the varsol-soaked shop rag close by is very handy.

7) Liberally spray the interior of the module frame with water. The water should almost be running down the inside of the frame.

8) Insert the Styrofoam into the module frame.

9) On the top of the module, cover the gap between the module frame and the Styrofoam with duct tape.

10) If you aren't going to clamp the Styrofoam down with clamps and spruce strapping, go to Step 12.

11) If you have the clamps and spruce strapping, clamp the Styrofoam down to the module frame on the 4 corners and then in the middle as shown below.

12) Turn the module over so that you are looking at the underside of the module. You will see that the polyurethane glue has already started to expand and is oozing out of the gap between the Styrofoam and the module frame.

13) If there is a large cavity that is less than 1/8", dribble a bit of polyurethane glue into the gap.

14) If the cavities are greater than 1/8", slice some pieces from a chunk of scrap Styrofoam. Dribble some glue into the gap. Insert the slice of Styrofoam. If any part of the slice sticks above the surface, trim it flush with the underside with a utility knife.

15) Liberally spray the Styrofoam with water.

16) By this time, the polyurethane glue is oozing nicely out of the gap between the Styrofoam and the module frame. Notice the difference between the photo above and the one below taken 30 minutes later - lots of glue oozing out of the gap. Scrape the glue off of the Styrofoam with the putty knife and stuff it into any cavity where the glue hasn't yet oozed out. Repeat this process for the next hour.

17) Periodically clean your hands, the glue bottle, and the spatula with the varsol-soaked shop rag.

18) Throughout all this time, the polyurethane glue is reacting with the water and foaming in the gap between the Styrofoam and the module frame, even though you may not be able to see this reaction. Our objective is to ensure that the glue will ooze out of the underside of the module and form a nice bead between the Styrofoam and the module frame all around the perimeter of the module. This bead will start to harden in about 2 hours. It will be completely set in 18 hours. Here's a closeup of the bead.

19) After 2 hours the glue will have set up, is no longer oozing out of the gap but it's still soft. Turn the module over so that you are looking at the top. If you've used the clamps, remove them. Remove and discard the duct tape. The glue on the top of the module has been held in check by the duct tape but there may be a bump around the perimeter of the module where the polyurethane glue has tried to ooze out of the top - more pronounced if you didn't use the clamps.

20) Glue will have oozed out underneath the duct tape and onto the module frame. This glue may be slightly soft. You may be able to scrape it off the wood with the putty knife. Don't try to remove that part of the bump that is on the Styrofoam. If the bump has set hard, we can trim it off with a utility knife tomorrow.

21) There may also be gaps between the Styrofoam and the module frame. Don't try to fill these gaps with polyurethane glue. The glue has sufficiently expanded so that the Styrofoam is well fastened to the module frame. We'll fill these gaps and any gouges in the Styrofoam later on with some light spackling compound.

Voila! We have just permanently glued the Styrofoam into the module frame.

We'll next trim the polyurethane glue bead from the underside of the module.

Installing The Styrofoam - Part 2 - Getting Ready To Glue

2010-02-22T09:18:00.001-05:00

Now that we have the Styrofoam snugly fitting into the module frame, we now get ready to permanently glue it into the frame with polyurethane glue. It is manufactured by most glue manufacturers (Elmers, Lepage, etc) and you probably know it best by the catchy brand name of "Gorilla Glue".

Polyurethane glue is an expanding foam glue when it comes in contact with moisture (ie - water). It expands almost like spray foam insulation that you get in the aerosol can. It takes a bit longer than spray foam to set up so we have time to place it into the module frame and work with it. It has the look, consistency and spreadability of corn syrup. It can be spread very thinly while still a liquid. A very, very thin layer of glue will expand to fill the space between the module frame and the Styrofoam. It starts to set up in about an hour and starts to harden an hour later. It will be hardened in about 12 hours and we can work on it in 24.

If we aren't prepared, it can be very, very messy which is why we want a shop rag soaked in varsol before we start gluing. While still a liquid it can be washed off your hands with varsol followed by hot soap and water. Once it sets up, it will take about 10 days to flake off your fingers.

Which is why we need the following tools and materials close at hand:

polyurethane glue
1" - 1 1/2" putty knife (for spreading the glue)
spray bottle of water set to a fine mist (to speed up the reaction of the glue)
masking tape (to reduce the mess)
duct tape (to stop the glue from oozing out the top of the seams)
varsol (turpentine, paint thinner, etc) (for cleaning up before the glue sets)
shop rags (for cleaning up)
2 blocks of wood (to reduce the mess)
garbage pail (to quickly dump the masking tape and shop rag into)

The following materials are for a recommended practice if you have them, but are not necessary to glue the Styrofoam into the module frame. They do, however, make the work a lot easier.

2 pcs - 1"x 3"x 48" spruce strapping (or any size to form a 48"x 24" rectangle)
2 pcs - 1"x 3"x 20" spruce strapping (or any size to form a 48"x 24" rectangle)
6 pcs - 12" wood clamps
4 pce - 1"x 3"x 4" spruce strapping

The polyurethane glue will expand and ooze out of the top and bottom seams between the module frame and the Styrofoam as it sets up. In all cases we'll tape the top of the module with duct tape to limit the amount of oozing coming out the top. Once the glue has set up, we simply trim the excess glue from the top of the module. If we can clamp the spruce strapping to the top of the module, we can almost stop any oozing coming out of the top of the module so that all we have to focus on is the bottom (underside) of the module. Here's a photo of my "dry run" for this install to make sure that it all fits together.

And a close-up of how we'll clamp the corners.

For all installs, I place two 18" strips of masking tape in the middle of the end plate and the middle of the side plate. I tuck the 4 corners of the tape into the sticky side to act as a tab when I want to remove the tape. This is where we'll place the 46 1/2" side of the Styrofoam while we apply and spread the glue.

I next place the two blocks of wood on the floor about 18" apart parallel with my feet. This is where we'll place the 22 1/2" side of the Styrofoam while we apply and spread the glue.

Huh! What's this all about??

Think it through. We're going to spread glue on one side. We then rotate the Styrofoam 180 degrees to spread glue on the other side. But we have a problem. The side we want to set down has sticky glue all over it. Where do we set it down!!?? On top of the masking tape for the 46 1/2" side and on top of the wooden blocks for the 22 1/2" side.

I learned this little trick with the blocks and masking tape the trade the hard way when I glued in my first piece of Styrofoam with polyurethane glue. I had glue spread all over one 22 1/2" side and one 46 1/2" side. I went to apply glue to the other sides. Where in the heck do I set this down!!?? Yup, I had one hell of a mess! It took 10 days before I shed all of the glue off my hands and fingers.

In our next blog, we apply the glue.

Installing The Styrofoam - Part 1 - Cutting

2010-02-21T13:31:00.003-05:00

Styrofoam is available in many shapes, sizes and colours, depending on where in the world you happen to live. Technically, "Styrofoam" is extruded polystyrene. You'll only find the word "Styrofoam" on the blue stuff as it is a registered trade mark of Dow Chemical used to describe their building insulation version of extruded polystyrene. I don't know who manufactures the green stuff as it isn't available in my neck of the woods. The pink stuff is manufactured by Owens-Corning.

The building-insulation kind comes in various thicknesses (1/2", 1" 1 1/2", 2", 4"), sizes (2'x 8', 4'x 4', etc) and insulating R-values. The denser and thicker the product, the more expensive it is.

Since the inside of my modules are 2'x 4' (and sometimes 30"x 48"), I'm interested in the Styrofoam that is 2'x 8' and which is readily available at local building supply stores. When I build 30"-wide modules, I simply glue two pieces together.

There are usually two types of 2'x 8' Styrofoam boards - butt edge and "shiplap" edge. As the name implies, two sheets of butt-edged Styrofoam simply butt up against each other. The edges of two sheets of shiplap edges will overlap each. While I prefer the butt-edge sheets as I have to cut off the overlap-edge on shiplap, you'll have to use what is readily available to you.

As Styrofoam is an oil-based product, the price will vary greatly. You can save quite a bit of money if you buy your Styrofoam at your local contractor's building supply store.

Styrofoam cuts very easily. You can score it deeply with a utility knife and snap it in half. You can cut it with a hacksaw blade or hand saw. It cuts really nice on a table saw if one is available to you. I'm going to cut my Styrofoam using a hand saw. Styrofoam can be very messy when cut with a saw so I'm cutting it outside on my picnic table. Measuring the inside of the module frame, I need a piece that is 22 1/2" wide and 46 1/2" long. Love that pink! (Or is it blue? Maybe it's green.)

I stored my Styrofoam outside in my tent garage and the chipmunks decided to make a home in it. So I'll have to patch some holes for the second module.

Rub the edges of the cuts with your hand to make sure the crumbs stay outside and aren't brought into the house.

Dry-fit the Styrofoam into the of the module frame to make sure that it fits snugly in place. I like to put the lettering topside on the module as I'm going to paint the module deck. This will leave a nice"clean" look on the underside. Where there is any "friction fit", trim the sides of the Styrofoam.

Don't be concerned if there are gaps between the Styrofoam and the module frame. In our next blog, we're going to use some expandable polyurethane glue (you might know it as "Gorilla Glue) to glue the Styrofoam in place. Later on, we'll smooth out any other gaps with some spackling compound.

Check and make sure the Styrofoam doesn't poke above the edges of the module frame. If they do, score the Styrofoam underneath the gusset and shave a slice or two out of the Styrofoam. This won't weaken the Styrofoam in any way as the Styrofoam isn't glued to the gussets.

In our next blog, things get kind of messy.

Carry Plates - Boxing The Modules Together

2010-02-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

One problem we face when transporting our modules is protecting the track and scenery from damage. This problem is readily overcome if we can "box" our modules together in pairs with the track and scenery facing inwards and the undersides of the modules facing out. We can readily box the modules together by bolting a rectangular piece of plywood, which I call "carry plates" on the ends of the two modules. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here's what my carry plates for Bancroft & Irondale looked like after I had just finished them.

The carry plates are fastened to the module ends with eight 5/16"x 1 1/4" bolts and washers. Notice the hole in the middle of the carry plate - the "hand hold" holes. With another person on the other end, it's very easy to lift and move this boxed set of modules.

The carry plates are made from 3/8" poplar plywood that is used as flooring underlay for tile floors in the house. I find that it has the same density as 1/4" fir plywood at half the cost but with that extra ply which provides added stability.

I regularly cruise the building supply stores and keep an eye open for sheets or pieces of plywood that are either in the cull bin, or have been damaged on the edges. I can usually pick up a 4'x 8' sheet of plywood for about $8-$10 and, once again, use their saw service to cut the sheet up into rectangular pieces.

I have the plywood cut up into pieces that 24 1/2" long by about 18" wide. The width will depend on what kind of scenery and structures I'm going to put on the modules and whether I will have a backdrop. While the width of the modules is 24", I add an extra 1/2" to account for the thickness of two pieces of 3/16" Plexiglas or Luan backddrop and "finishing" washers that I use to fasten the Plexiglas/ backdrop to the module. This keeps the Plexiglas off of the floor/ carpet and reduces the amount of scratching when I load them into the car.

Poplar plywood can be a bit rough so I usually give each rectangle a good sanding on both sides and fill up any cracks with filler - body filler, wood filler, even spackling compound - anything that will hide those cracks.

The first step is to locate the middle of the plywood.

My next step is to locate the "hand holds" where I can insert my hand to lift the boxed set. After much experimentation with different sized holes, I settled on the following - simply two 1 1/2" holes (ie 3/4" radius) drilled into the plywood, the piece between the two holes cut out, and the edges rounded with a file. Here's the diagram for locating the two holes.

Using this diagram, I locate the centre for drilling the two holes.

And drill the holes out using a 1 1/2" Forstner or spade bit.

Once I have the two holes drilled, I draw two lines between the holes.

In order to get my hacksaw (or sabre saw) blade right next to the edges of the circle, I file the edges square with a file.

Then, using a hacksaw blade or a sabre saw, I cut along the two lines between the two circles.

With the small piece of plywood between the two circles cut out, I can now round the edges of the hole on both sides with a straight and half-round file.

And here is what the final result looks like.

Since I'm buying a 4'x 8' sheet of plywood, I can usually get 6-8 carry plates out of one sheet which I then complete all at once (a bit of "mass production"). I next give the carry plates two coats of paint (pick your favourite colour). I'm now ready to drill 4 holes that match the location of the T-nuts for the carry plates. This we'll do later on.

The Finished Module Frames!

2010-02-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

In short order, we've taken 9 pieces of wood from this:

To this:

And now to this!!

I usually build modules in pairs as I can connect them together for transportation as a "boxed set" simply by bolting them together with a piece of plywood at each end. We've installed T-nuts explicitly for this purpose. The track and scenery on each module faces inwards so that it is protected from destruction when transporting the modules. Here's what the two module frames look like when they're bolted together.

In our next blog, we'll show you how we make those plywood "carry plates".

Painting The Module Frames

2010-02-18T14:12:00.004-05:00

At long last we're at the point where we can apply some paint to the module frames!

However, before we take the lid off the paint can, I want to check one more thing as a few minutes here can save us lots of time and headaches later on.

Remember that we are building two modules, even though you haven't seen the second one. I've bolted them both together making use of the T-nuts (blind and threaded) that we installed in one of our earlier blogs.

Before I apply any paint, I want to make sure that the top edges of the two end plates are perfectly even with each other. If they aren't, it's easy to sand the top edges now than later on when we've got them painted or when we have the Styrofoam installed.

Now that the edges are flush, we can start to apply the first coat of paint.

A couple of things to keep in mind:
- Watch out for "paint drips" on the underside of the surfaces you are painting
- The recesses for the telco jacks can easily fill up with excess paint. Make sure you "dry-brush" the excess.
- Take your time in applying the paint. If you don't get it on the first coat, you can always get it on the second coat.

I usually use Tremclad flat black but I forgot who I lent my paint to. So, I'm using flat-black latex. However, not all paints are "flat". A number of years ago, the paint manufacturers re-formulated their paints so that many "flat" paints have a "sheen" to it when dry. We usually want a "flat" colour paint so that the main focus of the viewer will be on the scenes on our modules and not on our module frame. Any paint with a sheen plays tricks on the eye so that our eyes get slightly detracted to the module frame. All of which to say - stay away from gloss and semi-gloss paints for the module frame.

That first coat of paint tends to bring up the "fuzzies" in the wood. If you're using plywood, those edges will be more than "fuzzy" - they'll be very rough. So, before applying the second coat, give the module frames a light sanding. It will add to that "professional look" of our modules.

You may also find some scratches and dents on the exterior of the module frame that were overlooked with the wood putty. Now's the time to fill them in and finish them off with some "wet sanding" (a dampened J-cloth).

Make sure you keep some cleaning supplies close at hand in case things get spilled - a shop rag and water for latex paint, a shop rag and varsol/ paint thinner/ turpentine/ etc for alkyd/ oil/ Tremclad paints.

And here's both modules with their first coat of paint.

Don't forget to clean the brush as we have two more coats to go. If it's latex paint, simply wash the brush in soapy water. If it's alkyd/ oil/ Tremclad, simply put the brush in a Ziploc bag and seal the bag. The brush will stay fresh for the next coat of paint. When we've finished with the 2nd and 3rd coats, we can clean the brush then.

Laying Track - Tie Melting Tool (Getting The "Gap" Out of the Ties)

2010-02-16T22:46:00.002-05:00

A number of blogs ago, we showed you a couple of simple tools that would help with tracklaying. The first was the Rail Joiner Insertion Tool, the second was the Rail Joiner Cutting Tool. We also showed how you could cut those rail joiners so that you could connect Code 83 track to a Code 100 turnout (or to any other piece of track).

While cutting a rail joiner to half or 2/3rds its normal length will shorten the gap between two pieces of track or a turnout, we still end up with that unsightly gap in the ties. While we might remember to slide a "dummy" tie underneath, more likely than not, we'll forget until it comes time to do the ballasting and then it becomes a pain in the posterior.

If you're into "module railroading", you know that a joiner track connects the track between modules and the rail joiners are supposed to slide completely under the ends of the track on the module. However the rail joiners don't slide so easily - simply because we're butting up against the plastic ties and track spikes. And if the rails terminate in Atlas Snap Track, the rail joiner only slides halfway underneath. While we can lop off the plastic track spikes, we're still left with the plastic ties. In no time flat, we have the ends of the rails popped out of their ties because somebody didn't take the time to gingerly push the rail joiners back into position.

Here's a Tie Melting Tool that, combined with a soldering iron, will remove a lot of those headaches.

We've taken a Rail Joiner Cutting Tool, slid a rail joiner about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the way onto the rail end, and then hit the web of the rail joiner and rail with a centre punch so that the rail joiner won't slide off the end of the rail.

When we're joining two pieces of rail together, we cut the plastic spikes and tie plates off of the last tie on each piece of rail. We then slide the Tie Melting Tool onto the end of the rail and underneath the first tie. We carefully apply our soldering iron to the rail joiner. The soldering iron heats up the Tie Melting Tool which we can then gently press into the softened plastic tie. This makes a depression in the soft plastic. We then quickly pull the Tie Melting Tool out of the rail. We repeat this process on all 4 rails.

Our rail joiner now slides easily underneath the end ties on each piece of rail and we can adjust the spacing between the two pieces of track so that they look more realistic.

Of course, if we shorten the rail joiner, our trackwork will look even more impressive.

Filling In The Screw Holes

2010-02-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

Nothing looks worse than seeing the ends of the screws in a piece of finished woodwork when it's so easy to cover them up with some wood filler.

All we need is a tube of wood filler and an applicator. The applicator can simply be a wooden coffee stir stick, a small spatula, or a chisel blade on the end of an X-Acto knife. We also want a dampened shop rag close by to clean up any extra wood filler we apply in the wrong places.

We apply the first coat of wood filler, making sure we press the paste well into the screw hole as the screw may have been countersunk a bit deeper than we expected. If any screws aren't recessed enough, give them an extra twist with the screwdriver.

You may find that you're "chasing" the wood filler in the plastic squeeze tube and not getting a lot of filler out when you need it. Simply press on the end of the tube with the "heel" of your hand, rather than trying to squeeze the tube.

Let the wood filler set for 24 hours.

You may be now tempted to use some sandpaper to sand the wood filler smooth. This is going to create a bit of unnecessary sawdust so I simply use a damp shop rag (I prefer a J-cloth) and rub the wood filler until it's smooth with the surface of the wood.

I then apply another coat of wood filler. It will dry in 30-45 minutes. I repeat the wet-sanding process once more and apply a 3rd coat of wood filler which will dry in another 30-45 minutes.

At this point, you may notice there are some wood chips sticking up on the edges of the dried wood filler - the chips that resulted when we drilled the screw holes. This is where I take a sanding block (palm sander, orbital sander, etc) and lightly sand the outside of the module frame.

I then wipe the whole frame down with a damp "tack" cloth to remove any sawdust. I'm now ready to apply the first coat of paint.

Assembling The Module Frame - Middle Cross Member

2010-02-14T07:33:00.001-05:00

Now that we've gained the experience of fastening the gussets to the end plates and the gusset/end plate assemblies to the side pieces, it should be a piece of cake to install the middle cross member.

However, one major mistake I've often made was to install the middle cross member with the "Top" up when the "Top" of the module frame was on my work space. I managed to correct one while the glue was still fresh. The other one..... well, we had to do a bit of sawing.

1) Place the module frame with the "Top" down ("Bottom" up) on your work surface.

2) Make sure the "In" side of the sides are marked at the mid-point so that we can locate the position of the middle cross member.

3) Place a measuring block on each side of the module next to the mid-point marks.

4) Install screws in the 4 holes (2 on each side) so that the screw tips are flush with the "In" side of the sides pieces but you should not be able to feel them with the tips of your fingers.

5) Liberally apply glue to both ends of the middle cross member.

6) Turn the middle cross member so that the "Bottom" is facing you. (You shouldn't see the notch in the wood!)

7) Insert and position the middle cross member so that the ends are mid-way between the two marks.

8) Screw in the screws on one side and then the other side.

9) Wipe off the excess glue.

And here's what all that work we've been doing over the past number of blogs now looks like. Pretty good eh!!?

Assembling The Module Frame - Side Pieces - Part 2

2010-02-13T08:18:00.001-05:00

Now that you have the technique of assembling the two gusset/end plate assemblies to one of the side pieces, we'll now attach the second side piece to complete our module frame. Here's where "time is of the essence" as we will concurrently have two assemblies loaded with runny glue, two ends to get aligned almost all at once, and 12 screws to drive home, and, all the while, keeping everything square and flush. It can get a bit tricky but, now that we've mastered the technique of assembling the two gusset/end plate assemblies to one of the side pieces, we should be able to complete the task relatively easy.

1) Liberally apply wood glue to the gussets at both ends. It will take a bit of time to complete the fastening of one end and we don't want the glue on the other end to dry out in the meantime. So, liberally apply wood glue to BOTH ends.

2) Place the 3-sided assembly (two gusset/end plates and one side piece) on your work space with the "Top" down (ie "Bottom" up).

3) Place the side piece alongside this assembly and make sure that one end of the side piece is flush with its matching gusset/end plate assembly. Make sure that the side piece is "Top" down and "Bottom" up.

4) Tighten the top screw, next the bottom screw. The assembly may require some adjustment to ensure that the edges are flush with each other. Lastly, tighten the middle screw.

5) The corner edge of the gusset may lift off of the measuring blocks. Push down on the corner of the gusset so that it rests flat on the measuring blocks. This may require some force. Turn the screw all the way in. Next the middle screw. Lastly the 3rd screw.

6) We now move to the opposite end of the last side piece and tighten the wood screws. First the vertical line of screws. Make sure the edges are flush with each other. The process is the same as at the other end.

7) Next, the horizontal line of screws. Press down on the end of the gusset to make sure it sits flat on the measuring blocks.

8) Wash off any excess glue.

And this is what the bits and pieces now look like. Pretty neat, eh!?

Next, attaching the middle cross member.

Assembling The Module Frame - Side Pieces - Part 1

2010-02-11T20:31:00.002-05:00

Not to beat the subject to death, but the edges of the gussets and the end plates must be flush with each other as shown in the photo below. If they aren't flush, we will have problems assembling the side pieces. This is where a little bit of time, patience, and sanding pays off.

We're going to cover the assembly of the side pieces in two blogs, simply because one blog would be quite long to cover, what with the instructions and photos. This is where a second pair of hands would be very helpful. So, don't hesitate to call in your "significant other" or a buddy to lend a hand.

Before we get started, make sure we have all of the tools, supplies, bits and pieces all together - screws, screwdriver, wood glue, shop rag, bowl of water, measuring blocks.

1) Screw in the 12 screws into the holes of one side piece as shown below - 6 screws on each end. The screw tips should be flush with the "In" side of the end plate but you should not be able to feel them with the tips of your fingers.

2) Repeat Step 1) for the second side piece. Your two side pieces should now look like this.

3) Liberally apply glue to one edge of the gusset/end plate assembly (the pieces we glued together in our last blog).

4) Place the gusset/end plate assembly "Top" down (ie "Bottom" up) on your work surface.
5) Place the measuring blocks on the "In" side of the assembly as shown below.
6) Place the side piece alongside the assembly.

7) Place the side piece alongside the gusset/end plate assembly so that the edges are flush with each other. Make sure that the "`Bottom" is facing you (ie "Top" is down). Hold the side piece and assembly tightly together so that the edges are flush with each other. Screw in the vertical line of screws starting with top screw - all the way in. Next, the bottom screw. Lastly the middle screw. You may have to fine-tune the edges as you go from the top screw to the bottom screw.

8) The corner edge of the gusset may lift off of the measuring blocks. Push down on the corner of the gusset and turn the screw all the way in. Next the middle screw. Lastly the 3rd screw.

9) Make sure all of the screws are tight so that there are no gaps between the side piece, the gusset and the end plate.

10) Wash off excess glue.

11) Repeat steps 3) to 10) for the other end of the side piece and the other gusset/end plate assembly.

We now have the two gusset/end plate assemblies screwed and glued to one of the side pieces. Next, we install the second side piece.

Assembling The Module Frame - End Plates & Gussets

2010-02-10T00:04:00.002-05:00

1) Screw in the 6 screws into the holes of one end plate as shown below. The screw tips should be flush with the "In" side of the end plate but you should not be able to feel them with the tips of your fingers.

2) Place the end plate "Top" down (ie "Bottom" up) on your work surface.
3) Place the measuring blocks on the "In" side of the end plate as shown below.

4) With the `Bottom" of the gusset facing you, dry-fit the edge of the gusset to one end of the end plate. We want to determine which edge to apply the glue. Dumb as this may sound, I've applied lots of glue to gusset edges, only to find out that I should have applied the glue to the other edge.

5) Liberally apply and spread wood glue along the edge of the gusset as shown below.

6) Place the gusset on top of the measuring blocks and flush with the edge of the end plate. Make sure that the `Bottom`is facing you. Hold the gusset and end plate tightly together so that the edges are flush with each other. Screw in the end screw 1/4 of the way in. Screw in the second screw 1/4 of the way in. and then the 3rd screw.

7) Tighten the wood screws until the gusset is tightly fastened to the end plate.

8) Wash off any excess glue from the gusset, end plate and measuring blocks

9) Repeat Steps 1) to 7) for the other end of the end plate.

10) Repeat Steps 1) to 8) for the second end plate.

11) Let the glue dry for 24 hours.

12) Sand the ends of the end plate and gussets so that both edges are flush with each other. THIS IS IMPORTANT! If the ends of the end plate and gussets aren't flush with each other, the module frame will not be square. Take that extra time to sand the edges so that they are flush with each other.

This is what the final results should look like.

Next, connecting the end plates/gussets to the side pieces.

Assembling The Module Frame - End Plates & Gussets - Gather Up The Tools, Bits & Pieces

2010-02-09T00:14:00.001-05:00

There's nothing worse than starting a job only to find out that, around Step 3 or 4, you needed a clamp, a clean-up rag, or a 1/2" wrench while the epoxy glue is dribbling down your fingers. Frustration and anger ("that was real dumb, Robert!") are two emotions that quickly come to mind. We almost had a situation like that when I installed the T-nuts for the alignment pins/ bolts. So, to make sure we don't have another one like that, here's a list of the bits and pieces we need to have close by for assembling our module frame.

#6 x 1 1/2" flathead wood screws
#1 Robertson Screwdriver (make sure it fits the screw heads)
Wood glue
Shop rag and a pail of water
Corner Gussets
End plates
Measuring blocks (the same ones we used to mark the location of the screw holes. These will be either 2" or 1 1/2" width, depending on the thickness of the Styrofoam we will be suing for the deck of our module.

Our next step will be to glue and screw the corner gussets to the end plates.

Make Sure We've Got Prep Work Completed

2010-02-08T12:54:00.000-05:00

Before we start gluing and screwing the pieces together, we'd better make sure we've got all of our prep work completed.

1) Notch cut out in middle cross member and marked "Top" and "Bottom"

2) T-nuts for legs epoxied into corner gussets and marked "Top" and "Bottom"

3) T-nuts for carry plates and alignment pins epoxied into end plates. Marked "Top" and "Bottom", "In" or "Out".

4) Screw holes drilled into end plates (both ends - 3 holes x 2 ends = 6 holes per end plate). Marked "Top" and "Bottom", "In" or "Out".

5) Screw holes drilled into side pieces (both ends - 6 holes x 2 ends = 12 holes per side piece). Marked "Top" and "Bottom", "In" or "Out".

6) Screw holes drilled into middle of side pieces for middle cross member (2 holes per side piece).

7) Holes cut out for UP3/5 panel or RJ12 6-wire telco jacks and recessed.

If we completed all of the above operations, we are now ready to start assembling the module frame. If we missed one of these steps, it will be very, very difficult or, at best, awkward to do a retrofit.

Track Maintenance - What's a "Pothole"?; What's a "Dutchman"?

2010-02-06T08:09:00.002-05:00

Here's a quiz to test your track maintenance knowledge.

Question: What's a "Dutchman"?

Answer: A "Dutchman" is used to fill a "pothole".

Duh!!?? That doesn't tell us what a "Dutchman" is, eh!?

Okay, here's Part II of the quiz.

What's a "pothole"? (in track maintenance!!) (Here's a hint that you're all familiar with if you are into "module railroading".)

A "pothole" is the space at the end of a rail where the rail head has broken off.

To fix the "pothole" you need a "Dutchman" - in real railroading, a chunk of rail the length of the "pothole" with a bolt hole drilled in the middle of the "Dutchman". You cut off the broken piece of rail flush with your rail saw, insert the "Dutchman" and bolt the 3 pieces of rail together. On a 4-hole splice bar, 1 bolt will fit into the end of the sawed rail, 1 bolt will fit into the "Dutchman" and 2 bolts will fit into the unbroken rails.

In model railroading it's a chunk of rail without the hole as we simply slide it into the rail joiner.

Here's photo of what a "Dutchman" looks like (the photo is a doctored one because I couldn't find photos of the real ones). As you can tell from the condition of the ties, you'll only find these on shortline railroads with very, very low speed limits.

And here's a photo of the "Dutchman" in the model railroad context.

So, next time you see a gap greater than 1/8" in the joiner track, or the setup foreman asks you to see if any rails need "Dutchmen", you'll know how to fix them. Both prevent derailments.

Recessing The UP3/5 Panel and Telco Jacks

2010-02-05T00:11:00.000-05:00

We've managed to cut a nice rectangular hole for our telco jack. You would follow the same procedure for a UP3/5 panel or any other panel.

The faceplate is sticking up about 1/8" above the surface of the wood which will cause us some problems when we transport the modules. And besides, it really doesn't look all that nice sticking out like that. So, we'll now recess it so that it is flush with the surface of the wood.

These steps take a bit of extra work but the end result is worth the effort. Here's where it really helps if you have a router or know someone who does. Don't be afraid to ask your club members for their help.

If you don't have a router, you can achieve the same results with a utility knife, some wood chisels and a bit of sandpaper. Your chiseling doesn't need to be fancy as any mistakes will be hidden by the faceplate.

With the ""Out" side facing us, insert the telco jack into the hole and trace around the perimeter of the faceplate. Remove the faceplate and trace the lines with a straight edge.

Cut out a recess about 1/8" deep so that the top of the faceplate sits flush or just below the surface of the side piece.

Depending on the tools used, there may be some "fuzz" on the edges of the recess. Sand/ file the edges to remove the "fuzz".

Voila! Recessed RJ12 6-wire telco jacks.

In our next blog, we give you the answer to "What's a "Dutchman"?" and "What's a "pothole"?".

Cutting The Holes For UP3/5 Panels & Telco Jacks

2010-02-04T00:12:00.003-05:00

Since I decided to use the "Contempra" RJ12 telco jacks, I've laid out the location of the hole using the information from the "Contempra" card that I prepared in our previous blog. Note that we are working on the "Out" side of the side pieces.

I next drill 4 holes using a 1/4" or a 3/8" drill bit so that the outside edges of the drill bit touch the corners of the hole I want to cut out. These drill holes will make the job easier when I cut the hole for the jack.

Whether I use the 1/4" or 3/8" drill bit depends on the tools I use to cut the hole. If I use a coping saw, a fret saw, a router, or other small-bladed tool, I'll use the 1/4" bit. If I use a jig saw or other large-bladed tool, it will be the 3/8" drill bit.

Once I have the 4 corner holes drilled, I cut the hole for the telco jack. I've used a fret saw (or is it a coping saw?) for this job. I clamped a steel straight edge along the cut line(s) to make sure I didn't wander off course too much (that's one of the major problems I have with fret saws and coping saws!). Don't use the blade of the T-square for a straight edge? The fret saw will cut the straight edge.

With the hole cut out, I fit the jack into the hole to make sure it's snug. I had to file the sides of the hole to get a good fit.

Next, we'll recess the faceplate of the telco jack into the surface of the side piece.

Locating Holes For UP3/5 Panels & RJ12 6-wire Telco Jacks

2010-02-03T00:25:00.002-05:00

Our next step is to determine the location and size of the holes we want to cut out in our side pieces for our Digitrax UP3/5 panels and RJ12 6-wire telco jacks. I use the Digitrax DCC system which is why I'm focusing on these items. You may be using other DCC systems but the process for locating and installing is the same. If you "Right Click" on the graphics below, you can "Save As" the image which you can then print off and write on your own dimensions.

The location and size of hole for the UP3/5 panel is shown below (I've made this one easy as I wrote down the dimensions when I installed a couple of them before).

We want to make sure that our UP3/5 panel stays clear of our middle cross member so we offset it 2" to the left of the centre of the side piece (the 2' mark). We'll also do the same on the other side so that the edges of the hole will be 4" apart (2" on one side piece and 2" on the other side piece = 4" offset). This will make things easier when we wire the installed UP3/5 panels.

For or RJ12 and "Contempra" telco jacks, we want the hole large enough so that the jacks will fit flush with the surface of the side piece. The limiting factors here are the plastic lugs on the faceplates that hold the jacks in place. We want a very tight fit at each end so that we have a good "bite" for the screws when we install the jacks.

I always like to transfer measurements to a 4"x 6" index card which I can use in laying out the location of these holes to make sure I've got things lined up. (I've ruined too many pieces of wood from cutting holes in the wrong place.)

Here's the location of the hole for our regular RJ12 6-wire telco jack. Again, we've offset the location by 2" left of the centre of the side piece so that we are well clear of the middle cross member. And I've centred the jack in the middle of the 4 1/2" width so that I have the same amount of wood on the top and on the bottom.

The 2 3/8" dimension will result in a nice tight fit. When I cut the hole I may have to do a bit of filing to get the body of the jack into the hole. Better to do a bit of filing than to try and fill a hole.

I've done the same for the 'Contempra" RJ12 telco jack following the same principles of offsetting from the middle cross member, and allowing for a nice tight fit on the 2 13/16" dimension.

Our next step will be to transfer these dimension onto the side pieces, cut out the holes and then recess the faceplate of the jacks into the surface of the side pieces.

Modifying RJ12 Telco Jacks

2010-02-02T00:03:00.006-05:00

In this blog, we're going to take a bit of a detour from our module construction to modify some RJ12 6-wire telephone jacks. We're going to need some measurements off of these modified jacks so that we can install our DCC system.

I use the Digitrax DCC system so I want to be able to plug in my throttles on each side of the modules. I can do this through the Digitrax UP3/5 Panel, or, I can use RJ12 6-wire telephone house jacks. However, the package, "as is", is quite thick so I'm going to modify the faceplate to make it a lot thinner. We're going to show you how to modify two types of telco jacks - the regular style and the "Contempra" style.

To use the RJ12 telco jacks, I trim the sides so as to reduce the thickness of the installed package from 1/4"/ 3/8" down to about 1/8". I do this by cutting the raised edges of the jack.

Twist and snap the jacks out of the face plate (a good twist with the wrist will do the trick).

1) Cover the front of the faceplate with masking tape to reduce any scratching.

2) Using a sharp utility knife, lightly score the inside edge of the faceplate at the bottom of the 'fillet" (the bottom of the curve). Repeat this process - lightly score the inside edge of the faceplate. After about 5-6 times, the utility knife will have cut through the plastic faceplate. If necessary, stand the faceplate on edge and cut the plastic so that the edge is completely cut out.

3) Discard the cut edge.

4) Using cutters or rail nippers, cut off the two plastic lugs that are usually used to screw the telco jack into an electrical box.

5) File the two plastic lugs so that they are flush with the surface of the faceplate. File the edges to get rid of any plastic flash. Make sure that any remains of the plastic fillet are filed flush with the surface of the faceplate on all 4 edges.

6) Reinstall the two jacks into the faceplate.

We've now modified the RJ12 telco jack so that it will fit nicely into holes we'll cut into the two side pieces.

The "Contempra" style of RJ12 telco jack is readily available at many building supply stores such as Home Depot. In addition to the faceplate and two jacks, this telco jack includes a steel frame that provides a very sturdy fit into a regular electrical box. However, if we install it "as is", we'll have to recess the jack at least 3/8" into the side pieces. It's very easy to modify the "Contempra" telco jack so that it will be nice and slim for our purposes.

1) Unscrew and discard the two screws that hold the faceplate to the steel frame. This will free up the inner face plate and the two jacks.

2) Mask the front of the outer faceplate.

3) Insert a slotted screwdriver under the angled corner of the jack and twist so that the jack snaps out of the inner faceplate. Pressure may be required as the jacks are tightly held in place. Repeat the process for the second jack.

4) There are two small plastic lugs protruding through small holes on each side of the steel frame. Cut these two plastic lugs off with a utility knife.

5) Pull the steel frame away from the faceplate. Discard the steel frame.

We're now ready to cut the outer edge of the faceplate so that we trim the thickness of the package from 3/8" down to a more reasonable 1/8".

6) Using a sharp utility knife, lightly score the inside edge of the faceplate at the bottom of the 'fillet" (the bottom of the curve). Repeat this process - lightly score the inside edge of the faceplate. The faceplate is very thick. After about 8-9 times, the utility knife will cut through the plastic faceplate. If necessary, stand the faceplate on edge and cut the plastic so that the edge is completely cut out.

7) Discard the cut edge.

8) File the two plastic lugs that screw the telco jack into an electrical box so that the lugs are flush with the surface of the faceplate. File the two edges to get rid of any plastic flash. Make sure that any remains of the plastic fillet are filed flush with the surface of the faceplate on all 4 edges.

9) Epoxy the inner part of the faceplate into the modified outer part of the faceplate. Let the epoxy set overnight.

10) Install the two jacks into the faceplate.

Our telco jacks ("Contempra" and regular) should look like the ones below.

We've taken a bit of a detour in our module construction by modifying our telco jacks. However, without modifiying the jacks, we wouldn't be ready to locate and cut out the holes for these jacks. Our next step is to determine the size (length and width) of the holes we have to cut in the side pieces.

Of course, if we had used the Digitrax UP3/5 panel, we wouldn't have had to take this detour. Whether you detour or not will depend on how much you want to spend on your LocoNet cabling.

Glueing T-Nuts (Blind & Threaded) For Alignment Pins & Bolts

2010-01-29T00:06:00.000-05:00

In previous posts, we've installed T-nuts for the corner gussets and the carry plates. Installing "blind" and threaded T-nuts for alignment pins/ bolts is no different. We just have to keep our eyes open for a couple of things.

The end plate of Module #1 should still be screwed to the end plate of Module #2. (Pssst. Don't tell anyone but that's the secret in ensuring that both modules will properly line up with each other when we bolt them together!)

We gather the same materials and tools that we used for previous T-nut installations. This time we will use a 1 1/2"x 5/16" bolt to torque the T-nuts into place.

1) Make sure you have 2 "blind" T-nuts and 2 threaded T-nuts.

2) Load the barrel of a "blind" T-nut with epoxy and insert it in one of the drilled holes for Module #1.

3) Load the barrel of a threaded T-nut with epoxy and insert it on the opposite side of Module #2.

4) Insert the 1 1/2 bolt through the "blind" T-nut and thread it into the threaded T-nut until it's finger tight (now you know why we painted the "blind" T-nut red, eh!?)

5) Using a 1/2" wrench (ratchet & socket, nut driver, etc), torque the T-nuts into place until they are snugly tight.

6) Remove the 1 1/2" threaded bolt.

7) If I'm using bolts to connect Module #1 to Module #2, I prefer to alternate the "blind" T-nuts. That is, one blind T-nut will be installed in Module #1 and the other one will be installed in Module #2. If I'm using alignment pins, I install both of the "blind" T-nuts in Module #1. In this case, I want to use bolts to connect Module #1 to Module #2 so I'll alternate the "blind" T-nuts.

8) Repeat Steps 2 to 6 but inserting the "blind" T-nut into Module #2.

9) With the "blind" and threaded T-nuts securely installed, remove the two 1" screws that are holding the two end plates together.

The end plates should look like those shown below.

In our next blogs, we'll take a look at some Digitrax UP3/5 panels and work on some RJ12 telco jacks. This is in preparation for cutting and recessing holes in our side pieces so that we can install the Digitrax LocoNet

Drilling T-nut Holes For Alignment Pins & Bolts

2010-01-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

Now that we've got the end plate of Module #1 lined up with the end plate of Module #2, we're ready to locate and drill the holes for the "blind" and threaded T-nuts.

In positioning these T-nuts, we have to make sure we have enough clearance underneath the modules so that our wrenches (socket, nut driver, etc) won't be obstructed by the gussets or the Styrofoam. For the modules I'm building, I find that the dimensions shown below - 6" from each end plate and 2 1/2" down from the top - will do the job. If you're using different widths of lumber or different thicknesses of Styrofoam, you'll have to adjust these measurements accordingly.

1) Measure 6" from both ends and 2 1/2" down from the "Top".

2) Drill a 1/8" pilot through both end plates at each end.

3) Countersink the two pilot holes in the end plate of Module #1 by 1/8" using a 1" Forstner bit or a 1" spade bit so that the "washer" part of the T-nut is below the surface of the wood.

4) Flip the end plates over and repeat Step 3) for Module #2.

5) Drill a 3/8" hole through both end plates at each end.

6) Make sure the barrel of the T-nut fits snugly in all 4 holes.

7) Keep both end plates screwed together!

We're now ready to install the "blind" and threaded T-nuts for our alignment pins/ bolts.

Locating T-Nuts For Alignment Pins/Bolts - Getting Ready

2010-01-27T00:06:00.000-05:00

Now that we've modified two of the T-nuts so that a bolt will easily slide through them, it's time to prepare the end plates in a way that ensures our two modules will align together in the same place each time we clamp them together. To do this, we complete the following steps.

1) Place the end plate of Module #1 and the corresponding end plate of Module #2 on your work surface with the "Top" down (or "Bottom" up) and the "In" side facing you. (Or to state it another way, the "Out" sides should both be in.)

2) Make sure the "Top" edge of Module #1 is flush and even with the "Top" edge of Module #2.

3) Clamp both end plates together with clamps at each end.

4) Drill and countersink a screw hole at each end.

5) Insert and screw in a 1" flat-head wood screw in both ends so that, when we remove the clamps, the two end pieces will be securely fastened.

This is what the two carry plates should look like.

Our next task will be to locate, drill the holes, and install the "blind" and threaded T-nuts for our alignment pins/ clamping bolts.

Carry Plates - Locate & Install T-nuts

2010-01-26T00:08:00.001-05:00

We probably should have posted this blog a couple of days ago before we got into the T-nuts for the alignment pins/ bolts. However, better late than never. Today, we're going to install another set of T-nuts for our "carry plates".

We're building two modules that we'll be able to "box" together with some plywood carry plates. This will make transportation of our modules a whole lot easier and will protect the track and scenery. In case you can't visualize what I'm talking about, here's my Bancroft and Irondale modules bolted together as a "boxed set" by the carry plates and four 5/16" bolts.

I'm going to fasten the plywood carry plates to the ends of the finished modules with 5/16" bolts. These bolts will screw into T-nuts that we'll now install into the end plates of our two modules.

If you're going to use your carry plates for stabilizing your legs when you set up your modules, you might want to use 1/4" T-nuts, as the bolts can do double duty. Regardless of the size of T-nut you use, the procedures are the same.

Step 1) Place the end plates on our work surface so that we are looking at the side marked "In".

Step 2) - Measure and mark the location of the holes for the T-nuts at 1 3/4" from the "Bottom of each side as shown in the photo below.

Step 3) Drill a 1/8" pilot hole at each end of the two gussets so that subsequent drilling operations line up.

Step 4) Counter-sink the holes by 1/8" so that the head of the T-nut will be below the surface of the end plate using either a 1" Forstner bit or a 1" spade bit. As you finish each hole, lay the head of the T-nut into the cut and make sure you can't see any of the head when you scan across the surface. (Protruding T-nuts will impact the accurate assembly of the pieces of our modules.)

Step 5) Clamp the end plate on top of a scrap piece of wood to reduce splintering when the drill bit breaks through the other side. Drill 3/8" holes right through the wood so that the barrel of the T-nut fits into the hole.

Step 6) Test fit each hole by pressing the barrel of the T-nut into the hole. You should have a nice tight fit.

Step 7) Locate and drill holes for the T-nuts on the two end plates of our second module.

Here's what things should look like after we've finished our drilling.

Step 8) Epoxy the T-nuts following the steps in our blog on "Installing The T-nuts".

Here's what things should look like after we've installed the T-nuts.

We're showing one of the end plates on Module #2 because we'll need this end plate for installing T-nuts for alignment pins/ bolts. These alignment pins/ bolts will be quite handy in making sure our completed module (track, scenery, etc) aligns up with our second module when we bolt/ clamp them together in a setup/ show. We continue that installation in our next blog.

Track Cleaning - The Easy Way With "Rust Erasers"

2010-01-26T00:07:00.000-05:00

Just for a change of pace, we're going to show you a tip that will make track cleaning very easy.

A few years back, I discovered that Lee Valley Tools sold a 'Rust Eraser" used by gardeners to remove rust from their tools yet doesn't scratch or mar the metal surface. It's softer and more pliable than a "Bright Boy" that we sometimes use for cleaning the tracks. We don't have to have a track cleaning car, a bottle of rubbing alcohol or "Goo Gone". We simply rub the rust eraser along the tracks as we walk around the layout with our train.

I use the fine grit "Rust Eraser" which costs $5.50. Each eraser measures 3 3/16"x 2"x 3/4" which I saw (hacksaw, razor saw, band saw) up into 3 pieces.

Actually "grit" is a misnomer. Unlike sandpaper or a sanding sponge, when I run the rust eraser through my band saw to cut them into 3 pieces, there might be a couple of sparks at most. And, when I look at the track after erasing, there are no nicks, scratches, or cuts on the rail. For cleaning turnouts, I start at the frog and clean the rails back to the points.

Here's what the "Rust Eraser" looks like after I've sliced one into three pieces. .

Alignment Bolts & Pins - Modifying The T-nuts

2010-01-25T00:10:00.000-05:00

Since we're building our two modules as a set that will join together, we want some kind of mechanism that will help us to automatically align the two when we connect them together. This can simply be two bolts with their heads cut off, screwed into a T-nut in one module with the protruding part sliding into a T-nut in the second module.

We may also want a mechanism that will easily "clamp" the two modules together in the same place each time we set them up. This can simply be a bolt slid through a T-nut on one module, threaded into its mating T-nut in the other module, and tightened up with a wrench (ratchet & socket, nut-driver, etc).

We do this by drilling the threads out of two T-nuts so that a 5/16" bolt will easily slide through one T-nut but thread into a mating T-nut.

1) Clamp a T-nut into your bench vice with the "washer" part of the T-nut up. Make sure the T-nut and the vice are securely clamped!

2) Drill the threads out of the T-nut with a 5/16" drill bit. Be careful! The drill bit will grab the threads and try to twist the drill out of your hands! In the photo below you should be able to see two T-nuts with the thread drilled out.

3) Once you've drilled out the threads, you have what I call a "blind" T-nut. Remove the T-nut with a pair of pliers. The T-nut will be extremely hot! Make sure the corresponding bolt freely slides through the "blind" T-nut.

4) Drill the threads out of the next T-nut.

5) In order not to mix up these "blind" T-nuts, I paint the washer part and their corresponding bolts with red paint as shown in the photo below. (I've made a couple of extra "blind" T-nuts for another module.)

On our next blog, we install these "blind" T-nuts and their mating threaded T-nuts in the end plates.

Drilling The Screw Holes

2010-01-24T00:12:00.001-05:00

So far, we've marked the end plates and side pieces for the screw holes (including holes for the middle cross members). If I count the number of holes I've marked, I should have a total of 40 holes that need to be drilled.

Your pieces of wood should now be marked up as shown below.

Our next step(s) will be to drill holes for #6 Robertson flathead wood screws 1 1/2" long. Drilling the holes will be either a 1-step or a 2-step operation, depending on the kind of drill(s) you have. I use an all-in-one drill with "countersink" (formally known as a "screw digger set" that I got at my local Home Hardware, catalogue #1227W540).

If you don't have a combination drill/countersink, first drill pilot holes with a 1/8" drill bit followed by a 1/4" drill bit. Be careful when countersinking! We only want to pierce the wood a bit. When we install the screws, the screw head will more than disappear below the surface of our wood.

Here's a closeup of some of our drilled holes. Make sure your holes are 90 degrees in all direction to the surface of the wood.

And here's what the final product looks like. We've included the end plate of our second module in the photo as we'll need that second end plate when we install some more T-nuts for alignment pins/ bolts.

Next we install some more T-nuts for carry plates (pieces of plywood that will make a nice boxed set of our two modules).

Locating The Screw Holes For the Middle Cross Member(s)

2010-01-23T01:06:00.000-05:00

We've been spending several days on the blog locating the screw holes for the various pieces of wood. In reality, the whole process takes less than an hour. Imagine how fast we'd be moving if we were building a whole bunch of modules! Zoom! Zoom! Those modules would be built, ready to install the track in no time flat.

But..... we've got one more set of screw holes to locate -the ones for the middle cross member(s). If we're building a 4' module, we'll want one middle cross member. If we're building a 6' module we'll want two middle cross members.

1) - Place the side piece "Top" down on your work surface and "Out" facing towards you. Using a tape measure, mark the mid-point of the side piece as shown in the photo below. For a 6' module we will mark the 2' and 4' points of the side piece.

2) - Place your 2" (or 1 1/2") block of wood on either side of the mid-point mark that you just drew on the side piece. Draw a straight line along the edge about 5-6" long.

3) - Place the piece of 1"x 2" wood on top of the 2" (or 1 1/2") block and line it up in the middle of that mid-point mark. Draw a line along the top edge and both side edges of the 1"x 2". (You have now roughly located where the middle cross member will go.)

4) - Divide the rectangle just drawn into thirds. Mark each third with a vertical line as shown below. This marks the location of two wood screws that will hold the middle cross member in place.

5) - Complete the location of the screw holes by drawing a line mid-way between the two long lines as shown below.

You don't have to be exact to the 1/64", 1/32" or 1/16"of an inch in locating the screw holes. The accuracy will be in installing the middle cross member(s) which will be covered later on. We've now completed locating the screw holes in the side piece for fastening the middle cross member.

6) - If you're building a 6' module, repeat Steps 2) to 5) at the 2' and 4' mark on the side piece.

7) - Repeat Steps 1) to 6) for the other side piece.

The side pieces should now be marked up as shown below.

Locating The Screw Holes - Side Pieces

2010-01-22T00:21:00.010-05:00

In locating the screw holes for the side pieces, we follow the same procedure as we did for the end plates - with an added exception. The side pieces will be sandwiched between the end pieces when we assemble the wood. This will add an extra 3/4" that we have to account for when locating the screw holes for the side pieces as shown in the photo below.

To account for that extra 3/4", we make use of one of those extra pieces of 1"x 2" that we had cut with our cross member in one of our earlier blogs.

1) - Place the side piece "Top" down on your work surface and "Out" facing towards you.

2) - Place the piece of 1"x 2" alongside one end of the side piece (it actually measures 3/4"x 1 1/2") and draw a vertical line.

3) - Place your 2" (or 1 1/2") block of wood alongside one end of the side piece. Draw a straight line along the edge about 8-9" long.

4) - Place the marked gusset on top of the block and draw a line along the top edge and the side edge of the gusset. (You have now roughly located where that gusset will go.)

5) - Transfer the locations of the screws from the marked gusset into the lines marked on the side piece as shown below.

6) - Complete the location of the screw holes by drawing a line mid-way between the two long lines as shown below.

You don't have to be exact to the 1/64", 1/32" or 1/16"of an inch in locating the screw holes. The accuracy will be in locating the gussets which will be covered later on. We've now completed locating the screw holes for one end of the side piece.

7) Place the marked gusset alongside the end of the side piece as shown in the photo below. Transfer the locations of the screws from the marked gusset into the end and the line marked at the end on the side piece as shown below. Complete the location of the screw holes by drawing a line mid-way between the line and the end as shown below.

8) - Repeat Steps 2 ) to 7) for the other end of the side piece.

9) - Repeat Steps 2) to 8) for the side piece.

10) Your side pieces should resemble those shown below.

Our next step is to locate the screw holes for the cross member(s).

Locating The Screw Holes - End Plates

2010-01-21T07:46:00.001-05:00

Our module frame will be held together with wood screws and wood glue. So, we need to locate the holes for the screws. We'll start off with the End Plates as they're the easiest to do. It will give you a good idea of how we locate the holes for the other pieces.

1) - First you need a good flat work surface. Make sure there's no sawdust crumbs, glue blobs or other obstructions on the surface as these will throw everything out of kilter.

2) - Next we make a screw-hole marker. Take one of the triangular gussets and make a mark at the 1 1/8" point from each end and in the middle as shown below. We will be using this marked gusset to locate the screw holes.

3) - Place the end plate "Top" down on your work surface and "Out" facing towards you (now you know why we marked each piece "Top", "Bottom", "In", "Out", eh!?).

4) - Place your 2" (or 1 1/2") block of wood alongside one end of the end plate. Draw a straight line along the edge about 8-9" long.

5) - Place the marked gusset on top of the block and draw a line along the top edge and the side edge of the gusset. (You have now roughly located where that gusset will go.)

6) - Transfer the locations of the screws from the marked gusset into the lines marked on the end plate as shown below.

7) - Complete the location of the screw holes by drawing a line mid-way between the two long lines as shown below.

You don't have to be exact to the 1/64", 1/32" or 1/16"of an inch in locating the screw holes. The accuracy will be in locating the gussets which will be covered later on. We've now completed locating the screw holes for one end of the end plate.

8) - Repeat Steps 3 ) to 7) for the other end of the end plate.

9) - Repeat Steps 3) to 8) for the other end plate.

10) Your end plates should resemble those shown below.

Simple, eh!?

Next we tackle the side pieces using the same procedures - but with a slight adjustment.

End Plates & Side Pieces - "In" and "Out", "Top" and "Bottom"

2010-01-20T07:39:00.001-05:00

I can't stress enough the importance of marking each piece of wood. I've screwed and glued too many pieces of wood together only to find that they were glued on wrong. With wood glue, there's no second chance. A few minutes spent marking each piece is going to save us grief later on. We've started off by marking the middle cross member and gussets "Top" and "Bottom".

We're now going to mark the end plates and the side pieces.

The end plates will be butted up against other modules in a setup so it's very important that we get the "best" sides on the top and on the outside. For the side pieces, we don't want to have to use pipe clamps when we fasten the middle cross member or glue the Styrofoam into place.

Getting The Best 3/4" Edge On "Top"And Worst Edge On The "Bottom"
The idea here is to make sure you've got the best 3/4" edge on the top. Once you've decided, mark both sides of each piece of wood as "Top" and "Bottom".

If both of the 3/4" edges are nice and straight, it's a simple matter of flipping a coin and marking that edge as "Top" (on both sides) and the other edge (on both sides) as "Bottom". If one of the 3/4" edges bows up and the other edge bows down, then the edge that bows up (carpenters call it the crown) is the "Top". If things are impossible and you have access, you can always run the wood through the jointer-planer. Or we should be more careful when we select our wood.

Getting the Best 4 1/2" Side "Out" And The Worst Side "In"
We next want to make sure that the straightest 4 1/2" side is on the outside. If both sides are straight, flip a coin as to which side will be "Out" (as in "Outside") and which side will be "In" (as in "Inside").

We want any curves to be swinging into the middle of the module so that our middle cross member and the gussets can "push" the curve out.

Your wood might have had a tendency to "cup" or "crown" along the wood grain as shown in the exxagerated graphic below. We want the "cups" marked "Out" and the "crowns" marked "In".

Once you've decided, mark each 4 1/2" side of each piece of wood as "In" (as in "Inside") and "Out" (as in "Outside").

In our next blog, we'll locate and drill the holes for the screws in our end plates.

Long Gussets - Drilling Holes & Installing T-nuts

2010-01-19T07:40:00.004-05:00

I'm building my modules out of 1"x 5" knotty pine. You may want to build your modules out of 1"x 4" or 1"x 6" sugar pine, fir plywood, birch plywood, and maybe even spruce strapping for a home layout. The construction techniques will be the same.

In the last several blogs, we've been discussing installing T-nuts for triangular gussets. We almost forgot the "long gussets" - the ones that are made from the 1"x 4"s (3/4"x 3 1/2") cut to 22 1/2". You may want to use these long gussets for added stability and where clamping space isn't at a premium. If you're building a modular home layout, you definitely want to use long gussets, particularly if the width is going to exceed 24" and the length longer than 6'.

Step 1) - Measure and mark the location of the holes for the T-nuts at 1 3/4" from each end and side (ie half of 3 1/2"). Drill a 1/8" pilot hole at each end of the two gussets so that subsequent drilling operations line up.

Step 2) - Counter-sink the hole by 1/8" so that the head of the T-nut will be below the surface of the gusset (and our Styrofoam flush with the top of the module) using either a 1" Forstner bit or a 1" spade bit. As you finish each hole, lay the head of the T-nut into the cut and make sure you can't see any of the head when you scan across the surface.

Step 3) - Clamp the gusset on top of a scrap piece of wood to reduce splintering when the drill bit breaks through the other side. Drill a 3/8" hole right through the wood so that the barrel of the T-nut fits into the hole.

Step 4) - Test fit each hole by pressing the barrel of the T-nut into the hole. You should have a nice tight fit.

Step 5) - Mark each piece as "Top" as shown below and "Bottom" on the other side. It will save you headaches later on.

Step 6) - If store labels are stuck to the wood, lift them off and rub the glue off with varsol and a shop rag. If we don't wipe off the glue, the outline of the label will be obvious when we paint the modules.

Step 7) Install the T-nuts using the same procedure as in our previous blog.

We've condensed some of these steps in the photo below.

Over the next several blogs, we'll tackle the end plates - screw holes to attach the the gussets, and more T-nuts for carry plates and alignment pins/ bolts.

Installing The T-nuts - Corner Gussets

2010-01-18T01:01:00.001-05:00

Now that we've gathered all the supplies in one spot, we're ready to start installing the T-nuts into the corner gussets.

Step 1) Squeeze equal gobs of resin and hardener onto the plastic lid. Mix it well with the skewer.

Step 2) After you've mixed the epoxy, soak the shop rage in varsol. You'll need it to clean off the excess epoxy from the wood and to clean your fingers.

Step 3) Next, load the barrel of the T-nut with epoxy, taking care not to get any inside the threaded part. Make sure to put on lots of epoxy as we want the glue to squeeze out from underneath the washer part of the T-nut so as to securely hold the T-nut in place.

Step 4) Insert the T-nut into the drilled hole on the "Top" (I like to use 5-minute epoxy cause it mixes nice and thick and doesn't drip all over the place).

Step 5) While you hold the T-nut in place with one hand, insert the bolt and fender washer into the hole on the bottom.

Step 6) Screw the bolt in all the way until it's finger tight.

Step 7) Torque the bolt down with the 1/2" wrench. As you torque the bolt down, it will draw the spurs of the T-nut into the wood. Tighten the bolt until it's really snug and tight.

Step 9) Unscrew and remove the bolt and the fender washer.

Step 9) As you tighten the bolt, excess epoxy will ooze out from under the top of the T-nut. Spread this around (a "varsolled" finger works best) so that you fill the gaps between the edges of the T-nut and the 1" recessed hole.

Step 10) Wipe off any epoxy that spills over the edge of the hole with the shop rag soaked in varsol.

Step 11) Repeat Steps 1) to 9) for the other gussets and T-nuts.

Step 12) Let the epoxy dry for 24 hours.

Installing T-nuts - Gather Up The Tools & Supplies

2010-01-17T08:34:00.001-05:00

There's nothing worse than being in the middle of a job and realizing a tool, material, or supply wasn't at hand. Had that experience the other afternoon at Bill N.'s place while we were laying roadbed. Chunk a cork slathered with No-More-Nails. Slid it into place. Started to shape the curve. No pins to hold the cork!! Bill went scrambling trying to remember where he'd placed the pin supply while I tried to keep the glue from slathering all over the layout and my fingers. We don't want to be in that kind of situation when we're installing T-nuts with the epoxy glue. That's 10 times worse than cork roadbed, and No-More-Nails!

Here's the list of tools, materials, and supplies we'll need to have close at hand when we install the T-nuts. We'll be using this same method a couple of more times when we install the T-nuts for the carry-plates and the alignment pins/ connector bolts.

In the photo below, left to right, top to bottom, we have

Varsol (turps, paint thinner, etc) for cleaning the epoxy off our fingers between installs. Also for cleaning excess epoxy off of the wood. (Canadian Tire sells an "odourless" varsol in a quart/ litre can. It may also be available at your local building supply store.)
Shop rag to be used in conjunction with the varsol.
Four (count em!) corner gussets with the holes drilled and marked "Top" (the underside is marked "Bottom").
1/2" wrench (or socket & ratchet, etc) that fits over the bolt head next to it. Make sure it fits!
5/16"x 1" bolt with 5/16" fender washer (or similar kind of washer) used to torque the T-nuts into the holes in the gussets.
Four 5/16" T-nuts. Make sure the 5/16" bolt screws easily into each T-nut!
Wooden shishkebab skewer (nail, rod, or other suitable item) used to apply epoxy glue to the barrel of the T-nut.
Epoxy glue (resin & hardener). Use the "5-Minute" kind.
Plastic lid to mix the epoxy resin and hardener on. (I rescued it from the recycle bin.)
Underneath it all is some wax paper so that the mess is easy to clean up.

Take a look at that 5/16" bolt and the "fender washer". You might be tempted to whack the T-nut into the gusset with a hammer (I did that the first time round). All that's going to do is crack the wood. An easier way is to thread the bolt from the bottom side into the T-nut and tighten the bolt so that it pulls the T-nut into the wood. It results in a very snug and secure fit.

Make sure the wrench fits over the head of the bolt and the bolt threads easily into the T-nut. I've had to scramble for my tool box when I discovered I had a 9/16" wrench instead of the 1/2" one with a T-nut loaded with epoxy. Talk about a mess.

Before we use the bolt, we're going to give it a wipe with varsol and clean it with varsol after each use. We don't want the bolt stuck halfway in the T-nut because some epoxy decided to harden before we were able to unscrew the bolt. I had to grind off the head of a bolt last month because of that. Talk about smoke and burnt wood! Almost set off the smoke alarms.

As we torque the bolt into the T-nut, epoxy will squeeze out from underneath the head of the T-nut. We'll have to spread this around (a varsolled finger works best) and wipe off any excess. So, make sure you soak the shop rag in varsol right after you mix the epoxy.

I've gathered all of these items together in one place within easy reach cause once we start to mix and apply the epoxy, things will move real fast. In our next blog, we install the T-nuts.

Corner Gussets - Drilling The Holes

2010-01-14T14:03:00.002-05:00

Now that we've got the holes located for the T-nuts that go into the corner gussets, let's drill the holes. Remember to clamp the wood down before you drill the holes. There's quite a bit of torque in a power drill.

Step 1) - We first drill a 1/8" pilot hole in each of the 4 gussets. This will make sure that subsequent drilling operations line up.

Step 2) - Since the Styrofoam sits on top of the gussets, we need to counter-sink the hole by 1/8" so that the head of the T-nut will be below the surface of the gusset. Otherwise, our Styrofoam will be sticking about 1/8" above the top of the module. To do this, we can use either a 1" Forstner bit or a 1" spade bit. I prefer to use a Forstner bit as it leaves a nice flat surface. Clamp the gusset before you start to drill! Be careful when applying pressure to your drill. It's very easy to drill right through the wood when the bit starts to bite! As you finish each hole, lay the head of the T-nut into the cut and make sure you can't see any of the head when you scan across the surface.

Step 3) - Next, clamp the gusset on top of a scrap piece of wood. This is to reduce splintering when the drill bit breaks through the other side. Now, drill a 3/8" hole right through the wood so that the barrel of the T-nut will fit into the hole. Test fit each hole by pressing the barrel of the T-nut into the hole. You should have a nice tight fit.

Step 4 - Mark each piece as "Top" as shown below and "Bottom". It will save you lotsa headaches later on.

And that's all there is to it. The photo below shows each of the above steps. Next - installing the T-nuts.

T-Nuts, Module Weight & Other Administrative Matters

2010-01-14T00:12:00.000-05:00

We're going to take a bit of a "time out" on this blog while everyone catches up to us with their materials and understanding of what we've been talking about so far. However, after this break, things will be moving fast.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask as we may not always explain things as clearly as they could be. If you have any suggestions, we'd like to hear from you. If you can't see some of the older posts, they've been "archived" (hidden cause your web page would get kind of long). Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see a list of the archived posts.

The Photos
The photos are real photos that I've taken as I'm writing the blog or sometimes copied (like the panel saw) to make things clearer. I hope to have two 4' modules, on wheels, complete with legs, ready for laying track and roadbed by the time we're done. The track power buss, LocoNet, and telco jacks will all be installed. So, you're seeing how things are progressing in "real time". To make things clearer, I'm adding measurements, comments, etc with my graphics software whereas, in reality, I mark the real McCoys with a pencil or a pen.

Module Weight
I took the pieces we have so far -
2 side pieces - 4' long
2 end plates - 22 1/2" long
1 middle cross member - 22 1/2" long
4 triangular corner gussets 5"x 5" x 7 1/8"
and weighed them on the bathroom scales.

The package weighed in at 8 lbs (3.6 kg). Not bad, eh!?

Module Legs
In our last blog, we talked about making the legs out of 2"x 2" spruce. I hope you didn't rush out and get some. If you did, you'll quickly see how fast wood warps and twists. I've got about 6 pieces that were left over from a summer project - all useless. If you did buy them, you might try taping them up with 3 pieces of duct tape and freeze them outside (if you live in Canada. Lotsa luck if you live in Nevada!).

Table Saws - 110 volt vs 220 volt
In the first couple of blogs, I mentioned the building supply's "saw service" and their 220 volt table saw (and panel saw). I might have ticked some of you off with references to your buddy's 110 volt $75 table saws. However, I know from experience the difference in capabilities between the two - I own one of those 110 volt table saws. My friend Ross has a nice 220 volt table saw plus I have access to another one which I use on frequent occasions. There's a big difference between 110 volts and 220 volts! "Zing, zing!" compared to "Groan, groan, screech!".

Don't believe me? Pick up a piece of hardwood next time you visit the building supply store and run it through your 110 volt table saw - see what happens. Me? I never run hardwood through my 110 volt table saw. I take it over to one of those 220 volt table saws.

Following The Blog
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What's a "T-Nut?
So, you've stayed with us so far on this rant, eh!?.

Let's take a look at the 5/16" T-nut in the photo below. The inside of the "barrel" is threaded (like a regular nut) so that a 5/16" threaded bolt can be screwed into the T-nut. You can usually find them in the legs of some furniture. We'll be using them to install the legs into our module, to mate the two modules together so that we have a protected boxed set when we transport them, and to bolt the two modules together in a set-up.

Lee Valley Tools has a nice selection of T-nuts and further explanation of their uses. If you belong to a module railroad club and need quite a few, locate the fastener supply store that the contractors use. I buy my T-nuts in a box of 100 pieces for a fraction of cost that I would pay at the building supply store.

We're using the 5/16" size with three "spurs" which anchor the T-nut to the wood. We'll need to drill a sufficiently large hole in the top of our corner gussets so that we can pull the T-nut snugly into the hole. We're going to use some epoxy glue to make sure it stays in place.

We're also going to countersink the "washer" part (the top) of the T-nut below the surface of the gusset so that our Styrofoam rests flat on the top of the gusset. That's coming up next.

Here's a photos of the T-nut. That large "fender" washer (and bolt that's still in the box) is our second "jig" which we'll use to install the T-nuts

Corner Gussets - Locating The Holes For the T-nuts

2010-01-13T23:34:00.001-05:00

Now that we have our wood all cut, we're ready to start marking the pieces for our various hole locations. We're going to first locate the holes for the T-nuts which are used to install the module legs into the bottom of the module (we'll show you a picture of a T-nut later on). Our legs are made of 2"x 2" spruce (which actually measures 1 1/2x 1 1/2"). (Don't buy the wood for the legs, yet. We're not ready for that step yet.) The measurements shown below will ensure that, when we turn the leg into the T-nuts, the legs will clear the side of the module frame.

Using a T-square, draw a vertical line from the top of the triangular gusset (the 90 degree angle) to the bottom as shown in the photo below. Repeat this process for the other 3 gussets. Next, set the T-square to 1 3/4" (half the width of our 1"x 4" board we had cut for corner gussets) and mark all 4 gussets with a short horizontal line. We should have 4 corner gussets marked up as shown below.

Mark the side with the pencil markings as "Top". It will save you lots of grief later on. (Voice of experience talking here. Ever tried to remove a gusset that's been glued on upside-down?)

Simple, eh!?

Since we've started with the gussets, in our next blog, we'll continue with drilling the holes for the T-nuts.

That 1 1/2" or 2" Block of Wood - What a Time/Life-Saver!!

2010-01-13T20:56:00.001-05:00

So far, we haven't used a tape measure or ruler, a T-square or Carpenter's square to measure our wood for cutting (okay, so we used a tape to locate the notch). And, except for a few small measurements, we won't. Except for cutting out a notch in the middle cross member, we haven't even cut any wood - although our wood is all cut. Well, almost all cut. We have one more piece to cut but it isn't going to be incorporated into our module frame. It will be used to do all the measuring for us (well, almost all). We'll just draw some pencil lines. Later on, we're going to use it to help us assemble all the bits and pieces of wood together.

One thing I've learned from Ross is the importance of "jigs". Those handy-dandy bits of wood, plastic, steel, etc are very useful in getting the job done! We'll be using a number of jigs to simplify our work, act as a 3rd-hand, improve out accuracy, and make the project more enjoyable. Our first jig is simply a block of wood 1 1/2" thick (if we're using 1 1/2" Styrofoam) or 2" thick (if we're using 2" Styrofoam) and about 12" or 18" long.

Take a piece of 2"x 4" or 2"x 3" economy or construction grade spruce (you may know them as "studs") over to the saw service and get them to rip the lumber into several pieces - about 4 pieces should do the job - that will be 1 1/2" or 2" thick and 12-18" long (depending on whether we use 1 1/2" or 2" Styrofoam). They'll either use the chop saw to first cut them to length and then run them through the table saw to cut them to thickness. Or, they'll first cut them to thickness on the table saw and then to length on the chop saw ("Chop saw" - you might know it as a "mitre saw", "sliding double-compound mitre saw", or something in between the two.) It's okay if the thickness is a bit more than the 1 1/2" or 2". But it's not okay if the thickness is less.

We now have a bunch of wooden blocks - jigs - that we will use to mark the location of our screw holes and to help us assemble the bits and pieces of wood together. Take a pen and mark the thickness as we've shown below. A picture's worth a thousand words, so here's a few hundred.

Middle Cross Member - A Couple of Things To Do

2010-01-13T18:49:00.002-05:00

Now that we've got those triangular corner gussets straightened out(or rather, triangularized), time to take closer look at that 1"x 2"x 22 1/2" middle cross member.

There's always a debate that goes on with module builders as to whether to install a reinforcing middle cross member. There's the old horses tale that "it adds weight" - and then the builder uses plaster for scenery! Then there's the "It detracts from the underside of the module" - and then the builder leaves the top side pink (or blue or green) while they take a couple of years to add some structures and scenery. And a whole lot of other reasons for not installing a cross member.

I love that cross member! For a number of reasons. The module (and its mate) is going to be lifted in the middle, carted from one end of the set-up hall to the other, set on its side with heavy stuff stacked on top, rolled over, bolted, and upended on some dollies. It's going to be thrown into the back seat (or trunk) of your car, thumped and bumped downstairs into the basement, kept out in the cold garage, to say nothing of being man-handled by a bunch of guys who don't treat any modules with "kid gloves". That middle cross member is going to provide extra ruggedness to withstand that kind of rough treatment.

While we build the module, you'll find the sides are going to bend in or bend out so that the middle may be 22 3/8" wide or 22 5/8" wide. Try inserting a piece of Styrofoam loaded with glue, or pulling those sides together so there isn't a gap between the Styrofoam and the module frame! The cross member keeps the middle of the module at 22 1/2". For a 4' module, I use one cross member. For a 6' module, I use two cross members.

If you look under some modules, you'll see a whole bunch of wires hanging loosely down just waiting to be yanked out as they're loaded and unloaded into cars, basements, and set-up halls. With the notch in the middle, we now have a place to hang the track power buss and the LocoNet cables that will go from one end of the module to the other (more on the wiring later on).

The notch in the middle of the cross member is simply two cuts 1/2" wide and 1/4" deep that we cut with a saw (hack saw, hand saw, table saw, etc) and chisel out (saw out, router out, cut out) so that we have the notch. It will go next to the Styrofoam. To make sure that we don't forget, mark the top side "Top" with a pencil or pen.

Lest you think I'm joking by saying "Mark that piece with a pencil or pen!", I'm not! I've had too much grief where I've glued in a piece upside-down only to discover my mistake the next day after the glue has dried. It's very comforting to see those words "Top", "Inside", "Outside", etc while juggling 3 pieces of wood loaded with glue, a screwdriver in one hand driving a screw, while the other hand is trying to keep all 3 pieces even, wondering if we've got things the right-way-up. A quick glance at those words provides the assurance one needs to know that everything is right-side-up (or down).

Here's a photo of that middle cross member to give you a better idea of what we've been talking about. (Before you go rushing off to the lumber store, hold off for a minute. I've got one more saw cutting trick to show you.)

Triangular Corner Gussets

2010-01-13T12:36:00.001-05:00

If you use 2" Styrofoam and you have gussets that go from one side of the module to the other, you'll find there isn't much space to clamp your module to the next one. In order to give us some extra space for clamping, we revert to a "triangular gusset" - simply a piece of 1"x 4" that is cut on a 45 degree angle.

However, most people, when they're getting that 1"x 4" cut, the 45 degree cut is made the wrong way with the result that the gusset cracks in very short order and has to be replaced because it won't hold the leg in place.

So, whenever I get the saw service to cut the triangular gussets, I get them to chop the wood the right way. First, they set their chop saw to 45 degrees and make the first cut. This piece gets discarded because, if I use this piece, I will end up with a cracked gusset. From here, they repeatedly flip the wood over and chop off 45 degree triangular gussets.

There's the added advantage that my gusset goes from 3 1\2" on each 90 degree side to 5" which will give me a good surface to install the T-nuts for the legs ("What's a T-nut?" you say? Well, hang in there and we'll explain in a couple more blogs). If you're still having problems visualizing what we're talking about, perhaps the photo below will help you out.

Building A Module - The Bits & Pieces

2010-01-13T12:04:00.003-05:00

As I previously mentioned, I don't hardly cut wood (plywood or dimensional lumber) anymore. I use the building supply store's saw service as they can do it quicker and better than I can. So, when I build a module, I pick out a couple of pieces of 1"x 5" knotty pine (remember that will be 3/4"x 4 1/2"). The length of these pieces is either 6' or 8' long, depending on whether I'm going to build a 4' or 6' module and whether I'm going to connect a mate to the module I'm going to build.

I walk the lumber over to the saw service and ask them to cut 4' (or 6') off each piece and to cut the other two pieces into 22 1/2" pieces. This will give me a module, when assembled that will be 4' (or 6') long and 24" wide (22 1/2" + 3/4" thickness of one side piece + 3/4" thickness of the other side piece = 24").

I also walk over to the saw service with a piece of 1"x 2" (it's actually 3/4"x 1 1/2", eh!?) x 2' or 4' long and get them to cut it up into pieces that are 22 1/2" long. I get them to cut the rest up into 4" pieces (more on this later on) (I can also use these 4" pieces to make my Rail Joiner Insertion Tool or my Rail Joiner Cutting Tool discussed in some previous blogs).

I also walk over to the saw service with a piece of 1"x 4"x 4' (again, it's 3/4"x 3 1/2") and, depending on how I feel, I'll get them to cut this up in one-of-two ways. This piece will be used as "gussets" to screw the module legs into. If I want a really sturdy module, I'll get them to cut the 1"x 4" into two pieces that are 22 1/2" long.

If I want to save a "bit" of weight on the module and have more "clamping clearance" at each end in the middle, I'll get them to cut the 1"x 4" into triangular pieces. Which will be the subject of our next blog.

So, here's what all of those pieces look like when I get them home and lay them out on the floor. (Before you rush down to the building supply store to get your pieces cut, hang on for a couple of more blogs cause there's a few other things we need to discuss before you start cutting.)

Plastic Film Containers - A Handy Storage Bin

2010-01-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

Right from the get-go, we accumulate a whole lot of different bits and pieces in model railroading - rail joiners, short chunks of rail, insulated rail joiners, track spikes, couplers, 2-56 screws, grab irons - the list goes on-and-on-and-on. And, right from the start, we're faced with the problem of how to store all of these things (other than in their original plastic bag) in one place so that we can put our hands on them right when we need them. Here's a handy tip that goes a long way towards solving that problem.

Periodically when we're grocery shopping, I'll swing by the photo shop and pick up a few of those white translucent plastic film containers - the ones that 35mm film comes in (yes, some people are still using film). They're small enough to store those small bits and pieces, uniform in size, and easy to mark on. I take a medium magic marker (sometimes known as a "sharpie") and mark the contents on two sides of the film container. I've got a 2-tray tackle box that I use as my MR tool box so it's easy to store these containers right where I need them. Since I also belong to a MR club, I mark my initials on the other two sides to make sure the containers (and their contents!) come back to me if they are used in the club.

Here's a photo of what it all looks like.

Cutting Plywood Into 4" Strips - I Still Don't!!

2010-01-11T10:26:00.001-05:00

When it comes to cutting plywood into 4" strips to build a module - I don't. I don't even pick up a sheet of plywood and walk it over to the saw service. In fact, I don't even go near that stack of 3/4" plywood - fir, poplar, birch, mahogany, or otherwise. That's because I don't even use 3/4" plywood in building my modules.

I use 1"x 5" knotty pine "dimensional" lumber. Which is actually 3/4"x 4 1\2" - just the right width and thickness for my modules. Nice, light, and easy to use. I simply go to my favourite Rona lumber store and pick out the pieces that I need - two pieces of 1"x 5"x 6' long for each 4' module. A good peek along the top of each board makes sure I pick out nice straight pieces - no bows and no wows.

A short word about 1"x 5" knotty pine versus 3/4" plywood cut up into 4" strips. The naysayers say that knotty pine weighs more because it's 1/2" wider (ie 4 1/2" knotty pine vs 4" plywood)and therefore plywood should be used because it's lighter. These folks obviously haven't weighed that extra 1/2" strip. I did once and the weight was negligible - about 4 ounces. In addition, all the pieces of knotty pine that went into the module weighed less than the equivalent pieces of plywood simply because knotty pine is less dense than 3/4" birch plywood.

The second thing the naysayers say about knotty pine is that it will warp. Yes, any wood will warp if it isn't sealed properly. Ross and I recently picked up 40 pieces of 2"x 10"x 10' pressure treated pine for another project. We stacked it all in the nice dry shop. Within a week the PTP was starting to curl. Over the next 2 weeks we installed the 40 boards. By the time we reached the last 4, they were well curled.

So, we're going to do 3 things with our knotty pine. First, we're going to walk it over to the saw service and get it cut up into the pieces we need. Secondly, we're going to take it home and assemble it into a module frame with screws and glue with some bracing in the corners (gussets) and a bar across the middle (more on this later). And then we're going to prime and seal it with at least 2 coats of Tremclad flat black alkyd paint. That will stop any lumber - pressure treated, knotty pine, or otherwise from warping and twisting.

I store my Bancroft & Irondale modules in the basement after each setup and they have yet to even given a sign of any warping. A module that is well constructed and sealed with two coats of paint ain't about to do any twisting or warping, for sure!!

Cutting Plywood - I Don't!!

2010-01-11T10:04:00.001-05:00

My friend Ross and I have cut at least a dozen sheets of plywood over the last 9 months. When we leave the building supply store, (usually Rona), the top of Ross' mini-van is loaded to the gunnels with plywood which we then truck over to his place and run it through the table saw, complete with out-feed rollers.

I have yet to cut pieces off of a sheet of plywood in a straight line. There's always that little nick in the cut where the plywood has veered off from the edge of the fence. And trying to get that 8' length of plywood lined up square with the fence!!?? And that's with two of us! Fa-getta-bout-it!! It don't work.

Years ago when I first started building modules, I didn't have the power tools that I have today. But, I very quickly discovered a service that most reputable building supply stores have. They all have a "saw service" with a very beautiful "panel saw", a gorgeous "chop saw" and a whole lot of other power tools that I still don't have.

So, whenever I needed lumber cut, I simply picked out my pieces and wheeled them over to the saw service with my cutting diagram. On one project alone, I needed 12 sheets of 1/2" plywood chopped up into 9 different pieces per sheet. Not a problem! The job was done in less than 20 minutes. Very accurate and no splintering. And here's the nice part. It didn't cost me a cent.

So, next time you're walking out of the store with that heavy sheet of 3/4" plywood to run through your buddy's 110 volt $75 table saw to chop a 4'x 8" piece of 3/4" plywood into tiny 4" strips - STOP!

Turn your cart around and walk the plywood over to the saw service - BEFORE you leave the store. And get them to cut up the plywood. It will save you lots of time and headaches. In spite of the naysayers, they can cut up that sheet of plywood more accurately than you can. Believe me! I know.

In case you're wondering, here's what a "panel saw" looks like. It runs off of 220 volts! (as compared to your buddy's 110 volt $75 table saw). Lotsa "zing" in that baby, eh!?

Rail Joiner - Code 83 to Code 100

2010-01-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

Now that you've made the Rail Joiner Cutting Tool, here's a tip for making a rail joiner that will fit on both Code 83 and Code 100 track.

I developed this tip when I was considering building my modules with Code 83 track rather than Code 100 because I felt that Code 83 would look better than Code 100 (I would have loved to have used Code 70 but that was contrary to the standards). However, when I looked at Code 83 turnouts, I didn't like their flimsyness. I preferred the robust construction of the Code 100 turnouts, particularly the Code 100 Peco Insulfrogs. However, there was going to be a problem. There would have been a difference of 17/1,000ths of an inch between the two types of rail (Code 100 - Code 83 = 17/1,000ths). So, I needed a special kind of rail joiner.

I simply used the Rail Joiner Cutting Tool and my Atlas Snap Saw (remember to pull the blade back and not forward!) to cut a slot in the middle of the rail joiner as shown in the photo below. I then installed the rail joiner on the two pieces of track (Code 83 track and Code 100 turnout). Next, I placed a thin flat file under the Code 83 track and pushed down on the Code 100 track until the top of the Code 100 track was level with the Code 83 track. I used a bit of solder, flux, and my soldering iron to solder the rail joiner in place.

Trains go over the joint very smoothly. A well ballasted and scenicked roadbed and you'd never know it was a Code 100 turnout.

Rail Joiner Cutting Tool

2010-01-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

I find that a full-length rail joiner spoils the effect of good trackwork. The track can be nicely weathered, ballasted so that it resembles the real thing, scenicked to show whether it's mainline track, branchline, or siding. And then we get to see that humongously huge rail joiner.

Here's a little trick I use to hide those rail joiners. I simply cut them in half or in 2/3rds. However, if you use cutters or rail nippers, the two flanges collapse into the joiner which then becomes useless. So, I use the Cutting Tool and an Atlas Snap Saw to cut the rail joiner to length.

As with the Insertion Tool, the Cutting Tool is simply a block of wood 3/4"x 1 1/2"x 4" with a 1/16" hole drilled in one end. Lightly tap a piece of rail (about 4" long) into the hole until it's securely seated. Dress up the end of the rail with a file so that a rail joiner easily slides onto the end of the rail.

Voila! A Rail Joiner Cutting Tool.

To use the tool, simply slide the rail joiner onto the tool about halfway (or 2/3rds of the way). Place the rail end of the tool and the rail joiner on a block of wood. Using the Atlas Snap Saw, draw the blade backwards (not forward!) across the exposed rail joiner. About a half dozen slices will cut the joiner in two.

However, we have burrs on the cut that will stop the installation of the rail joiner. Push the rail joiner completely onto the rail end of the tool so that the burrs on the cut are pushed out (you may need to use a pair of pliers for that first push). Now, slide the rail joiner forward until the cut is exposed. Trim the burrs and dress the cut end with a file. Re-push the rail joiner back onto the rail, push forward and re-dress. Repeat this process until the rail joiner slides freely on the rail.

Insert the rail joiner onto your track with the Rail Joiner Insertion Tool, cut end first. Why "cut end first"? Because it's easier to slide the cut end onto the track with the Joiner Tool than to insert the other piece of track into the cut end. Or to state the same thing another way - it's easier to slide the other piece of track into the manufactured end of the rail joiner than onto the cut end.

Rail Joiner Insertion Tool

2010-01-06T14:13:00.000-05:00

My eyes aren't what they used to be and I'm all thumbs when it comes to installing rail joiners onto the end of the rails. Here's a little tool that makes it a lot easier to install those rail joiners.

Take a block of wood 3/4" wide x 11/4" high and about 4" long. Drill a 1/16" hole in one end - 3/8" in the middle and 1/4" from the bottom edge that is about 11/4"" deep. Cut a piece of of Code 100 rail that is 4" long. Tap the rail into the hole in the wooden block. Using a pair of pliers, bend 1/2" of the end of the rail up about 45 degrees. Nip the end of the rail off so that the bent end is about half the length of a rail joiner. Dress the end of the rail with a file (bottom, sides, web and top of the rail) so that a rail joiner easily slides onto the end of the rail.

Voila! A rail joiner insertion tool.

Here's another look at that Rail Joiner Insertion Tool. (A bit fuzzy but we'll have to fix that up.)

And here's the tool with a rail joiner on the end.