# No.9 Turnout Tools?



## Dennis Cherry (Feb 16, 2008)

i love the topic of making your own turnouts, especially the topic on the No.9 turnout.

I have always wanted to make some and that article has got my DIY juices really flowing.

If you want to go this way, what basic tools are needed and also what advanced tools are needed to help in building your own turnouts?


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Dennis, 

There have been two articles published in GR magazine about making turnouts - the first one had tools and other stuff in it. 

I have made quite a few turnouts/switches with nothing more than normal hand tools: a big file, a small saw and a small hammer. You need a decent size vice to hold the rail while you file it. 

Special tools that really help include 'spiking pliers' from Micromark, a cordless Dremel tool to pre-drill spike holes, and a soldering iron maybe if you are using track power (to connect up the rails.) A table saw if you are making yoour own ties. 

A workspace that is flat and big enough (that #9 is almost 3' long; a #6 is 2',) and drawings are also helpful. I made some 'curves' from stiff cardboard using a penscil and a piece of string to mark them and then a knife to cut the curve, plus a little sanding to make it smooth. No need for it to be perfect - the rail won't follow the imperfections! The drawings were done full size on the back of some wallpaper, and included the ties, etc. 

Oh yes - a rail bender will help if you are making lots of them.


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Dennis, 
This is what I have with me on my work bench right now; Spiking pliers from Micro-mark (you can make your own from a old set of pliers if you want), assorted aluminum files, (at least one that takes off good amounts of aluminum in a single pass), a set of #60-80 drills, pin vise, caliper, razor saw, miter box, small square, pencil, turnout drawings (PM me if you want some), scale ruler, assorted styrene scraps, rail bender, dremel. That's about it. I filed my points and frog without the use of a vise, but vise certainly is handy for holding rail. 
Supplies that you need- wood for ties, rail, spikes (I used 3/8" steel spikes), rail joiners. If you want to use tie plates like I have you can, but it's not necessary. I would say an easy way to get started on making your own turnout would be to first buy a set of points and frogs (llagas creek comes to mind). That way when you first start out you don't have to worry about making your own frog or points. And for the next turnout, you can have a point set to look at to see how they are shaped. I've never predrilled spike holes in the ties but I've always used cedar. 

Craig


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

to first buy a set of points and frogs (llagas creek comes to mind). 
I second that. They made the job a little easier. 

I think we forgot the track gauges. I used pieces of a yard stick cut down and slotted at 1.75". (I also used battens sometimes under the ties.) 










My ties were redwood and the pre-drilling was because my hands got sore from the spiking pliers! 

P.S. Steel spikes, not stainless, are needed. Stainless don't rust and hold the ties - they lift out.


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Another useful tool in making a turnout is having a set of correctly gauged trucks. Make sure that your wheel gauge is correct, and as you build the turnout run the truck through and if something binds up, it's wrong. If the truck flows through smoothly it's correct. 

Craig


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Ditto all the above. 

I have cedar ties in the main and normal pliers worked fine for spiking as the wood is not hard. 

The only other thing I use is a belt sander (any motorised sander will do). I use it to shape the point and frog rails since I use .332 brass and I don't want to hand file. Al rail will be a lot more easily worked by hand. 

Cheers 
Neil


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## Dennis Cherry (Feb 16, 2008)

Thanks all for the list of tools.

One question is the belt sander, this is what I was thinking of using. What size would you recommend and what type and grit paper to use?

As for the magazines, I recycled 12 plus years of my magazines 6 months ago. It filled the back of our pickup truck.Now will need to find the articles again.

I was also thinking about getting a small CNC machine to make some of the parts, would that help in making the frogs with tie plates and making the point rails?

Got most of the tools mentioned, but think that some will have to be sized up to handle the 332 rail.

Anymore suggestions not mentioned?


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

If you want a CNC machine and need an excuse to buy one go for it, but you can make the points/frogs with simple hand tools. A nice large file is about the most high tech tool you need. Granted it will take a while to file your points/frog but it will get done. 
Like I said earlier it might be easier to buy a frog and point set for your first turnout build. The other thing the think about before you build your turnout is how do you want to design the points? Do you want to leave the stock rail completely unchanged and make the points to fit, or are you okay with grinding out the stock rail and thus making the point much easier to assemble... 
Do you want it as detailed as my turnout? Or something simple? These are all things to consider. Here's a good tip although others might disagree- When you build your frog and stock rail assembly and put it together a truck should be able to roll through without needing wing rails to keep it from picking the point. If your constantly picking the point of the frog as you roll a truck through something is out of gauge. 

Craig


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

but you can make the points/frogs with simple hand tools. A nice large file is about the most high tech tool you need. I second that.


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Read this article. http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Track roadbed trestles bridges/turnout building.pdf or http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mi...stles bridges/switches custom built Marty.pdf or http://www.mylargescale.com/tabid/56/afv/topic/aff/9/aft/114300/Default.aspx 

These will at least give you some ideas...


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Dennis, 

I already had an old B & D hand held belt sander from earlier woodworking projects. I don't know the actual size but it takes a 457 x 75 belt (mm I guess?). Its got a sanding area of maybe 75 mm x 120 mm, long enough for a full length flat cut on #6 point rails. 80 and 100 grit belts seem to work best, these wear out reasonably fast as they're designed for wood - use them till there's almost no grit left then chuck on a new one. 

I hold the sander updside down in a vise so the belt is exposed for easy work access. Works well, but there are bench mount disc and vertical sanders that will be better suited - and perhaps safer.. 

Hope this helps - you can hand file everything no problem (I did for the first one) but since I'm inherently lazy finding a way to use the old sander seemed the way to go. 


Cheers 
Neil 


Edit: Found a couple of pics, one of the sander, another of a wye in progress I made from a couple of 5'ers.


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