Hi Peteski.
Interesting way to keep the paper towel in place. Is that just brass rod? How big (both diameter and length)? Set into holes drilled in the wood?
Might have to try something like this.
John C.
I have to admit that I borrowed this ideal from my friend, Ernie Poole, who originally build his jig quite a while ago. He only has one rod holding the paper towel in the center between the ties. I added the outside rods to hold the paper towel more securely.
The cleaning device is a pine board with a piece of Atlas C80 track nailed to it.I also glued strips of 0.030" styrene on the outside of the rails and flush with the top of the rail. I did that to provide solid support under the paper towel since the wheel threads are wider than the width of the rail head.
The rods are just K&S 0.032" brass rod (because I had it handy at the time I was building this rig) and as you suspect they go into holes drilled in the wood. The vertical ends of the rod are long enough that the rods can be pulled up high enough to be able to slide the paper towel through without them coming out of their holes (for ease of replacing the paper towel or for just sliding it to then next clean area).
The length is around 3.25". I chose that length simply to accept the paper towel squares I use often while modeling. I take Bounty select-a-size sheets and cut them into 8 squares. I just make a batch of them whenever I run out. To make them I stack 3 or 4 sheets of paper towel, cut them in half with scissors, stack them together, cut in half again. Then I take those 2 stacks and cut each in half. I usually have couple of dozen of those squares in a cup (used as a holder) for all sorts of cleanup jobs.