Atlas C55 #7 switches

[wazzou]

Isn't there a difference in the thickness of Cloverhouse ties? 
I thought I remembered an issue where they sit proud of the FT Jig in height but maybe I'm mistaken.
This wouldn't be an issue but I think that causes the TO to sit higher than commercial flex track.

Do I remember this correctly?

[Sumner]

... If you can find a source for longer ‘tie strips’ you can be a lot more efficient with material and reduce your cost per switch even more.

http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Trackwork/page-4.html

Sumner

[John]

Isn't there a difference in the thickness of Cloverhouse ties? 
I thought I remembered an issue where they sit proud of the FT Jig in height but maybe I'm mistaken.
This wouldn't be an issue but I think that causes the TO to sit higher than commercial flex track.

Do I remember this correctly?

The cloverhouse ties are 0.31 thick for nscale .. see the picture i posted upstream ..  which are the same thickness noted in the link http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Trackwork/page-4.html

fast tracks t CopperHead N Scale PC Board Turnout Ties - 1/32" or 0.3124"

[wazzou]

It's odd that when you go to the PCB ties tab on that link, there are no N Scale PCB ties listed for sale, unless I'm missing something.

[mike_lawyer]

It's odd that when you go to the PCB ties tab on that link, there are no N Scale PCB ties listed for sale, unless I'm missing something.

They list N scale in the picture on the top right of the screen, but I don't see where you can purchase them on the website.  They list HO and other scales for purchase.

If they do sell N scale sized PCB ties with the same thickness and width as the Fast Track PCB ties, it would make for a lot less waste.  They come in 12 inch sticks, so you could keep cutting down one stick until you used it up in the tie breaker over multiple switches. 

[John]

I purchased some last year -- give them a call .. maybe the new owners only do them on demand

[mike_lawyer]

I purchased some last year -- give them a call .. maybe the new owners only do them on demand

I emailed the owner of Clover House, he said he is out of N-scale PCB ties, and is making a decision on whether to continue that line.  Sounds like he may be focusing more on HO and larger scales.

[wazzou]

Well, that’s not great news.

[pedro]

If you order Fasttracks turnout-length PC ties and cut them in half to use as crossties, you can drop your per-tie cost significantly vs. buying their standard crossties. Plus I don’t like the double gap in their crossties anyway.

[jdcolombo]

As an earlier message noted, the thickness of the Fast Tracks PCB ties is 1/32".  That means you can pretty easily make your own PC ties by buying bulk single-sided PC board from an electronics supply source, like Digikey or Mouser.

Here's a link to a 1/32, single-sided copper clad PC board, 9" x 6" at Digikey:

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/mg-chemicals/588/559709

The Fast Tracks N-scale turnout ties are 1.3" long by .06" wide.  So a 9" x6" PC board would produce about 70 tie "strips" (allowing for the loss due to cutting) from the 6" width, with each strip 9" long, producing about 7 ties per strip, or 490 PC ties.  For $13.

Of course, this assumes you have something to cut the ties with.  A Dremel with a thin cutoff wheel would do it.  You might be able to find a way to make a sort of table saw holder for the Dremel to make cuts faster and smoother than by hand. 

I just buy the Fast Tracks turnout ties, 45 ties per fret, to do this.  But if you really want to save money . . .

John C.

[peteski]

Of course, this assumes you have something to cut the ties with.  A Dremel with a thin cutoff wheel would do it.  You might be able to find a way to make a sort of table saw holder for the Dremel to make cuts faster and smoother than by hand. 

I just buy the Fast Tracks turnout ties, 45 ties per fret, to do this.  But if you really want to save money . . .

John C.

Using Dremel to cut fiberglass-epoxy board is a major hassle and generates a lot of nasty fiberglass-epoxy dust.  A better solution would be to invest in a miniature sheer-cutter/metal benders.  I bought one years ago from Micro-Mark, but it seems that they are now all over eBay.  Yes, it requires some intial investment, but it should bay for itself in time.   Some modifications might be required for cutting thin strips.  But it will make the job, easier, quicker, and less messy.

[ednadolski]

Cutting with a shear can put a warp/twist into the ties.   A number of the PCB strips that I bought from Clover House came out that way.

Ed

[Jim Costello]

I have a similar shear/guillotine and had a table made for it to support my sheets of steel we were cutting. Been using it for years to cut my PCB ties
and found that if you cut smaller lengths of the PCB they do not warp or twist. I now cut lengths  from 3" to  5" to get maximum number of ties from one length
reducing wastage.  Was also able to get 3" x10" x 0.032 ( 0.8mm) sheets ex China cheaply.

[peteski]

Cutting with a shear can put a warp/twist into the ties.   A number of the PCB strips that I bought from Clover House came out that way.

Ed

True, but you should be able untwisted fairly easily. Try grabbing it at the ends with pliers and twist in the opposite direction of the original twist.  I haven't actually tried that on thin strips, but when I cut larger PC board pieces and they get curved, I can easily straighten the curvature just using my fingers.

[John]

Cutting with a shear can put a warp/twist into the ties.   A number of the PCB strips that I bought from Clover House came out that way.

Ed

I saw that as well -- but the ones I have can be fixed with a twist