I don't think you'll lose any customers by showing how to do this. I think you will gain customers showing that you know extremely well how to build them. Knowing all the tricks to get them done correctly where someone doing it on their own doesn't necessarily know. I definitely recommend you to people and direct them to your channel because of you showcasing your skills here on youtube. You have impressed me with your skills and knowledge but I can't say anyone that I've sent your way has become a customer. Hopefully they have. Stay well. -Wil 👍
I don't know what has gone wrong with you-tube, but for some reason several great comments have not appeared on this list. I've received notifications via email but when I go to reply to them, they are not here (they're not held over for review either). Thank-you to Frank Neher, Chris Draper and Southern 207 Hobbies for your comments. It wasn't me who deleted them.
Hi Peter, this was a great video! I especially love it when you show the tools and jigs you build to make assembly easier. I have built quite a few Fast-tracks turnouts, but I learned some great tips from you. Thank you for all of the valuable tips that you share. One tip for you - I use the straight track jig to create custom curves and easements - you put the ties in the jig and solder one of the rails the ties. Then, I curve the rail to the desired radius (with easement if desired) and use three (or more) of the Fast-tracks rail gauges to line up the custom curved piece with the second rail. One gauge right behind the tie I am about to solder and the other two ahead of the tie being soldered. I then solder the second rail in place. I then slide the rail gauges around the next tie as I go. The end result is nice custom curves and easements. Make sure you bend the curve into both rails before you solder the second rail on. Otherwise you will have tension and stress in the rails. This lets you build your own flex track alternative. It looks better than flex track and consistent with the Fast-tracks turnouts.
Great content as always. Yes, making turnouts is time intensive. Until you try to make a few, most people don't understand how much time is required to make accurate and reliable turnouts. Like someone else already commented, ingenious ideas for your tooling.
Excellent overview on procedures for constructing Fast Tracks. As mentioned by others, I don't believe showing "how to" will impact your sales. Love your instructional videos. Keep up the great work!
Really appreciate this vid because it addresses some issues I have had with making turnouts with a full set of Fast Tracks tools. The bending up of the stock rails after filing with the Stockaid is something I've noticed on every single turnout I've done. Usually I ignore it, but it does mean spiking (yes I spike down my turnouts) down the end a little more firmly to bring it back to level. Not noticed it being an ongoing problem though. Of slightly more concern to me is that when I file the point rails, they never seem to line up flat against the stock rail; they bow away from the tip of the point. It does look like there is a curve in the point rail but every single one I make has needed some measure of straightening of the point rails to make them sit snug along the contact part of the stock rail. I probably should do it before I solder it in though. As for the V's, I've not noticed any issues with them not sitting flat against each other. I do use their frog helper. Otherwise an excellent video and a timely one as I contemplate making dozens in the near future. One thing I am about to try that you might find of interest - I am making a #8 single crossover. Since I have 2 #8 crossover jigs I am figuring out how to make a crossover in one piece instead of joining 2 turnouts together. To do that the V and a stock rail are one piece and will require filing at both ends. Still, I don't have much to lose in trying. I've always pushed the V as far into the jig as possible and never had a problem. Love your stuff.
I like the board you made to hold the filing jigs, I'll have to make one. I can also say I have been making Fast Tracks turnouts for several years. My biggest issue has been getting the glue to hold the quicksticks to the finished turnout. I learned from another vender that if you use an iron (like ones for cloth) to set the Ply-o-bond, it works better than trying to use the heat from a soldering.
Thanks for the iron tip. That may be very useful for anyone still using plio-bond for their FT turnouts. I abandoned that product in favor of a super glue that I have found on ebay (100 small tubes for about $17 - each tube has enough for one turnout).
Some of us who aren't deep into the hobby would appreciate knowing about different sizes of rails, what the numbers mean with respect to turnouts, different track vendors, etc. Thanks!
Good question: The rail size is given as a "code", where the number following it is the height of the rail in 1000ths of an inch. So for example, "code-83" means that the rail is 0.083" tall. Code-125 (common for O-scale) would be exactly 1/8" tall.
brilliant hints and a lot of creative thinking, Peter - thanks a lot! I'm just starting out handlaying my turnouts in H0m Meter Gauge, over here in Switzerland; like all your vids, great stuff; take care and best, Carlo
Apparently you put even more thought into whether or not to make this video or not as opposed to making the turnouts. I believe a lot of modelers lack the desire or the skills you demonstrated to make these turnouts. Hopefully they will realize that they are getting the quality of your expertise and attention to detail put into a turnout that is hand built and individually tested at a price that rivals what Walthers used to mass produce in another country with plastic and currently unavailable.
Great video, I guess producing them on a commercial basis is a big incentive to streamline in the process most of us would mope through.Wish I had this video to reference when I handlaid my N scale layout a few months ago.
Dear Sir, I just saw the 1st minute and i have to disagree. #1: If you can pay someone to do something you can (or know how to) do, it is better to pay. I like to think about the implications of this thought. #2: You can teach me all you know about model railway building and, even if i learn it all, you will be always light years ahead. (I told this to a former wife on why i taught all me "computer knowledge" to fellow engineers...back in the 90ies...) #3: I will probably never construct me own turnouts. But will watch the video to amuse meself on your amazing skills. Greetings from Brazil!
Tim Warris produces a tutorial on making hinged points (it can be viewed on the fast-tracks web-site). I also showed hinged points when I did the double slips a few months ago.
Super-glue. FT recommend plio-bond contact adhesive but I've found that sg works much better. Get a tube with a tiny nozzle and run a minuscule bead along the bottom of each rail before pressing in place.
wow there is a lot of work in making the turn outs. so the way i see it. Unless you are making a lot of turnouts, and have a lot of free time, way better to just have you make them. I did get your package in the mail the other day .
Yes there is. You are quite right. When you purchase them from me, you are simply paying for my time to save your own. There is also quite a lot of investment necessary which has to be amortized over a lot of turnouts (and or course every size needs different tools).
Very good. Everyone enjoys the hobby in hobby in different ways and you are certainly not alone in not wanting to build your own turnouts. That's exactly why I'm doing this.
@@mpeterll that was what I was talking about. If there is someone willing to give his/her time to build something I personaly can't, and they are willing to accept payment for it, why not keep both happy that way.
That's what the tool manufacturer called them. Their rationale is that their tools save time, helping the modeler to build them "faster". I don't know that there was ever any pun intended.
I don't think you'll lose any customers by showing how to do this. I think you will gain customers showing that you know extremely well how to build them. Knowing all the tricks to get them done correctly where someone doing it on their own doesn't necessarily know. I definitely recommend you to people and direct them to your channel because of you showcasing your skills here on youtube. You have impressed me with your skills and knowledge but I can't say anyone that I've sent your way has become a customer. Hopefully they have. Stay well. -Wil 👍
I don't know what has gone wrong with you-tube, but for some reason several great comments have not appeared on this list. I've received notifications via email but when I go to reply to them, they are not here (they're not held over for review either). Thank-you to Frank Neher, Chris Draper and Southern 207 Hobbies for your comments. It wasn't me who deleted them.
Hi Peter, this was a great video! I especially love it when you show the tools and jigs you build to make assembly easier. I have built quite a few Fast-tracks turnouts, but I learned some great tips from you. Thank you for all of the valuable tips that you share. One tip for you - I use the straight track jig to create custom curves and easements - you put the ties in the jig and solder one of the rails the ties. Then, I curve the rail to the desired radius (with easement if desired) and use three (or more) of the Fast-tracks rail gauges to line up the custom curved piece with the second rail. One gauge right behind the tie I am about to solder and the other two ahead of the tie being soldered. I then solder the second rail in place. I then slide the rail gauges around the next tie as I go. The end result is nice custom curves and easements. Make sure you bend the curve into both rails before you solder the second rail on. Otherwise you will have tension and stress in the rails. This lets you build your own flex track alternative. It looks better than flex track and consistent with the Fast-tracks turnouts.
Great content as always. Yes, making turnouts is time intensive. Until you try to make a few, most people don't understand how much time is required to make accurate and reliable turnouts. Like someone else already commented, ingenious ideas for your tooling.
Excellent overview on procedures for constructing Fast Tracks. As mentioned by others, I don't believe showing "how to" will impact your sales. Love your instructional videos. Keep up the great work!
Thank-you.
Really appreciate this vid because it addresses some issues I have had with making turnouts with a full set of Fast Tracks tools.
The bending up of the stock rails after filing with the Stockaid is something I've noticed on every single turnout I've done. Usually I ignore it, but it does mean spiking (yes I spike down my turnouts) down the end a little more firmly to bring it back to level. Not noticed it being an ongoing problem though.
Of slightly more concern to me is that when I file the point rails, they never seem to line up flat against the stock rail; they bow away from the tip of the point. It does look like there is a curve in the point rail but every single one I make has needed some measure of straightening of the point rails to make them sit snug along the contact part of the stock rail. I probably should do it before I solder it in though.
As for the V's, I've not noticed any issues with them not sitting flat against each other. I do use their frog helper.
Otherwise an excellent video and a timely one as I contemplate making dozens in the near future.
One thing I am about to try that you might find of interest - I am making a #8 single crossover. Since I have 2 #8 crossover jigs I am figuring out how to make a crossover in one piece instead of joining 2 turnouts together. To do that the V and a stock rail are one piece and will require filing at both ends. Still, I don't have much to lose in trying. I've always pushed the V as far into the jig as possible and never had a problem.
Love your stuff.
I like the board you made to hold the filing jigs, I'll have to make one. I can also say I have been making Fast Tracks turnouts for several years. My biggest issue has been getting the glue to hold the quicksticks to the finished turnout. I learned from another vender that if you use an iron (like ones for cloth) to set the Ply-o-bond, it works better than trying to use the heat from a soldering.
Thanks for the iron tip. That may be very useful for anyone still using plio-bond for their FT turnouts. I abandoned that product in favor of a super glue that I have found on ebay (100 small tubes for about $17 - each tube has enough for one turnout).
Some of us who aren't deep into the hobby would appreciate knowing about different sizes of rails, what the numbers mean with respect to turnouts, different track vendors, etc. Thanks!
Good question:
The rail size is given as a "code", where the number following it is the height of the rail in 1000ths of an inch. So for example, "code-83" means that the rail is 0.083" tall. Code-125 (common for O-scale) would be exactly 1/8" tall.
brilliant hints and a lot of creative thinking, Peter - thanks a lot! I'm just starting out handlaying my turnouts in H0m Meter Gauge, over here in Switzerland; like all your vids, great stuff; take care and best, Carlo
Glad it was helpful to you. Welcome to this new aspect of the hobby for you.
Apparently you put even more thought into whether or not to make this video or not as opposed to making the turnouts. I believe a lot of modelers lack the desire or the skills you demonstrated to make these turnouts. Hopefully they will realize that they are getting the quality of your expertise and attention to detail put into a turnout that is hand built and individually tested at a price that rivals what Walthers used to mass produce in another country with plastic and currently unavailable.
Thank-you for that testimony.
As always you give us great ideas and the hints are always good. Thanks for sharing....Jack 👍👍👍
Great video, I guess producing them on a commercial basis is a big incentive to streamline in the process most of us would mope through.Wish I had this video to reference when I handlaid my N scale layout a few months ago.
Another excellent video sir. Thank you! :)
Dear Sir,
I just saw the 1st minute and i have to disagree.
#1: If you can pay someone to do something you can (or know how to) do, it is better to pay. I like to think about the implications of this thought.
#2: You can teach me all you know about model railway building and, even if i learn it all, you will be always light years ahead. (I told this to a former wife on why i taught all me "computer knowledge" to fellow engineers...back in the 90ies...)
#3: I will probably never construct me own turnouts. But will watch the video to amuse meself on your amazing skills.
Greetings from Brazil!
Thanks
I would love to see a turnout built with hindged points
Tim Warris produces a tutorial on making hinged points (it can be viewed on the fast-tracks web-site).
I also showed hinged points when I did the double slips a few months ago.
How do you glue the turnout to the quick sticks ??
Super-glue.
FT recommend plio-bond contact adhesive but I've found that sg works much better. Get a tube with a tiny nozzle and run a minuscule bead along the bottom of each rail before pressing in place.
wow there is a lot of work in making the turn outs.
so the way i see it. Unless you are making a lot of turnouts, and have a lot of free time, way better to just have you make them.
I did get your package in the mail the other day .
Yes there is. You are quite right. When you purchase them from me, you are simply paying for my time to save your own. There is also quite a lot of investment necessary which has to be amortized over a lot of turnouts (and or course every size needs different tools).
ingenious
Thanks.
I'd rather have someone build them for me than going through teh trouble of me butcherin teh job every single time.
Very good. Everyone enjoys the hobby in hobby in different ways and you are certainly not alone in not wanting to build your own turnouts. That's exactly why I'm doing this.
@@mpeterll that was what I was talking about. If there is someone willing to give his/her time to build something I personaly can't, and they are willing to accept payment for it, why not keep both happy that way.
Fast track turnouts? Is that a pun? I know, probably a lame dad joke,
That's what the tool manufacturer called them. Their rationale is that their tools save time, helping the modeler to build them "faster". I don't know that there was ever any pun intended.
I have a warped sense of humor