In all likelyhood this subject has already been broached by this outfit, but I feel I must add my two cents worth at this time. I was not happy with the look of Atlas track end joints. By this I mean the hyphenated ties at each end. Just did'nt look right to me. Well I finally started to work on them and found that if you use a stubby blade in an X-acto knife you can trim the little hyphens out of there. I also found that if you have a peice of Atlas flex track you can simply pull the slip rail out and, using Xuron flush-trim cutters, snip one side of the rail plate that holds the fixed rail and simply pop the rail out of the ties leaving you with a string of ties. By doing this you get 10 ties for every 3" of track. Don't seperate the ties until they have been smoothed out, read on. I was at an impass about how to rid the ties of the little rail plates. I used my Wizzard with a cutting wheel to try and "smooth" the ties out but that took too long and too much of a steady hand. Then I happened upon the idea of using the small sanding drum and ground them down flush. Eureeka!!, worked like a charm. I can now get as many single ties to replace the little hypens as needed. Now that I have gone through this exercise, please don't tell me Atlas sells individual code 100 ties at 1000 per $.25. Ha
Actually, .27/1000 Only kidding. Might I ask that you take a few shots and post a mini-tutorial at Railimages?
Fotheringill, I will try. I borrowed my daughters camera and have taken a few shots. I will try to open an account at railimages and put them up here if I can figure it out and, Actually, you're a funny man!!!
How To: Atlas tie replacement Photo 1 shows tools required Photo 2 shows sliding rail partially removed Photo 3 shows sliding rail removed Photo 4 shows how to trim the railplates Photo 5 shows how to grind down the railplates with a rotory tool and sanding drum Continued in next post
How To cont. First photo shows one set of ties with the railplates removed (top) and one set with railplates intact (lower) Next 2 photos show how I used the knife to trim the hyphens out. Next shows a single tie being placed under the rails. Last shows a section where I had to use 2 small sections of track and the look after tie replacement. Hope this helps anyone trying to get a better look. Remember to be careful with the roto-tool.
Well, I tell ya' guys, I tried grinding down to the little black "spike head" nubbins like you said, but by the time I got the rail ground off, the tie strip had melted into a goo that is now stuck to the kitchen table. The wife suggests perhaps there was some part of the instructions I may have misunderstood. What does she know? OK, maybe I did get the rails off it wrong, so I figure after I chisel this goo off, I'm gonna try grinding from the other end, and just grind one rail down at a time. It sure seems a hard way to get loose ties to me though.
Spike heads I guess I should have been a bit more clear in the 'grinding' operation. Don't seperate the ties prior to using the drum sander. Hold the ties in your free hand, hand that does not have the grinder in it, and VERY LIGHTLY grind, (I think this where I made the mistake in the original instructions) or (make sure both rails are removed completely before ginding), the spike heads down while holding them. I now understand that this will take a modicom of coordination on the users part. I suppose you could also chuck 'em up in a vise and do the same thing but make sure you support the bottom side of the tie. Remember safety glasses or face shield is a must! Now as for the kitchen table, I would say groveling for forgiveness might be in your near future. Ha-Ha-Ha.
I know. He-He-He You do bring up some very valid points though. I did show the section of ties laying flat on a table in the photo, (not reccomended). Keep 'em on the high rail!!!
