[Newbie] Screw in the fine track

[lukzzzzz]

Hi everyone.

I'm going to start my very first Tomix Fine track project this weekend.

 

I have bought fine tracks MA (2 sets) & MB and a thick MDF board.

 

My question is how to put screws on the track in safest way (i mean without breaking the track, since its made from plastic).

 

Really appreciate your tips & comments.

 

Luke.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[velotrain]

See the recent thread on MDF - you might need to be more concerned about breaking it than the track.

 

Do you really want screw heads showing on your ties?  Most track has holes intended for those who want to use track nails, which are narrow with relatively fine heads, which stand out a lot less than screw heads.

 

Also - since you're new to Tomix (and/or MR in general), the standard wisdom is NOT to lay the track down permanently until you know what you want. 

A major benefit of this type of track is that it is very easy to set it up temporarily, and modify the layout as you gain experience.

 

Good luck with it.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

When I started my layout about 6 or 7 years ago I headed down the path of buying micro screws from "Trainaidsa".  I needed special micro drill bits and jewelers screw drivers.  The process of fixing was fiddly, detailed and sloooooooow.  So many times the screw head was stripped when half screwed in.  Those that did go in all the way often split the sleepers of my Peco track.   After a day or so I gave up and resorted to tacks and glue.  I drilled holes in the sleepers slightly larger than the tacks, which were about 12mm x 1.2mm.  Tacks were installed at wider spacing than planned as the glue is doing the work.  

 

Glue and tacks is the way to go.

[velotrain]

I would say most folks find that some form of glue / caulking compound works fine by itself, and doesn't leave any fasteners showing in your track. 

 

There are many different individual preferences, and you should be able to fairly easily find multiple posts - if not threads, related to this on the forum.

[railsquid]

Large swathes of my Finetrack are held in place by a relatively small number of cut-up coffee stirrer parts glued to the baseboard. Not practical for a (transport)able layout maybe, but the stuff stays in place remarkably well.

[kvp]

Another simple method is to use double sided tape, that is meant to fix down carpets. The usual method is to use whte carpenter's glue.

 

ps: Squid, i would really like to know how the coffe stirrer method works...

[cteno4]

We used the Trainaids screws on our club sectional layout andnworks well. Allows for easy change out of tracks when points start having issues, etc. we were going into Luna ply and 90% of the time they self started fine. A few strip and easily removed. Better than nails and very good hold on the tracks at the edge of sections that get a lot of physical abuse. Also has allowed to shim a few connections later that were a bit low, just back off the screw and add a shim and tighten a tad. Also on a few joints at section joints it's turned out better to back off on the screws a tiny bit and allow the track connection to float a little bit. After sections are snapped together we usually fun our finger over the joint to make sure unijoiners are secure and if rail heads a bit off usually just giving a push down will get them flush with the tiny bit of play.

 

Unitrak has a column under the roadbed at the screw/nail holes for support so you don't crush the roadbed down. I can recall right now if finetrack has that as well, but just watching the track cinch down should avoid cracking the roadbed at all and the Tomix roadbed is much lower and more cross supports. You could always just glue a little square of stryene under where you put the screws to support the roadbed when cinched down if you think it's needed.

 

Screw heads are not noticeable from more than a foot away. Dab of appropriate color craft paint on the screw head for tie or ballast will make them go away well. Just have to pick out the paint in the screw head with an xacto tip if you want to unscrew.

 

Jeff

 

Ps trainaids is out of business now (owner saddly passed away, a good friend) but trying to track down a similar source of the marklin K type screws here in the us. You can get the marklin K screws in Europe (expensive to import). There are some similar micro screws on ebay we are trying.

Edited February 3, 2017 by cteno4

[lukzzzzz]

thank you very much for your thoughts & ideas.

 

Finally, I decided to buy 9mm plywood to replace MDF and a white wood glue.

 

 

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[railsquid]

 

ps: Squid, i would really like to know how the coffe stirrer method works...

 

It's, err, very simple - cut coffee stirrer into short pieces, glue into place on either side of the track. Optionally cover with scenery. Coffee stirrer shown here was filched from Freshness Burger who print little motivational messages on them, but other kinds can be used.

 

Tomix track held in place with offee-stirrer by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[kvp]

So this means only friction and maybe some accidental scenery glue drops hold your track in place? How good this is against buckled rails and other non intentional movement?

[railsquid]

So this means only friction and maybe some accidental scenery glue drops hold your track in place? How good this is against buckled rails and other non intentional movement?

 

Works well enough for me. If you push the track there's a little sideways movement but otherwise friction and gravity hold it where I want it. No accidental scenery glue drops around, all the scenery is removable too, so I can take it up and work on it more easily. If you look at e.g. this picture:

 

local-station-road by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

nothing there is physically attached to the baseboard.

 

You wouldn't want to use this method for a T-track module or anything on baseboards you move though :D

[nah00]

I just glue down the caternaries, I have enough of them that they hold the track in place good enough plus it allows to make some subtle changes without too much issue. Also lightly ballast along all the track and glue it down with the good ol wide glue and water.