Track building tools and tips

[Martin Wynne]

For good running the top of the nose is finally rounded over and taken down a few thou below the wing rail. This is best done in situ to blend in with the splice rail -- using needle files, abrasive paper, etc., or a fine flap wheel in a Dremel tool.

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My only remaining miniature flap wheel being well past its use-by date, I have just obtained a fresh supply:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XY7MN7G

50 assorted miniature flap wheels and 5 screw-in 3mm dia. mandrels.

Which should be enough to keep me going.

They are about 12mm dia. and 9mm long.

Useful for lots of modelling jobs, and more controllable than a grinding wheel. But the Dremel-style tool kits usually come with a couple of 80-grit flap wheels -- which are too coarse for fine finishing of rail edges in 4mm/ft scale. These 600-grit wheels are plenty coarse enough for blending over the nose of vees, the top edge of switch blades, etc. In fact you can easily over-do it with a new one -- it's a good idea to take the initial edge off it on something less critical.

p.s. the grit-size is impossible to identify once you have removed the wrapper from each one. Mark the end of it in some way before removing the wrapper. I use a secret code -- 6 dots = 600 grit. Remember to screw them onto the mandrel the right way round!

Martin.