Watch as Phil Parker from BRM (British Railway Modelling) magazine provides a step-by-step guide to cutting model railway track. www.world-of-railways.co.uk
Good video. The idea of just making a cut in one rail as an insulator is brilliant. It had never occurred to me. Thought I would always need to use plastic insulators.
On the Whole a good tutorial Personally I dont like these slitting discs, as you saw in the video shows the cut is not vertical but at an angle and as the guy says the discs can shatter which has happened when I did use them . It is far better to use one of the Large Diameter Diamond cutting discs which are less likely to shatter and because of its diameter you can cut vertically giving a good clean edge but still wear safety glasses. If using a razor saw, cut a small piece of plywood or timber to go across the track and cut two slots on the bottom face which corresponds with the rails put the plywood across the track with the rails in the two slots and as you saw through the track the rails cannot move back and forth as you cut through the rails and saves breaking the small chairs holding the rails
Agree with you. I am very wary of those carbide discs - I’ve had so many of them shatter and fling bits of disc in my face. Goggles are a good idea but I’ve still sustained injuries to my lip before! The diamond discs are a much better bet.
Hi Phil. Received wisdom is that, if cutting unlaid track or the rails are overhanging as in your demo, you should ALWAYS cut from top-to-bottom, not from side-to-side. There is another version of these (Xuron) cutters specially designed for laid track where you cannot cut from top-to-bottom. The version for unlaid track (cutting top-to-bottom) has a catalogue number ending in the letter "B", whereas the version for laid track (cutting side-to-side) has a catalogue number ending in the letter "M".
Tip - as the video illustrates, the body of most rotary tools stops the cutting disk from being held at right angles to the rail. A flex shaft attachment allows you to get a proper vertical cut.
Interesting, with the Zuron nippers, you cut side to side, here in North America, we cut top to bottom of the rail, gets a cleaner cut than side to side, try it. Using the motor tool, you can get lager diameter cutoff wheels so there is a perpendicular cut. For really fine cuts, try a dental cutoff disk, but be warned, these disks are extremely fragile, have a very steady hand.
I need to remove a faulty point. Was it a Dremel you were using and what was the cutting disc? There appears to be numerous types of cutting discs and I'm not sure which is correct for cutting rails. Thanks.
