Marking out baseboards

[RSR Engineer]

The method I finally plumped for was to mark the tracks and baseboard edges directly onto the board. (The full-size printout method was not successful - my pasting wasn't accurate enough and it still didn't get the diagram onto the board.) The first stage was to draw a 10 cm grid over the whole baseboard surface. For this it was necessary to have a straight flush edge along two sides to act as datum lines. The work went surprisingly quickly. The second stage of the work was to print from the computer a diagram of the area of board to be processed to a scale of 1:10, complete with a 10 mm grid. Where a track line crossed a grid line the distance to a convenient grid line intersection was marked with a red rectangle and its length noted in the diagram.

The dimensions on the printout were translated to real distances that were marked off along the grid lines on the board. It was then a matter of simply "joining up the dots". The same procedure was applied for the board edges.

In some locations, where one strip of board crosses another, I had to use two layers of board, making sure to mark out identical grid lines.

When I have all the boards marked, they will be cut out and offered up to each other to check the fit.

This work is documented more fully on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/537755...57693670264075

Cheers, Artur

[Tinker]

Real track held together with elastic bands 4th,3rd and 2nd Radius,

[RSR Engineer]

Sorry, Tinker, I don't quite follow. I have no fixed 2nd, 3rd radius etc. Each curve is laid with flexible track according to the drawing.

[Walkingthedog]

Why have you used elastic bands Tinker, what’s the reason ?

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Walkingthedog

Why have you used elastic bands Tinker, what’s the reason ?

Keep the track together as i plan curves, inclines ect, once is marked up in the right place remove the e/bands and pin in place, long curves ect tend to come apart if just plugged in....

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Keep the track together as i plan curves, inclines ect, once is marked up in the right place remove the e/bands and pin in place, long curves ect tend to come apart if just plugged in....

I like that idea when planning and I’m glad you reminded everyone to remove the bands before pinning - unless a replica of a rollercoaster was being built.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Steve M

I like that idea when planning and I’m glad you reminded everyone to remove the bands before pinning - unless a replica of a rollercoaster was being built.

They came in handy on a 180' incline curve keeping the track together for droppers ect....

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by RSR Engineer

Sorry, Tinker, I don't quite follow. I have no fixed 2nd, 3rd radius etc. Each curve is laid with flexible track according to the drawing.

When i built my layout the only flexi track use are on the straight bit, so curves kept there radius and spacing....

[Walkingthedog]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Keep the track together as i plan curves, inclines ect, once is marked up in the right place remove the e/bands and pin in place, long curves ect tend to come apart if just plugged in....

Not when flat on the board. Do see the point now though.