Thoughts on optimizing cookie cutter roadbed?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm planning on using cookie cutter roadbed on one of the areas of my new NCR layout.

Now that plywood seems to be made out of a sandwich of gold and platinum, do any of you old heads have recommendations on how to best optimize cuts?

[Missaberoad]

Make paper templates that you can arrange on your plywood to minimize waste?

[TravelingCarpenter]

Ryan so perfectly stated the answer,well done!!

TC

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Sounds like I need to invest in a large format printer!

[Jbub]

I'm planning on using cookie cutter roadbed on one of the areas of my new NCR layout.

Now that plywood seems to be made out of a sandwich of gold and platinum, do any of you old heads have recommendations on how to best optimize cuts?

THIS! Oh so much this!

[Missaberoad]

Sounds like I need to invest in a large format printer!

https://woodgears.ca/bigprint/

No connection, but Matthias is awesome! Also check out his YouTube!

[CRL]

Given the price of plywood, why not explore other methods?

[davefoxx]

What?   You're not made of gold-pressed latinum?  Then go with 1" or 2" foam and Woodland Scenics inclines.  You can overcome the problems of undermount switch machines under a foam subroadbed.

DFF

[samusi01]

If you have Illustrator, or Inkscape, do all your design work in there. Each roadbed piece can easily be adjusted to achieve a fairly optimum layout.

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Then, if you are so fortunate as to have some sort of maker space available, one that has a 4x8 CNC router, you can even have it scribe centerlines for you.

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(Hoping the second image attaches this time...)

[Scottl]

Why not rip strips of the plywood and cut angles on the ends to form curves?  Have a strip that is wider for turnouts. The notion of smooth curves on the plywood just seems like a way to waste wood to me. 

I've been contemplating the same thing for a helix.  Just cut the ripped boards at an appropriate angle and almost no waste.  And no printing of the templates.

[CRL]

Foam is my choice, and you can cookie cut the foam if desired. Or try Masonite strips for spline roadbed.

[mu26aeh]

Why not rip strips of the plywood and cut angles on the ends to form curves?  Have a strip that is wider for turnouts. The notion of smooth curves on the plywood just seems like a way to waste wood to me. 

I've been contemplating the same thing for a helix.  Just cut the ripped boards at an appropriate angle and almost no waste.  And no printing of the templates.

Thats what I did for my helix

[Wolf N Works]

https://www.maslowcnc.com/
Low cost 4 x 8 CNC router setup plus you can use for all sort of other projects too

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The more I think about this, the more I lean towards doing masonite splines. The good news is that I don't plan on there being any turnouts on any of the spline/cookie cutter area, so at least I've got that going for me.

I thought about foam, but because of the grade needed, I don't feel I could get the precision needed when cutting it.

[x600]

Ed, it might be cheaper to buy the large printer AND the CNC router. I paid $55 a sheet for 4 sheets of 1/2 in OSB!

The 1/2 in CDX was 62 bucks a sheet.     The 1/2 in sanded was surrounded by armed guards and you had to

show a bank statement and an 800+ credit score to get close.

I've used full size cardboard patterns to layout on the sheet to save waste. It's a little extra work, but I don't need a computer, printer, CNC, etc.

Greg O.