T-Trak The N scale Pennsy Juniata Division 2.0 - TTrak!

[MK]

The blade is key.  I use an 80 tpi tungsten carbide Freud 10" table saw blade.  You don't even need to sand it afterwards!

Just finished a TTrack double using 1/4" luan wood (because I'm cheap  ).  No splinters at all.

[robert3985]

Incidentally how do you guys rip plywood without getting splinters?

I use my 10" 80 tooth Tungsten-Carbide Finish-Cut blade on my table saw for all of my major rips for module construction.  Having a robust 10" table saw with a large cast-iron bed helps for precision.  Luckily, I purchased the vast majority of both my machine tools and wood-working tools years ago before their prices went through the ceiling.

For precise structural wooden components, I use mostly premium clear pine boards, but, occasionally use poplar for smaller projects.   I've used aircraft-quality plywood for smaller projects also.  I like to use high-quality birch plywood for major structural members, finished one-side usually, with the finished side on the outside.

When precise lengths and angle cuts are needed, I use my 12" sliding compound miter saw equipped with a 12" 120 tooth Tungsten-Carbide finish-cut blade.  Frankly, this is my go-to saw for most of my module fabrication after I've ripped the long pieces on my table-saw.

For all my joints, I glue and screw, making a countersunk pilot-hole for square-drive grabbers.  Yeah, it takes a bit more time to do this, but I don't ever get any splitting nor glued joints coming apart because of rough transportation or age.   I don't recommend, nor would I ever recommend using only screws, or only glue for any module or layout construction.

I don't have a problem with splintering.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Chris333]

Crap I have a fine tooth blade I bought to cut aluminum sheet.

[Dave V]

Added some contours today to the corner modules. These will be named "Mapleton" and "Narrows," representing the narrows of the Juniata between Mount Union and Huntingdon on the Middle Division. US 22 will cut across the outside corner toward the front of the photo.

[John]

Incidentally how do you guys rip plywood without getting splinters?

I put blue tape on the wood, then use a plywood blade https://www.woodmagazine.com/tool-reviews/circular-saws/choose-the-best-circular-saw-blade-for-plywood

[Chris333]

The blade I had has a bunch of teeth, maybe 120? But by the looks of that 40. Mine is way more than 80. It sliced like butter and barely made a sound when cutting. I still ended up with the same twist that I had to work out despite starting with a straight board.

[MK]

Carbide tipped?  They cut much cleaner.

[Chris333]

Didn't go look, but I think it was this blade:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-10-in-x-200-Tooth-OSB-Plywood-Ripping-Circular-Saw-Blade-A10200X/202021698

I'll post some photos in a different thread.

[MK]

That's not carbide tipped teeth.  It's a world of difference (and price too!).

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DIABLO-10in-x-80-Tooth-Ultra-Finish-Saw-Blade-for-Wood-D1080X/100022265

[randgust]

Incidentally how do you guys rip plywood without getting splinters?

One woodworking tip is to tape the cut (masking tape), cut the piece, and pull the tape.   And have a multi-tooth carbide blade for plywood.

[Dave V]

Trying pan pastels to weather the Unitrack.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Looks pretty good to me. I like it.

[davefoxx]

Looks pretty good to me. I like it.

Agreed!  (I especially like the choice of Frogtape as a fascia color. )

DFF

[btrain]

That is looking really sharp there Dave! Is that the same ballast Kato produces for their unitrack?

[randgust]

I particularly like the 'ballast over cinders' look, that's way more accurate than most people realize.

Before things got so chippy with NS I'd walked from Horse Shoe Curve uphill to where MG tower was in the CR era.   On the hill just above MG tower, if you climbed up the hill at all, it was cinders so deep there seemed to be no bottom from decades of steam traffic up there.   On the main lines, any recent raise was ballast, but cinders as soon as the tie edge ended.

PRR used cinders as cheap ballast everywhere, what do you do with all the stuff.   Most branches, yards, sidings, spurs.   Our local yard was all cinders, drained poorly, finally took about a foot of rock that G&W put down to stabilize the track out of the PC standing derailments era.