Difficulty installing fish plates

[Porkster]

I have just started my track layout and need to apply fish plates to 60 flexitracks. I have done "one" with great difficulty!! Can someone please tell me have to do this easily?

cheers the Porkster

[poliss]

Did you cut them with a Dremel or Xuron track cutter? You'll need to sand the edges to remove the burr.

[Howbi]

Have you cut the tiny chairs on the sleeper that the rail sits in?..........some remove the first sleeper......HB

[2e0dtoeric]

As Poliss said, and a pair of needle-nose pliers helps, as it stops you stabbing yourself with the sharp edges!

Another tip is to keep a scrap of off-cut track, and sand or file the sides of the T at the bottom and the end of the rail down to almost a point, then that can be used as a tool to ease the fishplate open just a fraction, before you fit it to the track.

Just open the very edge of the fishplate, to give you a 'start', or it will end up too slack.

[Fozzy Bear]

As HB said, it is the first sleeper causing the grief. Set track has a gap which allows the fishplate to slide in but flexitrack doesn't have this. Snip off the first sleeper and keep it. Once the plates are installed, I trim the sleeper a bit and slide it in under the fishplates (usually needs two sleepers). With a bit of mucking about , the track will look continuous and you will be hard pressed to spot the join in the track.

[Porkster]

Did you cut them with a Dremel or Xuron track cutter? You'll need to sand the edges to remove the burr.

i am applying them to uncut track at this stage. I have purchased a Xuron cutter so will be using that to cut the track as required.

 

 

[Porkster]

Have you cut the tiny chairs on the sleeper that the rail sits in?..........some remove the first sleeper......HB

I did cut the chair off on the one I did but to be honest I found it difficult to even get it to reach the chair. I think the advice of gently filing the edges before attempting to punch the plate on may be the answer.

[Chrissaf]

All my track except points is flexi. I found it really easy to cut off the chairs of the first sleeper. Personally I don't like removing the first sleeper completely.

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I use a Stanley knife (with a new SHARP blade). I slide the blade under the rail but over the top of the sleeper. Going in at about 45 deg see photo below (to follow shortly). The rail and sleeper then act as a guide for the blade. The blade then slices cleanly through the chairs where they are moulded onto the sleeper. The fishplate then slides under the rail and covers where the chairs once were.

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This negates the need to glue loose sleepers back to fill the gaps and maintains the original sleeper alignment with its adjacent neighbours.

[Chrissaf]

Image missing from previous post. Just using an old scrap piece of flexi for the photo, so ignore the poorly cut rail ends.

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[2e0dtoeric]

It took me a moment to recognize the metal thing because you said Stanley knife. That's one of the snap-off blade ones!   :-)

[Chrissaf]

I was using the term Stanley Knife generically. Like a Hoover is a vacumn cleaner, a Biro is a ball point pen, a Jacuzi is a whirlpool bath etc.

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I do have genuine Stanley Knives in the tool box, but the knife in the photo was just the one that came to hand for taking the photo.....not made by Stanley. 😛 😉 😀

[Jimbo1707820979]

As Poliss said, and a pair of needle-nose pliers helps, as it stops you stabbing yourself with the sharp edges!

Another tip is to keep a scrap of off-cut track, and sand or file the sides of the T at the bottom and the end of the rail down to almost a point, then that can be used as a tool to ease the fishplate open just a fraction, before you fit it to the track.

Just open the very edge of the fishplate, to give you a 'start', or it will end up too slack.

Good tip. I'll try it.  I also find that a small block of wood is ideal for pushing the fishplates on, rather than pliers which can do some damage to your hand if something slips. With the block of wood you can also "waggle" a bit once the tip of the fishplate is in place.

As to the Xuron cutter I was rather disappointed but it is usefulfor other fine cutting. For rails I find the Dremel-clone mini drill ideal and better suited to flex rail work. Wear googgles !! 😎

[Jimbo1707820979]

I was using the term Stanley Knife generically. Like a Hoover is a vacumn cleaner, a Biro is a ball point pen, a Jacuzi is a whirlpool bath etc.

 

Maybe Wobbly would call it a Box Cutter. I don't know about our Aussie friends. 😀

[poliss]

I had problems cutting track with the Xuron at first, but found that cutting vertically, using a set square to ensure *verticallity, soved the problem. Then I sanded the ends with one of those black sponge sanding blocks.

*verticallity = technical term for when you can't think of the correct word.

 

You can also make this handy little tool to ease the fitting of fishplates.

http://thecentralstation.myfreeforum.org/about2558.html&highlight=fishplate

 

When buying a Stanley knife type knife, always buy the genuine article. I have three others of a similar design and they're useless. 😛

[NormanQ4]

It took me a moment to recognize the metal thing because you said Stanley knife. That's one of the snap-off blade ones!   :-)

 

Stanley Knifes come in many shapes and sizes Eric, including one similar to the one in the photo.

They're all in the link.

http://www.stanleytools.com/products/hand-tools/knives-blades/multi-tool

[Chrissaf]

*verticallity = technical term for when you can't think of the correct word.

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Could it be 'plumb' or maybe 'perpendicular' ?

[poliss]

Could be, but I prefer verticallity. 🤐

[walkingthedog]

Have you cut the tiny chairs on the sleeper that the rail sits in?..........some remove the first sleeper......HB

I did cut the chair off on the one I did but to be honest I found it difficult to even get it to reach the chair. I think the advice of gently filing the edges before attempting to punch the plate on may be the answer.

What do you mean by "punch the plate on"?

[walkingthedog]

As to the Xuron cutter I was rather disappointed but it is usefulfor other fine cutting. For rails I find the Dremel-clone mini drill ideal and better suited to flex rail work. Wear googgles !! 😎

I find the Xuron cutters work beautifully, are you using them properly. OO track should be cut top to bottom, N track side to side. 

[Fishmanoz]

Verticality is good unless you are on a slope. Then you could make them square. 

 

PS.  Mr Stanley made it down here with his knives. 

[walkingthedog]

It took me a moment to recognize the metal thing because you said Stanley knife. That's one of the snap-off blade ones!   :-)

Hi 2e0, Stanley make snap off blades. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanley-Snap-Off-Blades-18MM/dp/B0001IW5G8

[poliss]

Always wear eye protecion when cutting small pieces off. Those little bits fly faster than a champagne cork! 😮

Still haven't found all of them.

[Jimbo1707820979]

As to the Xuron cutter I was rather disappointed but it is usefulfor other fine cutting. For rails I find the Dremel-clone mini drill ideal and better suited to flex rail work. Wear googgles !! 😎

I find the Xuron cutters work beautifully, are you using them properly. OO track should be cut top to bottom, N track side to side. 

Maybe I should have another go with the Xuron, paying special attention to the VERTICALITY -lovely word. However, I have got hold of some old "Made in Austria" track and it is as hard their granite. So I don't know how Xuron will fare with that. By the way, exactly how OLD is that stuff ?

[2e0dtoeric]

WTD - it's a long time since I bought a Stanley knife, I tend to use Xacto's for my aeromodelling (or a dremel jigsaw!) I wasn't aware that they made snap-offs. (Do Snap-On make snap-offs?)  :-)

Answers on the back of £5 notes, please!

[poliss]

Probably blunt them Jimbo. They make other types that cut harder metal.

 

I'll send you some as soon as the ink's dried 2e0. (Oh for a laser printer.) 🤐