Scratchbuilding a turnout for your model railroad

[@rolandhersom239]

I also use a piece of hacksaw blade to clean the solder out of the frog flangeways but I super glue a piece of strip wood to one side to act as a depth gauge for the flangeway to make it easy to get a constant depth

[@kevinmsmr1]

This is easily one of the very best tutorial videos I've seen. I've watched it several times, and will probably watch it at least a few more.

[@markfrench8892]

This is one of rhe best tutorials I've seen yet on scratch building turnouts. I myself started making scratch built stub switches a few years ago. Sure would have been handy if you had posted this back then. Would have saved me a lot of grief. Thanks for sharing.

[@manda60]

THANK YOU! One of the best tutorials of any sort I have ever seen, let alone one on building turnouts.

[@jamesmoon1841]

Charlie Comstock, thank you for the clear instructions on building your jig for frogs. Will be making one this afternoon to build custom turnouts and a wye,

[@jamesmoon1841]

James Moon Finished spiking down the first turnout last night. Test truck rolled through the frog with no derailment problem without guard rails. Will add the guard rails. Used Charlie's jig but spiked all rail to wood ties. The suggestion of using the Rolly Holders is an excellent one as I purchased a set before spiking down the track. They are better than three point gauges for assembling turnouts, in my opinion. Only PC tie used was for the throw bar as I could not figure a good way to insulate a brass bar stock throw bar. Again, thanks to Mr. Comstock for the excellent tutorial.

[@maximoalvarado68]

James Moon hall .

[@lorettacaputo6997]

Great presentation of some nice techniques. I've been fooling with turnout construction for some time and have been going down the road you have mastered. I will be looking closely at your strip wood jig and using that spike / pc tie holding trick to aid in assembly. Thanks for the clear, concise presentation.

[@johnpauljones949]

I've been building scratch turnouts for 60 years. A la jack works' article in MR a hundred years ago!😎

[@MRhobbyist]

Yes. A #5 turnout frog jig would be a 5" length and over 1". Remember, this is a ratio so the units don't matter as long as they are the same for both measurements. So you could use a 20cm length and over 4cm (which is the same 5 to 1 ratio).

[@Warrentvoid]

Top stuff. Never gets old.

[@marka87]

Thanks for posting this is a really helpful informative video. Having a go at my first scratch built turnouts now.

[@patricklawless6597]

Hi. This is an excellent video! Unlike many DIY videos on KZbin, you have good camera work, excellent narration, and all the necessary information. Thanks for taking the trouble to do this. Cheers!

[@royreynolds108]

I would like to add some information about turnout frog measurement. A frog is measured by the spread of the rails from the point but the line that is measured is down the center of the frog and the spread is measured perpendicular to the length line so 1/2 of the spread is on each side; this is an isosceles triangle. Because these are small angles and the models are small, the differences are hardly noticeable. The frog angle of a No. 6 frog is 9 degrees 31 minutes 38 seconds while the angle you have laid out is 9 degrees 27 minutes 44 seconds. I was more used to laying out No 8 's and No 10's which are 7 degrees 9 minutes 10 seconds and 5 degrees 43 minutes 29 seconds. If you check any table listing frog angles, you will find these numbers. The diverging stock rail should have the switch point angle about 6 to 8 inches in front of the straight closure point to help "hide" the point from wheel flanges. I realize my comments are years along but are from full size practice.

[@rubber20021]

You have the patience for sure...so thanks for showing!

[@skyjim777]

Great video! Thanks!

[@BHS-RR]

I see now that it is fairly simple to set up the jig for the frog and point rails.

[@markdm5415]

Bear Creek_ South Jackson_ Sounds like Southern Oregon. I came here because I wanted to learn how to set rails directly on my home made bridges. I learned a lot but did not understand it all.

[@rs6383]

Thank you for sharing, It is a very informative video. I plan on using some of your techniques in the future on my railway system. Thank you. 🚂

[@GreaterVisionFarms]

Awesome video I am for sure going to follow this again with all the parts and build my first Thank you!

[@wolfgang548]

Something I've been curious about. Why do homemade turnouts need PC board ties if commercially made turnouts don't?

[@bigdon1a1]

Very good need some practice will have to get some parts thanks

[@mikeggg5671]

You make this effortless. I am I'm afraid, stuck with whatever I can find used on ebay. I don't stand a chance. I don't have the equipment or the skill that you are demonstrating. I am in awe of you!

[@nedmerrill5705]

For N scale turnouts, I have found the Rollee Holders to be out of gauge. They are a bit too narrow.

[@terryflynn8830]

I think every one has their own methods of making turnouts, and I liked your wood jigs. I also use roller gauges and paper templates, but I noticed you did not use a gauges when soldering your check rails into position. The position of these are critical for smooth derailment free operation. I would recommend you use your roller gauges to position your check rails as you are soldering them, then you will find there will be no need to adjust the check rails, most of the time.

[@VE2XJS]

its a beauty to see you work! Thank you for sharing this knowledge!

[@robertravena]

great video... i was wondering if or how to make my own frog forming jig; i want to make #4 & #3 turnouts in O scale.. esp as noone makes a #3 turnout in 148 O 2 rail..now with your video which i will be returning to for reference, i can..thank you.

[@MontrealtrainChannel]

nice tutorial video..for sure ,I will try it

[@dougdays8095]

what is PC rod ?

[@BuhdaPunk]

I wonder if milling a aluminum template that hold rail and ties, hell might even work with a hard wood.

[@TravelingRailfan]

Hello thanks for the tutorial I've been wanting to try this for quite some time now. I was wandering however, is it possible to use all wood ties instead of the pic ties? Are the pic ties there just for ease of rail placement?

[@FfarquharProductions]

How did you make the holes for the spikes on your jig?

[@BHS-RR]

Killer video. I would like to see a little more detail to better insure the jig is set up correctly, or maybe I missed something. At any rate this shows a very thrifty alternative to expensive jigs and forming tools that do not ensure good results. I would have to invest in a bench sander that would easily pay for itself on many projects. I have a dozen old dead frog turnouts in my yard and this is making me think that I could cheaply replace them all.

[@greenglass2]

the closing rails aren't hinged anywhere, how hard is it to move them?

[@greenglass2]

''the closing rails aren't hinged anywhere, how hard is it to move them?'' mine's too stiff to change.

[@MarkInLA]

No question / excellent tutorial. But it sure helps to be able to own those power tools...I wonder how it was done in the hobby before them. Anyone out there have success building switches without power tools ?

[@manda60]

FastTracks makes a filing jig known as a "Point Form" which you can use to shape the points and the frog rails. That's my plan, actually.

[@Rule1ModelRailways]

Nice guitar nails.

[@rcguilford]

how many turnouts can you build with one pack of rail?

[@moyete]

Thank you

[@BaronvonBavert]

thanks!

[@patrickdevlin9991]

What brands of guitar do you own?

[@MarkInLA]

WILD !! I came back to this vid today and as I play classical guitar too, I was going to say the very same thing you said !!! You and I hold the deep secret as to why we know this !!..Yuk Yuk... BTW my Guit. is a Cordoba C10 ceder. M

[@peterstecks7660]

Fabulous. Thank you!!!

[@Harley2019]

WOW! great vid.

[@MrTinyUK]

Fantastic video. Has helped me a lot. Thank you. ;-)

[@jegas6796]

awesome

[@johnbrogan7455]

how would you build a ladder turnout say for 4 tracks?

[@MarkInLA]

It's not 1 turnout. It's simply 4 RH or LH TOs of the same # (4 or 6) connected end to end. That comprises your ladder track.

[@Robotechnology101]

very informative.

[@djmpvae27091978]

Cool vid.

[@johnpauljones949]

John Allen is still my hero

[@georgen9755]

400 grip sand paper Sand paper Flats

[@georgen9755]

Eating circles

[@Rightwinger1982]

gross fingernails

[@MRhobbyist]

Charlie is also a guitarist who prefers not to use a pick but grows his fingernails long on one hand to make it easier to play the strings more precisely. It's not lack of hygiene, it's done deliberately for his other passion: playing solo guitar.

[@jegas6796]

i play guitar the same way and find its better than a pick from classical and flamenco to heavy metal and neoclassical shredding.... oh yeah.... beside what dude comments about anpther dudes nails as dirty while he working in a shop? A girl maybe, no dudes i know would lol... we be more happy the turnout looks great