01-01-2011, 05:36 AM
Tetters, I am sure, that this Point Form Tool is a great help, but what can I say? I am cheap. 
. About $50 for this tool for the few turnouts I am building, is a bit steep. Inspired by this tool I came up with my own solution. Does give decent results and speeds up building the frogs. I cut .040" wide grooves at an angle of 4.5 degree into both sides of a strip of metal.
![[Image: frogtool1.JPG]](http://www.cnw.mattheydesign.de/frogtool1.JPG)
The grooves are wide enough for the top of the rail to fit in, but not the bottom.
![[Image: frogtool2.JPG]](http://www.cnw.mattheydesign.de/frogtool2.JPG)
To file a rail I put into the groove and then fix it in my vice. The top of the tool flush with the vice, only a short lenght of rail sticking out.
![[Image: frogtool3.JPG]](http://www.cnw.mattheydesign.de/frogtool3.JPG)
Takes a little tweaking with a small file after taking the rail out of the tool, but the frogs work very well.
![[Image: frogtool4.JPG]](http://www.cnw.mattheydesign.de/frogtool4.JPG)
Other than Tim Warris is showing it in his Fast Tracks video, I don’t solder the frog rails together before fixing them to the ties with the point rails already in place. I install the frog rails one after the other before I add the point rails. Works better for me. I built 4 #6 and 1 #8 turnout so far and only the first one needed a little extra care to work properly. Building turnouts is much easier than I had expexted. Today I am going to build a #10 Y with two #6 attached to it in one piece – it is fun!
. About $50 for this tool for the few turnouts I am building, is a bit steep. Inspired by this tool I came up with my own solution. Does give decent results and speeds up building the frogs. I cut .040" wide grooves at an angle of 4.5 degree into both sides of a strip of metal. The grooves are wide enough for the top of the rail to fit in, but not the bottom.
To file a rail I put into the groove and then fix it in my vice. The top of the tool flush with the vice, only a short lenght of rail sticking out.
Takes a little tweaking with a small file after taking the rail out of the tool, but the frogs work very well.
Other than Tim Warris is showing it in his Fast Tracks video, I don’t solder the frog rails together before fixing them to the ties with the point rails already in place. I install the frog rails one after the other before I add the point rails. Works better for me. I built 4 #6 and 1 #8 turnout so far and only the first one needed a little extra care to work properly. Building turnouts is much easier than I had expexted. Today I am going to build a #10 Y with two #6 attached to it in one piece – it is fun!
Kurt