pppp Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I've seen people using small drills to drill holes, but also heard these are prone to breaking the sleepers. I did buy two types of track pins, so how do you nail down your track? what size drill bit? Note that I am expecting to have to lift it up some time to re surface the wooden base next winter if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I didn't drill anything. I pushed the pins through the sleeper with a pair of long nosed pliers. It was warm weather and nothing split, but that may change in colder weather when the plastic sleeper may be more brittle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussietmrail Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Hi PPPP, The best track pin to buy is the small Pecko ones ST-280 they are about 10mm's long and depends on what base board you are using if you need to pre drill and the size of the dill is .08mm and yes it is best to drill the plastic sleepers I have tried to do what Roddy has done, it takes longer. I use a Dremel drill to predrill the holes into the sleepers and 12mm ply and use a special Pecko tool punch has a spring in it to push the nails in pretty quick, no hammer banging, the tool is called a Pecko 3MM pin pusher, best tool I have ever bought for track nailing, you can get other smaller electric drills that do the same. This weekend I will be starting to nail down track on the ply base board curves, still need to screw in place on one of the 6ft track base sections leading into the station platform modules not far from running the very first test loco form when I started on the layout construction 12 months back, you have started nailing track down. Happy modelling from down under ,Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I wasn't pushing the pins into plywood Tony. I was using decking boards, and the pins shoved straight in. Two winters on, and all pins are still holding with no split sleepers. I didn't know that Peco did a pin pusher. That was something I came across when Dad had one when I was a kid. Haven't seen them recently though. Certainly a handy little tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussietmrail Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Hi Roddy, I did know that deck boards were easy to push in track pins, our deck boards are very hard timber, some ply board is soft enough to nail in track pins I find pre drilling and using that nail pusher is quite fast and Hornby bring one out as well, here is a link to buy one. http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/2151_1_19213.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Keep an eye out on my post for a video clip of the big even end of April, early May. How is the progress with your track nailing PPPP, any pics. Happy modelling from down under , Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pppp Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 Its slow progress! I thought my layout was short but after doing about 1/4 of it, happy its not any longer. That is just for the single loop, the second line will go in later. Thank you for the tip on the pin pusher, too late to order one by I just tried to make my own. The pin pushing has been the worst bit. A 'Straight Template Tracksetta' and even the curve tools would be useful. So far doing it by a careful eye has worked. - video of truck being pushed around the first turn a few days ago. http://imgur.com/a/SQODT - 3 photos of nails, great 10mm pin, 15mm peco too thin pin, ikea nail for scale, currently putting roughly 12 pins per yard of track Gap in rails for expansion. 1 or 2mm should be enough right? I looked at the track at midday when its was 22c and they had not expanded out so I think this should be enough yet safe enough for trains to pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I use Peco IL-11 brass rail nails. They appear a little chunky for OO but once they are in, they are fine. The brass is a little shiny at first but the soon tarnish to the point where they are unnoticeable. I drill a 1mm hole in the sleeper. I've followed IanR and pin outside of the rails rather than in between. When I've removed sections of track I have occasionally broken a sleeper or chair, but the track is still reusable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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