How can I make trestles for my o gauge layout? I have some unique areas that I cannot use pre-made trestles.
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Derek,
Here is an older thread with lots of ideas for homemade trestle supports:
Trestle support thread
Jim
Here is an older thread with lots of ideas for homemade trestle supports:
Trestle support thread
Jim
I went to Michaels Crafts and picked up some dowel rods and a pack of Woodsies. Its pretty easy to assemble after creating a jig. Check out Grand Central Jems for pre assembled bents for the trestle.
George
George
Hi Derek,
For mine I decided how the terrain would fall, then figured the height of the tallest bents and made a jig for those. You can modify the jig as you need to make the smaller ones. For the materials I looked on line for inexpensive balsa wood because it's easy to work with. You might also try assembling it upside down. It's much easier then trying to balance all the different heights.
Steve C.
For mine I decided how the terrain would fall, then figured the height of the tallest bents and made a jig for those. You can modify the jig as you need to make the smaller ones. For the materials I looked on line for inexpensive balsa wood because it's easy to work with. You might also try assembling it upside down. It's much easier then trying to balance all the different heights.
Steve C.
Derek
I built this trestle from antique oak weathered with India ink wash and lightly sprayed with floquil rail brown from a rattle can. I attached all of the pieces with a dab of yellow glue and used a pneamatic headless pinner to secure them together.
I built this trestle from antique oak weathered with India ink wash and lightly sprayed with floquil rail brown from a rattle can. I attached all of the pieces with a dab of yellow glue and used a pneamatic headless pinner to secure them together.
Here is a pic of my trestles. I used 1/4x1/4 basewood after I glued them together I stained them with minwax dark walnut. Certainly a tedious project but trestles really make an added feature to a layout. As George mentioned, making a jig is probably the best way to make trestles especially if you are making very many. I ended up making over 60 for my layout.
Everyone have a nice weekend and a safe New Years.
Ken.
Everyone have a nice weekend and a safe New Years.
Ken.
One of the tricky aspects of building a trestle is maintaning a flat plane across the valley.
If your span is curved and 7' or less & you are not going to do exact prototype detailed scale consider using an 11 ply 3/8 or a 5 ply 6 mm really stiff northern grown Birch/Maple plywood spine core (tad pricie) overlapping each bridge abutment by about 6" for a good reference baseline. One or two deadman supports can be helpful.
If your span is straight you can use a masons screed bar (available in an assortment of lengths at a serious tool outlet)or a level. Set it at the top of stringer height and lay ties when finished or mount manufactured track directly onto the stringers.
For more of an open prototype deck with a straight or cosmetic curved bridge two lenghts of 1/4" square steel key stock can be substituted, even left embedded. I had been using brass & stainless steel keystock left over from my boat building days. Brass is easier to work with.
If your span is curved and 7' or less & you are not going to do exact prototype detailed scale consider using an 11 ply 3/8 or a 5 ply 6 mm really stiff northern grown Birch/Maple plywood spine core (tad pricie) overlapping each bridge abutment by about 6" for a good reference baseline. One or two deadman supports can be helpful.
If your span is straight you can use a masons screed bar (available in an assortment of lengths at a serious tool outlet)or a level. Set it at the top of stringer height and lay ties when finished or mount manufactured track directly onto the stringers.
For more of an open prototype deck with a straight or cosmetic curved bridge two lenghts of 1/4" square steel key stock can be substituted, even left embedded. I had been using brass & stainless steel keystock left over from my boat building days. Brass is easier to work with.
Wow. Those trestles are quite impressive. I recently added an elevated trolley and I scratch-built my own trestles using 3/8" basswood with 3/16" x 1/4" pieces for struts. The trestles were small enough where I was able to dip the whole assembly into a can of stain so that all areas were covered.
