Fast Tracks

Hello all,

I came upon a way to extend the life/limit the wear on the point form tools (sorry Tim and Ron). Being a rather cheap individual, and really enjoying the pristine appearance of my point form tools, I wanted to find a way to preserve their finely ground surface finish as much as possible...

I found that self adhesive 0.005" thick Mylar, which is marketed in craft stores for home lamenating projects, works pretty well for this purpose. I cut the Mylar into strips slightly wider and longer than each piece of the form tool, then laminate it to the tool pieces after cleaning the metal with alcohol. Take care to clear the slots in the tool so not to foul the rail.

Use the tool as before... I've found that the Mylar is good for about three turnouts worth of filing rail parts. I realize this is being exceptionally anal, but that's me! When it looks as though the Mylar is about shot, it is easily stripped off and replaced...

After dong a few turnouts, I've not found an appreciable angular deviation in the filed rails because of the Mylar. I was still able to produce very fine points on all rails.

Hope this is of some use to others...

JeffB

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Jeff Bissonnette

Hi,

I love the idea of keeping the tool 'in gauge'.

Where do you get the self-adhesive mylar?

Cheers,

Tim (aka Zoid)

That will work fine for the PointForm tool. but don't try it with the StockAid. The filing surface of the StockAid is precisely machined so that just the right amount of rail protrudes beyond the face for filing. Which is one of the reasons the StockAid tool is hardened and the PointForms are not.

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Cheers!

Ron Warris
Fast Tracks

For myself I have found a way to that seems to not only extend the life of the Pointform Tools it will also renew and retrue them as well.
The method I use also seems to make the filing process go somewhat faster as well. What I do is to lay the file on a flat surface such that
the file itself is flat against the surface and then draw the Pointform tool along the face of the file filing down the protruding rail until the
Pointform Tool starts being drawn along. this method lets the face of the tool to remain above the file until the final few strokes where the
rail then gets its final shape and is then absolutely flat to the tool face. This method will also tend to smooth and flatten the face of the tool
as the humps get filed down as well until the entire Pointform Tool face is in contact with the file.

I got it at Blick's art supply store... It is marketed as heatless laminating film. Though any self adhesive mylar will work.

JeffB

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Jeff Bissonnette

Forgive me for digging up an old post but I dont fully understand the reasoning of *NOT* hardening point form tools. I would GLADLY pay for a hardend version of the tool (like the StockAid tool is) to protect that investment, ie: longer lasting. However that being said, from what I have read on these boards so far you guys really...REALLY know your stuff about handlaying rail so ther must be a good reason for not hardening it....?