How to Flex Track

Harbor Freight cutoff saw

You need to have a couple of items in your tool collection.

One is a Dremel rotary tool. With the fiber-reinforced cutoff wheel makes quick work of even Atlas 3-rail track (very hard to cut). You can get other accessories for it and it's a handy tool to have for drilling, shaping, etc.

The other tool is a good X-Acto or Zona Razor saw (looks like an open straight razor). Get one with finer teeth for cutting metal. This works well on Gargraves track and will cut Atlas rail as well.

Hope this helps.

Dremel is my tool of choice for cutting track.

Greg, I know that you were not talking about tubular track, but I'm going to offer this suggestion for those reading this that do. Rather than insert a short piece (less than half a track), I like to use one of the 3 foot straights available and cut it to replace one or two full straight sections plus the short extra length needed.

I use the Dremel with the flexible shaft, about 30" long or so.  I attach a cutoff disk and then slowly cut the rail.  The advantage of the flexible shaft is that you can get a 90 degree cut on the rail.  I leave the flexible shaft on permanently because it is so handy to use.

Hope this helps.

Ed

UPMav#488 posted:

Greeting all.

So with the layout I’m building I need a section of flex track. I have the right tool for it. But how do cut the track to fit with the layout and not push the track apart?

I am new to using flex track so may input would be nice.

I assume you mean that the flex track is going between two other pieces of non-flex track. IMHO, you would cut the flex track to just a little less (1/16" to 1/8" max) than the exact width of the gap between the non-flex tracks and then connect one end of the flex track to one end of the non-flex track. Then to connect the other end, lift up both the flex and non-flex track an inch or so until the pins can mate and connect them and then push the track back down and it should be fine.