Quick Question About Cutting Korber Walls?

I used a small table saw to cut my walls.  Had no issues.

I cut some OGR building walls with a small bandsaw.

Thanks for the replies.  I don't have either a small hobby table saw or a band saw, but my friends are trying to convince me that I need a band saw. 

 

Art

I Vote Razor Saw, No Heat.

I have been using the mirolux tilt arbor table saw from micro mark for14 years.  This works on all plastics, thin wood and with the correct blade soft metal and tracks.  You seem to have a large layout so this may be worth the $400-$500 cost by the time you get all of the blades.  If you are only doing a few buildings I recommend some of the Chinese saws or a back saw with a guide. Feel free to check out the link on my signature and give me a call.  I will be happy to talk over all of the options.

I wouldn't use a Dremel cutting wheel on urethane or plastic. It tends to melt rather than cut the plastic.

 

I've used a regular 10-inch miter saw with a carbide blade to cut urethane panels without any real problems, but a bandsaw or [very] fine-tooth table saw would probably be better.

A small table top bandsaw is an excellent investment for this hobby bench top belt/disc sander too. Thats what I use to cut walls and sand down.

Art,

You can cut them with a hand Zona saw if you do not have any powered equipment. I have even cut them  with a utility knife. If you use a knife, you have to cut all the way through because if you try to snap the wall at the scored location, it may crack. The urethane that is used for the walls is a brittle material and it can break easily.

 

Alan Graziano

My sweetheart.  The band saw.

Sears Craftsman 9" Band Saw.
I also have found the most used tool is a small bench belt/disk sander.
Bottom shelf to the right.

Sears Craftsman Bench Belt/Disk sander.   Keep in mind that there are better tools out there.  These two tools were the only addition when I started in the hobby about 12 years ago.  Maybe $500 or less for both. 

 

Back to cutting the walls. Once cut with the bandsaw, I finish the cut with a hand file to true the edge and adjust the piece if necessary.  The Ameri-town pieces are cut in half and also shortened to fit a specific location on the layout.

 

I have an old Craftsman 12" band saw that I use for just about anything.  Slow and steady cutting this sort of material, but it works just fine.

Thanks to all for your very helpful replies.  Is this forum great or what?

 

I have had a couple friends tell me that I HAD to get a band saw and now with this advice I think that it is time.  The sander also looks like it would come in very handy.

 

Art

I bought a Craftsman 10" band saw today and am anxious to try it out.  Thanks again for all the great ideas and comments.

 

Art

 

Art:

A few tips from an old wood worker:

- If you are going to use a fence first correct for blade drift so the fence is set at the correct angle. The instruction manual will describe the process.

- Setting up the guides and rollers is critical and should be checked often.

- Set the blade guide mechanism as close to the top of the cut as you can to avoid blade deflection.

- invest in a set of graphite blade guides and follow the instructions on placement.

- besides the obvious don't set the blade too loose it is also a good idea not to over tighten the blade. Don't rely on the scale on the machine to set the blade tightness. The instruction manual should tell you the proper deflection to determine the right tension on the blade.

- besides the correct number and type of teeth also think about a narrow blade if you are going to cut curves ( I cut circles on my machine all the time) and a wider blade for straight cuts. The wider blade will drift a lot less through the cut than a thinner one and don't be surprised if the cut is not perfectly straight even when using a fence.

- don't need to buy an expensive circle cutting jig. You can build one out of plywood and a brass or wood dowel in about 5 minutes. Which reminds me it would also be a good idea to buy a blade that will cut plywood and hardboard (fixtures/jigs, roofs, bases etc).

Good Luck 

Joe

 

PS - With the above said I tend agree with Stu Gralnik wrt to using a table saw. I have a Delta Unisaw (overkill for Model railroading but a great saw for woodworking). I always make straight cuts on the table saw and curve cuts/circles on the band saw mostly because after 30 years I still don't know had to get a nice straight cut on flat stock using the bandsaw. 

Art

 

CONGRATULATIONS!  I have had a Delta 16" 3-wheel band saw for sometime now. I use it all the time; Get a decent fence for it I use a KREG.

 

Thanks.  I don't know if I am doing everything exactly right or not but so far it is great.  Makes me wonder how I ever got along without it before.  You were right Alan.

 

Art

Sounds like all good suggestions.

I typically cut the walls using a 180 tooth plywood blade in my compound miter saw.

Works well