Tip for using meter/yard stick for creating curves?

Has anyone heard of this?
You drill holes or something in a meter/yard stick for creating a half circle (4x8 table)
Does anyone know how to do this? Like which numbers for the curve radius or w/e

Can someone please go into detail about this im kind of confused on how to do it.
 

cidchase

Active Member
Ya 'bout got it, prodigy. Poke a nail thru the yardstick at the 1" mark for the center point, and a sharpie marker at the 19" mark (takes about a 1/8" hole). Find your desired center point, poke the tip of the nail in the table top there, and draw your circle with the marker, holding the center steady. You will have an 18" radius curve or circle.

Don't work worth squat if you already have scenery in place! :D :D :D
 

60103

Pooh Bah
I drill 3 holes around the 1" mark: 1", and + and - 1/2G (where G is your track gauge). (For HO this is 11/16 and 1 5/16 as HO is 5/8") Then you can use the 3 pivot points and get the C/L and both rails. Also drill marker holes at your other radius points - 21", 25", 27". If you get a meter stick you can drill one at 37".

I've also done weird things with 1x4s clamped to the benchwork because a 2-foot shelf won't fit a 36" compass.

PS: this will work up to O gauge. Anyone in G and larger will have to start at the 2" mark. And probably need something larger than a yard stick.
 

train1

Member
Take a yadstick as mentioned.
Drill a hole (nail size) at 0" or equivilant ( use 1" if neccessary).
Drill pencil sized holes on the inch increments starting at your minimum recomm ended gauge standard. For example my minimum radius will be no smaller than 17" on my N Gauge layout.
 

Jim Krause

Active Member
That will work, just remember to add that extra one inch to whatever radius you want. I see your skills growing already.
 

Chaparral

Member
Ah tay ya'll wut I done!
I got a couple 4 foot shelf brackets - the ones that you find inside bookcases, flat about 1/2 to 3/4 wide with notches all the way up.
I measured the diameter of various pails and buckets and bent one of the brackets to conform to a pail with a diameter close to what I wanted. The bent bracket is a good solid surface to draw a center line with and it's ready at the drop of a hat around buildings, and obstructions. It works well to check transitions and tangents because of the question mark shape and gives an instant eyeball for right-of-way space.
Even if you draw a circle on a flat surface with the yardstick and nail thingy, bend the bracket to conform to the drawing your are ahead, if you put registration marks on the bracket ( the transition and tangent points).
 
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