Lumber Yards

Any decent lumber yard will cut them for you. Here is the quote I received for ripping 10 sheets of 1/4".

My sources

I found my supplies by searching online for Model Lumber. I have dealt with Ozark and Balsa Wood without problems.

Ozark Miniatures

http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=1335

Balsa Wood Inc.

http://www.balsawoodinc.com/basswoodsticks

ebay

http://stores.ebay.com/Manchester-Dollhouse-and-Wood-Works/Model-Lumber-Wood-Strips-/_i.html?_fsub=19&_sid=137160344&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

There is also another ebay seller that at times posts scale lumber, but I can not remember the seller.

The Problem as I see it

The problem as I see it is that most modelers would prefer their roadbed splines in 8 foot lengths.That is not something that is easy to ship via the mail or UPS etc.

George

To bad your not a bit  closer

To bad your not a bit  closer I have a shwack of spline that I'm not using and have up for sale. Its from a window suppler had the spline cut in 1/4'' x 1'' x 8'L

James

Winnipeg MB

spline--at Home Depot

Your problem has a really simple solution. If you have a Home Depot store nearby, you can purchase clear pine splines, 1/4 inch thick (or thinner at 3/16 inch) by 1-1/8 inch depth and up to 16 feet long. Just look in the aisle that has the precut trim lumber used for door and other types of trim. Somewhere along that aisle will be these finished pine strips. Last time I purchased some they were $0.45 a foot. The long lengths are very useful for making splines or you could cut them into 8 foot lengths.

John

"If you have a Home Depot

"If you have a Home Depot store nearby, you can purchase clear pine splines"

Hmm.. I have looked at Home Depot many times, including in the molding aisle and don't think I've run across that before. I'll have to take another look. Thanks for the tip.

It's not that I really mind all that much cutting it up myself, I do have a table saw, but I don't like cutting it by myself, and its rare that I can find anybody who wants to help out. Once or twice I've cajoled my wife into helping but she isn't really into it and tries to rush through it and the splines often come out thin in the middle that way, which makes them harder to use. My kids would love to help, but at ages 3 & 5 they're still a bit young yet to be around the saw.

BTW, around here, it's hard to use "Clear Pine" and "Home Depot" together in a sentence.

John

To bad your not a bit 

To bad your not a bit  closer

Yup, Winnipeg is just a tad North of me... Don't the Eskimos, like, come to you for snow??

BTW, how much is a "Schwack" anyway?

John

"most modelers would

"most modelers would prefer their roadbed splines in 8 foot lengths"

Well, yes and no. I agree 8 foot is a nice amount to work with, once you get going-- especially after you have the basic spline laid in-- it's really not that big a deal to work with smaller lengths, except maybe for curves it's nice to have longer pieces. I cut some 12 foot lengths for my widest curves and they were almost too long to comfortably deal with. They did make nice curves though.

John

Make friends with a cabinet maker.

I made friends with a guy who is a carpenter.  He has all the equipment to cut 4x8 sheets into splines without assistance.  He did three sheets for me at $10 each. He bundled them too.

Den

Hmm.. now that's not a bad

Hmm.. now that's not a bad idea.

Lol a shwack = 300 400

Lol a shwack = 300 400 pices.

Not sure how much I have left. The stuff comes in handy, shimmed windows, doors. survey sticks when i build the patio on the back of the house. use some to hold up the tomato plants.