Spikes

I use spikes.

Here is a You Tube video I made on how I lay switches.

I use spikes for wooden ties, solder for PC ties

I've used spikes for years.  Also use the Fast Tracks jig for turnouts, so those have soldered PC board ties in the appropriate spots.  But I don't use Pliobond to glue the rails to the wooden ties - just the Micro Engineering spikes.

Janet N.

Used Pliobond

I used this stuff way back in the late 80's. Coated the bottom of the rail and let it sit until almost dry. Laid it on the rails and using a hot soldering iron and the tools to keep the rails the right distance apart ran the soldering iron over the top of the rails.

DO NOT RECOMEND THIS METHOD

It mostly worked. I had issues on a couple of curves which I never did get to stay in place.

PC ties and spikes really work much better.

Jack

Track

I recently had to relearn a few things about hand laying track on my layout as well.  Here's a little write up I posted on my blog. Hope this might be of help to you.

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/pokey-3-0-construction-12216874

way way back in the 70's.

way way back in the 70's. back then there were no "jigs" everything was built to the location all by hand. each spike was installed by hand, only power tools were the cut off wheel, and soldering iron. not even track cutting pliers. just needle nose, and a couple files. and of course a couple track gauges.

Spikes. pre drill the holes ,

Spikes. pre drill the holes , use pcb ties or spacer plates where needed and remove after if desired. I just use Atlas MK1s or Shinohara for patterns. Nothing really bonds to metal that well other than soldering. For hidden turnouts I  would just use PCB and solder I wouldn't even bother with ties.

70's and now

Still do it that way.  Between December 2020 and May 2021 hand laid track on a 9x16 part of the layout that had over 40 switches on it.  Still works.

I find it quicker in the long run.  It allows me to tie and ballast the track BEFORE I install the rails, making the tie coloring and ballasting process way, way quicker.  I never have to worry about ballast getting on the base of the rail or in the flangeways of switches.

I don't predrill holes but a use a "pic" that is a small embroidery needle soldered into a 1/16 brass tube stuck into a short piece of 1/4" dowel.  I use the pic to punch a hole in the tie and then drive a ME Micro spike.  The largest amount of time you will spend spiking is actually getting the spike arranged in the pliers and driving it.  I found that the second or two I spend making a pilot hole cuts down the spike failures (spikes bending, etc) to almost nothing, speeding up the process since I drive the vast majority of spikes the first time.

I used to build switches on PC ties back in the 1980's but it was easier to just lay them in place in my situation.

spikes or not?

I use spikes and wood ties for large scale track ( S or O scale) and PB board ties and solder for N and TT scales. For HO I tend to use commercial flextrack and turnouts due to the great variety available.....DaveB

Spikes here too

I also used spikes on everything except for guardrails, where I used Goo.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the point of the pilot holes?  I handlaid 50+ turnouts and about 85% of the track on the old layout and don't remember an issue with spikes bending.  I was taught to drive ME spikes with the head parallel to the track, and once they had pierced the surface of the tie, turn them in toward the rail.  That makes them easier to drive, since the flat part of the spike is parallel with the grain of the tie at the time you drive through it.

Spikes bending?

is usually only a problem if the roadbed is too hard. Homesite or other soft material is usually no problem. I used luan plywood roadbed on my S scale layout but glued a thin layer of cork on top so the spike heads didn’t  have to penetrate the plywood....DaveB   

Spike size

I am using ME Micro spikes and I find that in white pine ties they will frequently bend without a pilot hole.

ME small spikes, not a problem.  They go right in.

Wow!

I just took a peek at Dave Husman's video: That is one fantastic video. Thanks! I admit I'm too old to do that, as my eye sight and shaky hands don't work too well. But Dave has shown a really nice way to build your own turnout. So I will recommend to anyone to give that method a try.

Back for a visit

In my e-mail this past week:

https://www.kadee.com/spiker-parts-c-274_333/700-twin-rail-spiker-gen-30-75th-anniversary-edition-p-2133.htm

Kadee spiker

Used one of them on a club layout back in the mid 1970's.

They are a tool you either swear by or swear at.

If you can get them tuned up and adjusted exactly right they are wonderful.  If you can't, they are the bane of the devil. 

CV ties

I use plastic CV ties http://www.cvmw.com, then use pilobond contact cement, bottom of rail, top of the ties between the guides.  Very easy, push down with a small block of wood and used a soldering Iron to really set the glue.  Turnouts, which I also use CV ties, I would cut some of the ties out and replace with PC ties and solder the rail, but I think now I'll just glue the rail down and not mess with the PC ties as its by far the most time consuming part.   

Apparently Kadee is offering

Apparently Kadee is offering the Spiker again now.   But prepared for sticker shock.

Kadee spiker

I borrowed a Kadee Spiker from a friend. I had to buy my own spikes, and based on what he said a box of spikes contained, I ended up buying about three times what I needed; which isn't a problem because I still use the uncut Kadee spikes to hold the throw rods down on my handlaid switches.

The Spiker sailed me through the code 70 main track in jig time, but was not much help where switches were involved. And it wasn't available at all on my code 55 track. (The head slamming down to drive the spikes would put a crimp in the code 55 rail. If the Spiker was adjusted to lessen the blow, the spikes wouldn't go far enough into the ties.)

As for the original reason for this thread...Packn, I am firmly in the spike camp on this one. The only rail I don't spike much is guard rails on switches. There, I hold the guard rail down with a few spikes and run solder between it and the stock rail. The flangway is easy to clean out. 

It's funny, some wise old handlayer around here opined that  handlaying track is "zen" like. That's not far off, I think.

P87 spikes

Like others I spike using the etched spikes from the proto87 store on Kapler wood ties. For turnouts I’ll lay these in place using Fasttracks templates as a guide. The PC ties are not as thick as the wood ties so I glue a piece of styrene on the before the copper clad tie is super glued in place. 
 

Spikes

I have been using spikes for 47 years, only way to go.

@Jim Fitch……

………the conversion between rail code kits are nearly 300 bucks.  If they offer the spiker again, 600 bucks???

I'd have to think long and hard at that price plus all the horror stories written about what a PITA they are to keep in adjustment………

Peter

If only

Now if Kadee made a spiked for code 250 rail I’d be in like Flynn. Code 70, 83, and 100 are just relaxing. G scale rail is exhausting. 

@Neil

I've got 250 and 215 track down to 6' of spiking in 45-55 minutes. But it can get tiring after the first 100'. But dang I can sure afford more track instead of paying $4 a foot for plastic ties...

Turnouts take a tad longer in the 2-3 hour range.

G scale rail is exhausting?

Is it big enough to drive the spikes with a small hammer? ......DaveB

Drill, hammer, or spike

I have been using Trex ties and needle nose pliers to spike the Code 250’ rail. I suppose a small hammer might work but I haven’t tried.  Lately the idea of pre-drilling occurred to me as an option so as not to bend so many spikes. Maybe Craig has a system he would share.