Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Measure the distance you need to span with your trestle. Hold a piece of string across the gap and measure from the top to the bottom. Write down this figure and diagram the gap.
Cut a piece of balsa wood to the height of the trestle, minus 1/4 inch. Cut a second piece. For example, if you need to fill a 10-inch gap, cut two 9.75-inch pieces.
Lay the two pieces parallel to each other with the narrow ends pointing toward you. Position the pieces 1 track-width apart, about 1.5 inches from each other.
Hold a piece of 1/4-inch balsa so that it lines up with the top of the upright. Tilt it outward so that the bottom is about 1.5 inches from the bottom of the upright pieces. Cut the piece to match up with the bottom of the uprights. Repeat on the other side.
Lay a piece of 1/4-inch balsa across the bottom of the beams, perpendicular to the upright pieces. Cut this piece to the width of the base. Glue the piece into place.
Hold the balsa wood across the center of the upright beams, so that about 1/2 inch hangs off the right side. Measure 1/2 inch from the left side and cut the piece of wood. Glue this piece onto the trestle at the center.
Cut a second piece of balsa to the same length as the center horizontal beam. Glue this at the top of the trestle on top of the upright beams. Leave the glue to dry for 10 minutes.
Flip the trestle piece over and repeat the cutting and gluing of the horizontal beams.
Mark 1/4 inch from the end of the middle beam on the left- and right-hand side.
Hold a piece of balsa wood from the 1/4-inch mark on the left side of the middle beam, and point the wood beam to the upper-right corner of the trestle. Cut this piece of wood and glue it into place. Flip the trestle over and repeat, so that the two beams form an X-shape.
Drive tacks through the three pieces of balsa wood at the four corners, the ends of the center beam, and the center of the X-shape.
Repeat to make more trestle pieces. Build one for every 3 inches you have to cover on your model, starting about 2 inches from the end of the track. To figure this out, you can divide the distance by the 3 inches, and subtract one. So, if you need to span 18-inches, make five.
Cut a piece of balsa wood to the width of the gap you need to cover. If your gap is 18 inches wide, cut an 18-inch piece of wood. Repeat to make 10 total pieces, six for the top and four for the sides.
Stand two trestle pieces about 14 inches apart, parallel to each other with the narrow sides facing you. Glue a cross beam across the top of these, near the end nearest you. Repeat with five more beams to create a stable top. Leave the beams to glue for 10 minutes.
Evenly space the remaining trestle pieces between the two outer trestles, and glue them to the bottom of the cross beam. Leave this glue to dry for 10 minutes.
Place another 18-inch beam across the exposed top of the middle beams. Glue this piece into place. Repeat on the other side.
Glue one of the remaining 18-inch beams to the bottom of the trestle, across the lower beams. Repeat on the other side.
Hold a piece of 1/4-inch balsa so that it points from the bottom-left corner of the left-most trestle, up to the middle beam on the neighboring trestle piece. Cut this beam and glue it into place. Repeat with the bottom corner on this second trestle up to the middle beam on the next piece. Repeat with the remaining trestles, then turn the model around and repeat on the other side so the cross beams form an X-shape.
Repeat the process of adding cross struts from the middle beam on the left-most trestle piece to the top of the neighboring piece. Repeat with the other cross beams and on the other side. Leave the model to dry overnight.
Place the trestle into the gap it will span, and then lay your track over the trestle according to its directions.