Wooden Train Track Comparability Issue - Help Please!!

**crowie** · 17th January 2016, 05:46 PM

Wooden Train Track Comparability Issue - Help Please!!

We wanted to extend the track variety for the grandsons with the wooden train set bought in various places from Australia, USA, Germany, even Adli; both new & secondhand, when we saw variety packs in IKEA of all sorts of straights, curves & miscellaneous track.
The price was fair but we soon noticed an issue as the boys attempted to assemble the tracks in the profile of the connections.

In the photos you can see the IKEA track uses a plastic end to connect to the next section of track BUT it is a different profile as is the female end of the IKEA track as shown in the photos with a flatin the end of the circular section....

HELP PLEASE...any ideas on how to easily modify the IKEA track to make the assembly with the rest of the track easier for the boys.
Remove the gap one way and slightly increase the gap the other, thank you.
Cheers, crowie

**Chris Parks** · 17th January 2016, 06:47 PM

Plug the hole with a bit of dowel and drill it to suit might work.

**rwbuild** · 17th January 2016, 09:24 PM

Trim and redrill ALL pieces to the same setout then cut your own plywood joiner keys, in fact cut a dovetail in each piece with dovetail keys to join the pieces, easier than round holes. You got the band saw to do it with

**DavidG** · 17th January 2016, 09:37 PM

Why do I look at this and think CNC

**rwbuild** · 17th January 2016, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by DavidG

Why do I look at this and think CNC

Because that's how their made, yep but I think Peter would like to do it himself and he doesn't have a CNC

**Sawdust Maker** · 17th January 2016, 10:05 PM

I've seen another set all with square ends but with a ball on a stick joiner glued in (hope this makes sense)

**Mobyturns** · 17th January 2016, 10:59 PM

Simply cut off all the male joiners and turn the tracks into female both ends. Then use the plastic joiners only. This is only a viable solution, if you can purchase them as a separate part of course. Shouldn't be that difficult to make a jig for the drill press & a forstner bit, then trim out the slot with a tenon saw or band saw.

**Keith_1** · 18th January 2016, 11:12 AM

Crowie,

Been thinking about your issue.

I think what I would do is a combination of what both Ray and Mobyturns are suggesting.

I would cut off the male sections on any tracks you have and then make both ends of track female - in a sort of half butterfly shape. I would cut out using band or scrollsaw and then file and sand the inner end flat. I would then make my joiners out of MDF in a butterfly shape.

Attached is a sketch on how I would do it. Hope this helps

Regards

Keith

crowie.jpg

**plantagenon** · 18th January 2016, 11:18 AM

Nothing to do with correcting the tracks you have, but keep an eye out on Aldi sales. They sell the entire train kit with tracks, bridges and a heap of wooden toys on a stand with a draw for storing the trains. Not a bad price for what you get.

DSCF1760.jpg

**crowie** · 18th January 2016, 12:11 PM

Thanks gents thus far, but only a dozen of the IKEA track pieces that need attention out of a crate full [100plus].
Sorry, I should have mentioned this earlier. Cheers crowie

**Evanism** · 18th January 2016, 03:03 PM

If you trim all of them, you could put all the same ends on with these bits from Rockler: Train Track Router Bits | Rockler Woodworking & Hardware

MCLS from Amazon also sell a similar kit: MLCS Train Track Bit Set (4 piece) - Router Bits - Amazon.com

I've been thinking of buying a set for custom tracks

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