I FOUND THE SIMPLEST WAY TO CREATE RADIUS CURVED TRESTLES IS FIRST TO HAVE ALL MY BENTS MADE, THEN I START WITH  PIECE OF CURVED TRACK. FOR EXAMPLE IF I WAS WORKING WITH 16’ RADIUS SECTIONAL TRACK I TEMPORARILY TACK THE FIRST BENT TO THE CENTER OF THE FIRST TIE. THEN SPACE EACH BENT AT EQUAL DISTANCE

ONCE I HAVE COMPLETED THE SECTION I FASTEN ALL THE BOTTOM OF BENTS TO THE WORK SURFACE FOR STABILITY. I HAVE CREATED A JIG FOR THIS PROCESS. I USE TO JUST TACK THE BOTTOM SUPPORT TO MY TABLE .

 

ONCE THE BENTS ARE SUPPORTED I START ADDING THE HORIZONTAL STRINGERS AS IN DETAIL

THE PATTERN OF THE OVERLAPPED STRINGERS ARE IMPORTANT. TRY NOT TO HAVE UPPER AND LOWER STRINGERS OVERLAP ON THE SAME BENT. 12” IS THE MAX LENGTH  AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANY SHORTER THE DISTANCE OF THREE BENTS. THEN DO THE OUTSIDE STRINGERS WITH MIN 24” LENGTH. THE LONGER THE BETTER.

SOMETIMES I DO THIS WITH SEVERAL SECTIONS OF CURVED TRACK CONNECTED TOGETHER. ALL OF MY FASTING IS DONE WITH TITE BOND 2 WOOD GLUE AND BRADS. WHEN THE GLUE SETS UNFASTEN FROM TABLE AND IT SHOULD BE THE PERFECT RADIUS TRESTLE. THIS WILL WORK WITH FLEX TRACK AS WELL. I HAVE SINCE MADE WOODEN TEMPLATES OF THE SECTIONAL TRACK WITH PREDRILLED HOLES FOR THE BENTS. YOU CAN FASTEN ALL THE SECTIONS TOGETHER IN WORKSHOP OR IN PLACE, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE LARGER THE SECTION YOU ASSEMBLE THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WILL BE TO SET IN PLACE. I HAVE FOUND THAT 5’ SECTIONS ARE JUST HANDLE ABLE WITH ONE PERSON.

 

  ONCE THE SECTIONS ARE SET IN PLACE I SET THE TOP STRINGERS IN PLACE WITH THE RADIUS, AND THEN ADD THE TRESTLE DECKING. YOU WILL FIND AN OCCASIONAL WEEK SPOT, IF SO ADD EXTRA SUPPORT BRACE WHERE NEEDED.

 

 

GOOD LUCK I HOPE THIS HELPS, IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL INFO OR SOME PHOTOS OF THE TRESTLE, JUST ASK.

 

Richard Segal

Rock Creek and Southern.