A question was brought up concerning trenching unitrack to get a better look and control in adding ballast to it.
This is what the trenching looks like.
There are a few way of doing it, anywhere from hand cut to CNC but I'll post the most feasible approach for everyone.
Dremel
1. Lay the foam down in sections or all out depending on whats manageable
2. Lay the track down on the foam based on your layout plan
3. Tape the ends of the track down, pull the track taunt and tape where needed. (This creates straight lines and holds the track in place for marking)
4. Trace the outline of the track both sides with a sharpie.
5. Now use pieces of the same track to act as a guide to make perfect routing lines. See image below
Here's the tools you need
Dremel
Dremel base
Bit
End Mill type.
They are bits that cut from the top as well as the sides. That's how you will achieve the level cuts.
That is a rotozip bit I think Dremel calls it a 561 MultiPurpose Cutting Bit
Drill bits won't work as they will not cut the bottom of the trench.
Sand stones or cutter of that sanding nature melt the foam. You need to cut the foam in larger chips or flakes.
Remember you want the tip to have a flute that cuts top and side.
Its a mess without the vacuum going but the yield is worth the effort in my opinion. It takes minimal effort to glue the track in place afterwards.
As they say a picture is worth a 1000 words. I did this example is a bout 15 minutes. the routing took about 1 minute. Its like coloring between the lines. The track taped on the outer edges of the lines keeps the bit within your sharpie lines. It acts like a template/guide.
To do the double track you have to increase the diameter of the base, that way it bridges the trench. The diameter of the base has to be greater than twice the width of the track.
The track is 58mm so you need the base to be about 125mm.
Inobu
