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Tunnel Portal Side Wing Wall Kit

(click on photo's for a larger image)

Glue Tips,
Use waterproof glue suitable to your climate and available in your area. As with all glues excess is best cleaned up before it sets. If you will be doing a clear finish, we have found that small glue mistakes don't show if clear setting glue is used. Still it is best to clean up, especially areas where a hardened glob interferes with further construction. (Easier to remove a soft lump than a hard glob)
Cutting Tips,
A razor saw or band saw with a fine tooth blade works well. For fine tuning a piece of sandpaper laid on a flat surface works great, holding the piece vertical and giving it a few strokes with light pressure across the sandpaper will shorten a board up just fine. With all tools, caution and safety is important. Remember this is a real wood product. There might be some warping. Material if not being used for a while (overnight) should be wrapped or bundled together. So when you stop for the day, wrap it up. If you do get some warped pieces, carefully bend them in the opposite direction and you can temporarily remove some of it. Once it is glued together as a composite structure it will become stable. Most material is shipped in 18"-20" lengths, that is equal to 36-40 feet in real dimension. I don't think you will find many real boards that long without some warp. Always cut longest elements first and use the leftovers for the smaller items.
Work area,
Use a flat smooth surface to work on. We recommend you use wax paper laid on the plans and on your layout board to keep glue from sticking. So on with the show!

This kit builds two side wing walls. One left and one right. Overall dimensions (full size) above ground level for each wing are 37' wide x 21' tall, which is 18 1/2" long x 10 1/2" tall in scale size and dropping every 3 inches by 1 ½". The frame uprights extend 2" below ground level to bury in the ground for added stability. Use layout drawing for dimension reference.

Use a sharp pencil to mark material for cutting. Most elements can be cut with no measuring at all by marking them from the drawing.

Start by laying out the frame with 12 x 12. Make sure to keep things as square as possible. Work on a flat surface. Waxpaper laid on top of the drawing will keep glue from sticking to the plan sheet. Notice the upright 12 x 12's extend 2 inches below ground level for burial in the ground. Select the straightest grain side of each piece and place that side down as the 4x12 backing material will be placed on top of this frame. Remember best appearance side faces down during this entire construction process.

All the frame done for the right wing wall.

Measure up 4 ½" from the bottom of the longest upright. This is where the bottom of the first 4x12 backing material will be. Start cutting the longest pieces for the backing material. We cut them about 1/16" longer than the frame and will trim them later. You can opt not to do this, but we thought it was easier to leave them long. We cut 6 pieces at 18 9/16" the leftover from this first cut was used to make 3 pieces for the top most level at 3 9/16" long. Then 3 pieces15 9/16" long, the leftovers from these 3 cut to 6 9/16". The last 3 cut at 12 9/16" with the leftovers cut to 9 9/16". You will have to adjust if you made the wing wall smaller.

The first piece of 4x12 backing material in place. The reason we started here is because working your way to the top from here will leave a little material to possibly trim at the tops of each level. This we found is easier than notching if you go the other direction.

Work your way to the top making sure to leave overhang over each end and keep the boards tight together.

After the top is done add the last 5 long pieces on the bottom.

Build the left side wing wall with the same process and you will end up with another wall that looks like this from the back.

The use of separate boards gives a great realistic appearance. Both wing walls shown here with our tunnel portal kit (sold separately). If you do an application with a backwards angle, note the joint detail drawing on the plans as you will have to trim the backing material to get a tight joint where the 12x12 uprights meet. Adjust the wall angles to fit your application.

We recommend using a clear sealer on all areas that will come in contact with the earth at the least. That will still give you a natural weathered gray look with time. It would be best to seal the entire structure and most important to seal several times the ends of the parts that will be below ground level.

Good Luck and Happy Railroading!

 

Thanks,

Mark & Sue Smith
Smith Pond Junctions Railroad Products
Team@spjrr.com

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