Well, I've managed to paint myself into a corner and am wondering how others have solved this situation: I used hollow core doors (HCDs) with 2" foam on top as the foundation of my new layout. How the heck do I attach the bus wires to the underside of the HCDs to run power all around the layout to the feeder wires? Duct tape doesn't seem to stick very well :we-no:
If future access is not an issue, you could make a deep cut in the foam with a long knife and stuff the bus down into the slit. The foam should close up again to conceal the wire. But again, this is only if you're confident you will not need to re-work the bus in the future.
How about using some that "household goop/shoe goo" type glues? You could just tack the wires in place every couple feet, but still allow removal later. Peter
You have a variety of options, depending on where you are on the door, and the door itself. Along the edges, anywhere from 3/4" to about 2", you can use a normal cable clamp with a screw, sinking the screw into the solid wood that makes up the perimeter of the frame. Within the "field" of the door, the best option would probably be trapping the bus between Velcro. Use stickyback Velcro, make sure the surface you are sticking to is CLEAN! No dust, clean it with acetone (nail polish remover will do as well), or another similar solvent that will remove any grease or other oils. Put the sticky back strip in place, hold your bus wire against it, then slap the other half of the Velcro and voila, you got some bus stuck to the underside of the HCD, AND you can remove the bus if necessary. As long as you don't go hauling the door around by the bus or other such foolishness, this solution should be good as long as you keep the layout.
I use the European style terminal strips, from Radio Shack, on the bottom of the HCD layout. They come in 8 or 12 position but can be easily cut. The standard version takes up to a 10 gauge wire and the "mini" goes to a 16 gauge. The hole for each connector goes through the terminal strip so you could feed a continuous wire (bus) and then attach feeders also. I attach the terminal strips, sometimes with 2, 4, 6, or more connectors to the bottom skin of the door with a dab of Liquid Nails. I also use a small sheet metal type screw to hold the terminal strip in place while the glue dries. The combination of glue and a small screw is enough to keep the strip attached to the bottom of the door.
You can staple the wiring in place using heavy duty staples. A second choice would be to use terminal joiners like those pictured above. A third choice would be to use Posi-Tap connectors connecting common bus lines to track feeders.
I also staple but I staple heavy duty "twist ties" to the bottom of the door then I can undo the feed wires for service whenever needed.
1. Use a pair of these to seperate the insulation from your bus wires. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062787 2. Solder your feeders to the bus wires. 3. Stick your bus wires to the bottom of your HCD with hot glue every few feet so the wires don't sag. 4. Run trains!! Brian
I use dirt cheap baling wire. Where my cable runs need support, I drill two holes up from the bottom, feed a U-shaped piece of baling wire down from the top, and twist and clip from the bottom. Really easy to find from the bottom.
I use a staple gun to attach cable ties to the bottom of the door. Then I budle the wires in the cable tie, pull it tight, and trim off the excess. Jamie
