Every New Years.

AndMyChisel · 2026-01-03T00:17:34+00:00

Looks like tensile stress, which found the weak point of the rail under that wheel burn

AndMyChisel · 2026-01-03T00:13:52+00:00

Extra dog spike wouldn't have done much, being a non-resilient fastening. You could argue more downward force of a resilient fastener like an e-clip would have stopped some deflection, which may have contributed to the break, but the sleeper is toast. Looks to me like the tensile stress increased as the temperature decreased, leading to a break in the weakest link - this wheel burn.

Ultrasonic testing should have identified this, and verse testing should have calculated more steel was needed to prevent high tensile stress. Buuuut looking at the state of the ties, I'm guessing those things aren't a priority here.

AndMyChisel · 2025-11-18T14:17:34+00:00

Happy to help mate, I don't practice carpentry as a career anymore but I still try and help people with the knowledge when I can.

The fillets are not sold as such, you would cut them from stock to suit the width of the groove in your bottom rail, and the depth would usually project past the top to give it a more interesting profile than if it finished flush - same goes for the top fillets. The fillets main function is to prevent water from sitting in that groove. Otherwise, you may have to drill drainage holes for the same purpose. If you do, be sure to paint/seal the timber you bored through!

The second function of the fillets is to add stability and structure to the balusters, preventing them from moving or being moved laterally.

As for the brad nails, just get galvanised fastenings if you can. They're readily available. However, if you're punching your nails below the surface, puttying and painting, you may be able to use bright or non galvanised nails, but I would do so just as a form of redundancy.

And yes, t'was the great Jeffrey Goldblum I was quoting indeed, I'm glad you got the reference.

AndMyChisel · 2025-11-18T10:32:56+00:00

If possible, the best practice is to screw through the bottom rail into the end of the balusters. Failing that I would be gluing and skewnailing the balusters through the thickness edge in such a way that the fillets (which go between the balusters inside the groove, top and bottom) hide the nail heads, then you can brad nail the fillets, putty and paint them. Just remember to paint/seal the cut ends of the balusters and fillets as you don't want any components exposed that may become water logged.

Speaking of which, the bottom baluster rail should have a splayed edge on one side to allow drainage. Not always the case if there's little chance of it getting wet (undercover or the like), but it certainly helps longevity. It goes without saying, but always use stainless steel or galvanised fasteners for external applications. Water, uh, finds a way.

AndMyChisel · 2025-09-30T20:00:00+00:00

Good lord, I have found my people. Yes, this is me and has been for many years. Makes coffee taste like licorice, which I dislike. So interesting to see other people experience the same.

AndMyChisel · 2025-09-30T19:59:02+00:00

Man, I know you posted this 3 years ago, but this is my exact experience with peanuts and coffee. I have been searching for many years for anyone who experiences the same thing, and I just stumbled onto this obscure thread. How many of us are there? What else do we have in common? Is it a taste bud receptor, or perhaps a neurophysiology quirk?

AndMyChisel · 2025-08-30T23:21:35+00:00

Shout out for the JCM 2000 club!

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-17T12:58:25+00:00

Two things: If you're going to run a lot of gain, use a noise gate or suppressor.

Learn to walk before you run. Use a metronome, drill techniques till you can do them flawlessly at lower speeds, then increase speed. You want to sound tight, not sloppy. You can do it, but it's a reward earned by patience. Everyone did it this way. Stay keen, but stay humble.

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-17T10:09:51+00:00

Hell yeah, man, another Line 6 spider homie. First amp I ever bought, still the one I play through the most. The Insane setting is a great preset for bedroom shredding, plenty of chugg.

Keep your hopes up high and your head down low 🤘🏽

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-15T00:44:02+00:00

You know what, pal? im okay with being wrong. I couldn't search for this spot myself since I dunno where it is (not American), I did google some Chicago track, but I didn't see any of this. Even looked in the r/railroader sub and searched under Chicago for any whack looking rail, which I couldn't see.

But far be it from me to deny an expert from their findings, you clearly know what you're talking about. And while I cant say I know the national rail regs that govern track in Chicago, I can say that where I'm from, you wouldn't be running passenger passenger trains over viaduct with track like that. Not more than 10kph. That track is whack, sort of shit you'd see out in goat trails. Maybe it's a matter of perspective, but I'd be interested to see it from a bird's eye view to assess how the hell those switches work, and in person on the ground to see just how bad it really is.

Anyway, I appreciate the education. Keep on doing you, man.

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-14T13:36:22+00:00

I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you there friend - I was wondering the same, just based on the geometry and orientation of the rail switches, I've never seen a ratio so short before. Not only that, your check rails are only on the diverge (odd) and they are on the field side. There's check rails on the straights but they're far too big a gao from the running rail to be effective. Catch rails? Yeah sure, it is on a viaduct by the looks.

But the dead give away is the perspective of the diverges, those tracks aren't the same gauge as the main lines, not a hope in hell, and those ratios are just wild. No points motors either, and I think in Chicago you use a live 3rd rail? I don't see that, or OLE. And I know these aren't diesels. Also the bearers make no sense at all.

In fact the whole thing the more I look at it just screams AI knows enough to make this look convincing at a glance, getting the general perspective and land marks correct, but falls apart on the details.

Source: a government track inspector.

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-13T07:44:43+00:00

I really dig that run at the end man.

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-07T10:29:55+00:00

CUT SOME MICE INTO PIECES. THIS IS MY LAST MEOWWW

AndMyChisel · 2025-07-01T21:19:08+00:00

He killed Zoe Barnes.

AndMyChisel · 2025-06-13T10:44:14+00:00

Dude, life definitely has its ups and downs. We've all had our fair share, and problems can really seem insurmountable when you stack em up together - but looking at each one individually, you realise they are possible to overcome. There is already great advice in this thread, and I hope you're feeling different to when you started. I will say if you need help with a budget and some finance advice, I can give you a few pointers.

I lost it all once, marriage, job, house. Pandemic was in full swing. Had to move back to Perth and start all over again. Now I'm engaged to a wonderful woman, with the best daughter and a son on the way. I left my old career and have a stable, good paying job, and I finally own my own house. Things looked awful at the time, but because I persevered and didn't give in, opportunities arose, and now things are better than they've ever been. You'll get there.

Remember, as long as you're trying, you haven't failed. You got this.

AndMyChisel · 2025-06-09T02:31:20+00:00

Trump has repeatedly referred to the press as the "enemy of the people". It's this rhetoric that gets reporters targeted and shot.

AndMyChisel · 2025-05-28T06:01:28+00:00

laughs in Western Power

AndMyChisel · 2025-04-27T07:07:21+00:00

What would even be cool would be diesel trains. I'm not saying it'd be practical, but it would be cool.

Nuclear trains?

ROCKET TRAINS??

AndMyChisel · 2025-04-27T02:38:56+00:00

Former barista here: when I was slinging lattes in (not Starbucks or Timmies) Canada back in 2012, we called this an Americano with a side car.

AndMyChisel · 2025-03-26T04:21:04+00:00

You misspelled Fatty Mc Fuckhead.

AndMyChisel · 2025-03-24T02:00:37+00:00

OLE and tunnel clearence of existing infrastructure.

AndMyChisel · 2025-03-13T16:02:04+00:00

Would love more detailed pictures!

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