When thinking about the size and quantity of buildings I wanted to construct on my layout from strip wood, I realized that it would not be cost effective to buy it all. Kappler makes a great product but the cost materials can add up quickly. I decided to try cutting it myself using the Microlux Tablesaw from Micro-Mark. It was a significant investment for a tool whose only purpose is for modeling.

It has taken several hours of experimentation to be able to produce usable strip wood. One of the first things I bought was the 24 tooth carbide blade and the feather board/high fence attachment. The big drawback of the carbide blade is that the kerf is wide compared to the size of the strips I am cutting and much of the material ends up as sawdust on the floor. The high fence very nicely allows a feather board to be clamped on in order to keep the strips flat on the table saw bed.

Another accessory that I bought was the zero clearance blade plate. I managed to break both of them trying to bring the blade through. Once with the 24 tooth carbide and once with the stock 80 tooth blade. I now have another set on order with a 168 tooth blade that I think will work well for cutting scale 1 - 2″ stock.

Originally, I was cutting the stock down using my 10″ table saw. Making the 1/4″ cuts on a full-size table saw is certainly doable but I feel much safer on the Micro-Lux. For material I am using 5″ cedar fence pickets from Home Depot. It is not the best material in the world but by carefully selecting the most knot-free pickets possible, it is usable. I also put it through my surface planer first to get nice smooth and square sides. I am using cedar because I like the color. I have experimented with Norway Spruce and it is much easier to work with compared to the cedar. Boone Morrison uses Redwood and I think it looks great. The only Redwood I have been able to find here is 2 X 6″ stock but I plan on picking some up shortly to experiment with.

This weekend I cut about 2 dozen each scale 10″ X 10″ beams and 4″ X 10″ pieces that I plan on using for my Engine House. I also cut some scale 1 X 12″ material to use as siding on my Machine Shop. I spent a couple of hours trying it out on the foam core mock up I built previously.

I am not sure I like the color that resulted from an India Ink wash. It does photographs darker and better than it looks in person though.