snitzl

Hi All, The weathers been so nice here in the UK this last couple of day's that I decided to get out into the workshop and make another index plate ( yes I've got more gears to make for de snitzlton locomotive) . Here's the new 39, 45,50 and 55 hole index plate made as previously described - drilled and countersunk with a centre drill. After recounting the number of holes in the first plate virtually every time I needed to make a new gear, I decided to engrave the plates with a Taylor Hobson 2D pantograph. After engraving, the numbers are given a dose of felt tip pen, and then lightly rubbed with emery paper / cloth. All done, not bad for a couple of day's work. Now perhaps I should spring clean the workshop.

Regarding AdamsRadial's sound advice on machining the jaws, it's also worth noting that if there is excessive wear on the scroll threads or jaw threads of the chuck, then you are unlikely to get the jaws true, you may improve concentricity to within a few thou. Also, many jaws are hardened, if so, you will need to attach a grinder and cover the lathe bedway surfaces with some form of protection.

It just happens to be a very big bits box. I think that I must be getting a bit slow, it took me a few minutes to figure out what was what.

Here's a link to a step by step guide that should in the least provide food for thought.... Tile that Roof..

Hi richbrummitt, Thanks for the offer of a swap, but after sleeping on it, I prefer the metric thread over the much courser imperial thread on these small watchmaker slides, my favourite slide has 0 - 25 thou dials. I probably don't need to redo the dials either, as long as I remember that 10 on the dial is 0.1mm.

Decided to post a bit of a tutorial on using the new index plate, vertical slide, milling spindle and compound / cross slide assembly and I must say that it was quite an enjoyable experience without any concentricity fustrations. This was the first time I'd used any of these items, all of which were purchased earlier this year. The only surprice was the Pultra 1750 compound / cross slide, the dials read 0 - 100, which I presumed to be 100 thou per revolution, in fact they are both 1.0mm per revolution, so it's either new dials, or new screws and bushes. A job for the warmer months next year. Here's a few gears I made earlier, mainly scrap...... Thanks for Looking..

Not seen anything quite like it, looks very interesting and unique, I see that you are using two stepper motors and timing belts. Can't imagine getting my head around the arduino code though. Look forward to seeing more.

I'd love to illustrate the process of making gears for anyone interested, but I'm not sure from reading the intro pages of Lathes and M/C Tools that this would be appropriate for this topic. The topic seems to cover lathes and machine tools with a liitle advice on how to use them. What I intend to do is turn a gear blank on a lathe in the usual way, then remove the drive belt and lock the lathe spindle into 26 equi spaced indexed positions. A vertical slide / spindle is then attached to the lathe bed, in effect, converting the lathe into a mini milling machine. One gear tooth is cut, then the lathe spindle is rotated one hole position on the index plate, this is repeated until all 26 gear teeth are cut. Pete

Hi All, Managed to complete the indexing components, not cut any gears yet, I'll do that in the next couple of days. Didn't fancy parting off 70mm dia steel in the colds of my workshop, so I did a search for steel discs on the bay and bought 20 off, 70mm diameter, 3mm thick mild steel discs for £13.00. Set up the BCA jig borer with an Emco dividing head for drilling the holes in the index plate. Holes are drilled and countersunk at the same time with a 1/4" centre drill. With all the parts now complete, its time to assemble. Index plate mounting bush is pushed onto the spindle and held in place with a 3.0mm dia grub screw, the index plunger / spring assembly, locates in the original indexing hole designed for use with the holes on the back of the pulley. The pulley has 60 holes and is not suitable for the 26 tooth gear that I plan to make. The plunger aligns with the 26 hole divisions in the new index plate. Fully assembled on the lathe, its now time to remove the index plate, turn a gear blank, and try some gear cutting with the new spindle. Thanks for Looking : Snitzl.

Found a few images of the buildings scratchbuilt for Ilkeston Woodside MRC's 00 / 4mm layout of Kimberley ( G.N.R. / L.N.E.R. / Midland Railway ) back in 2012. All the buildings were constructed with a combination of plain styrene, embossed brick styrene and embossed tile styrene sheets. The more important station related buildings have individual roof tiles. One of the semi detached buildings on Newdigate St - at first glance, all of these buildings look the same, but they do have subtle differences. A view on the stone paving outside the old school house on Newdigate St, Kimberley, Notts. The old school building during construction. The rear of a house on Chapel St, Kimberley, Notts, - This is a view seen by the operators. Kimberley Signal Box ready for the layout. Kimberley Platform Shelter. Platform shelter as viewed by a passing rook. Thanks for looking : Snitzl

Here are a few images of the installation of a Wolf Jann watchmakers vertical silde and spindle for the lathe workbench. Although I have a milling machine which is very handy for cutting gears, I wanted the ability to cut very small gears ( 0.15 module ) on the lathe. I've had repeated problems with concentricity when moving components from lathe to milling machine and four jaws and dial gauges are not an option due to lack of space. The vertical slide is mounted on a spare Pultra cross / compound slide assembly. Some additional Gibraltar drum rack and clamps are used to secure the new adjustable sewing machine motor which will use the same speed control unit as the lathe spindle motor by exchanging the plugs. With ths motor mount method, the belt will tighten / loosen as the cross slide is adjusted, but I'm not to concerned as the amount of movement will be very small and can be adjusted by the rack clamps. The Wolf Jann vetical spindle takes standard 8mm watchmakers collets which are the same collets used in the lathe spindle. Next job is to make a simple indexing plate / attachment for the lathe spindle and give the thing a tryout.... Thanks for looking Snitzl

Hi TangoOscarMike, For me. making figures regardless of scale is challenging, and anyone who attempts this area of the hobby should get a free bottle of 'Old Engine Oil', as prescribed by Mikkel. 5&9models has made quite a few really nice examples that populate his open wagons and diorama scenes. London and Brighton Railway Carriages - 5&9models Britains 7mm/FT figures ( I know because I worked for Britains Petite ) made there figures about 10 to 12 inches high and the toolmakers used a 3D pantograph to create the 7mm / FT mould tool cavity. For anyone interested in making small 4mm / FT figures and small batch quantities, check out this blog entry. The Little People. Regards Snitzl

Hi Mike, You've described the motion perfectly, I will do a short video or animated gif in part 3 when this project completes. I have a few ideas to try with the steam assisted uncoupler gearbox and a trailing wagon solution if all else fails.

Thanks all for the kind comments, they really do help top up the enthusiasm bucket when the going gets a little tough and progess is slow ( that gearbox for instance ). Think I need a drop of Mikkels 'Old Engine Oil' to muddy the brain cells a little. Snitzl

Hi All, Here's a few images taken during the construction of 'Vernes Tower', a stone tower for 'Fun Town', a small micro layout. All scratchbuilt of course. Six layers of 0.5mm styrene wrapped and glued around a piece of cardboard tube. The outer layer is marked with a scraper and rubbed with acrylic paint to help align the stones. Stone strips are cut and glued with solvent, they are later textured with dental burs and finally given a rub down with a wire brush. Vernes Tower ready for ithe layout. A stair made made from brass connects 'Vernes Tower' to 'The Mart'. Another view on the Staircase and railings. A similar process is used for the Stone paving. Thanks for Looking : Snitzl.

Thanks Mikkel, I like the bottle, Im sure that robot man will appreciate a drink or two along with his nuts and bolts sandwich.. I don't have the time right now, but the robot man has been food for thought for maybe a future project.

I've been doing a little more work on 'De Snitzlton', a small 0:4:0 shunting locomotive for Fun Town's market stall's. This blog covers the scratch building of the wheels, connecting rods, gearbox modifications, axles, mechanical parts for the steam assisted uncoupler and the animated and non animated 4mm scale figures. I probably got to carried away a little with one figure that seemed like a good idea at the time, but after a period of calm / settling down, this figure was destined for the layout instead. There are still issues to overcome regarding the steam assisted uncoupler gearbox that was covered in part one of De Snitzlton and these will be revisited in the next blog. What is Fun Town ? : Fun Town is a small table top module that can be used alone or form part of a larger unit, it fit's like a jigsaw piece to the Walls Traverser Cover to create a small 36" x 18" layout over the top of Snitzl Town's traverser. Done so far : Overhead Tram, Jules Verne's Flying Ship, Steam operated Traverser, Market Stall Wagons and Market Stall Engine with DCC uncoupler. Still to do : Steam Tram, Stall Replenish Wagon, Hot Air Balloon, Interior racking & goods for the Warehouse and anything else that may be appropriate, in other words, a bit of fun. Thanks for Looking : Snitzl.

Hi All, Here's another update on 'De Snitzlton' - I've been doing a little work on the animated steam assisted uncoupler operator and also a non animated driver / fireman to replace the retired robot ( yes, I had second thoughts about the robot ). Both these figures have been made from brass bar using dental burs and a Minicraft handheld drill for the sculpting. Making figures has always been a bit of a challange for me as I don't make them that often and this is also a first attempt at making figures in brass. The steam assisted uncoupler operator has joints at both shoulders and elbows, the two cams that provide the movement can be timed to provide out of sync movement. Another view on the uncoupler guy. Here's the fireman / driver. Both figures are soldered to the footplate. Our retired robot man heading for the Horse and Groom. Thanks for Looking : Snitzl.

Very Inventive.....

Seems a liittle strange that this 8 year blog should receive your kind comments at the exact same time that I'm actually carving a new figure for 'De Snitzlton', I don't do these figures all that often. John, I've never found carving these figures easy, it's allways been a bit of a challenge, some turn out good, while others end up in the bin. The latest figure I'm working on is a 'Steam Assisted Operator' carved directly from brass, and not looking to good at the moment. Thanks All

Hi All, Managed to do a liitle more on De Snitzlton by adding some of the uncoupler mechanism at the front of the loco and also adding a non animatde driver / stoker. The uncoupler cams and lifing beam are hidden inside the front buffer. Here;s the uncoupler in its uncoupled state. The robot driver / stoker is a 4mm scale model loosely baised on Rodney Copperbottom, but unlike Rodney, the legs and arms on this model are symmetrical. The indiviual components are turned from mild steel on a small watchmakers lathe and soldered together. Copperbottom fooling around on the foot plate. Here's an animated gif of the uncoupler, operated by turning one of the rear buffer's by hand. Thanks for Looking : Snitzl

Interesting video with a very pro feel. Thanks..

Bought this 67mm dia four jaw chuck some months ago from the bay and thought there's no way that I can use it without making a backplate, so here's a few images taken during construction. The backplate has been made to fit a watchmakers lathe that accepts 8mm collets, initial heavier machining was done in the wokshop on a much larger Boley & Leinen lathe. Used mild steel for the backplate, the thread on the collet section of the backplate is 6.85mm x 40TPI, shank is 7.99mm dia. The mating face and location ring on the backplate is machined on a watchmakers lathe. Lathe machining now complete. Standard 6mm screws have the head machined to fit the chuck. Job Done, time for some real modelling. Thanks for Looking.

I decided not to be so humbug and take a few images for hendie, it has been such a hot day that I decided to have a day off from model making and take pics instead. The railway market stalls outside the Mart building. The layout runs on DCC and all the wagons have live axles and an led light under the canopy. Brids eye view showing Verne's Tower railings. Thanks for Looking.

Hi Hendie, it's so gratifying that you want to see more of Fun Town but most of what exists on this small micro layout appears in the intro of this thread. Your reference to Tim Burton and his unique work just might spark off a whole new approach to railway modelling. Thanks Snitzl