Jump to content
 

Jon Fitness' average 7mm signals workbench.


Recommended Posts

Just finished another banner repeater. It's just as well I did one on my thread as I had forgotten how I did it....This one is illuminated with a small SMD LED which is alright on battery test but is a bit flickery through a 1k resistor and 12v. Mucho weathering will be applied to tone the post down!

post-7179-0-32459500-1402765446_thumb.jpgpost-7179-0-87316100-1402765461_thumb.jpgpost-7179-0-59386800-1402765473_thumb.jpgpost-7179-0-88958200-1402765486_thumb.jpgpost-7179-0-28595000-1402765499_thumb.jpg

More soon

JF

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Made a start on a bracket signal. This will have a 3ft steel pattern GW arm with a shutter type route indicator. The structure was originally going to be attached to a vertical wall :mail: 

post-7179-0-96833900-1403042604_thumb.jpgpost-7179-0-44699500-1403042617_thumb.jpg

 

but has since been altered to fit a sloping retaining wall :paint: 

 

post-7179-0-78687200-1403042627_thumb.jpg

 

Only one shutter will operate with the signal and it will be manually operated.

More soon

JF

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Made a start on a bracket signal. This will have a 3ft steel pattern GW arm with a shutter type route indicator. The structure was originally going to be attached to a vertical wall :mail: 

attachicon.gifP1070386 (1024x768).jpgattachicon.gifP1070388 (1024x768).jpg

 

but has since been altered to fit a sloping retaining wall :paint: 

 

attachicon.gifP1070392 (1024x768).jpg

 

Only one shutter will operate with the signal and it will be manually operated.

More soon

JF

Now  I wonder where that peg could go????????????????????

 

OzzyO.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Time for a catch up on the GW bracket signal before I get ahead of myself.

The bracket structure is now on its wall plate and braced along its wall side.

2 bolts have been soldered to the wall plate and the structure fastened to a temporary "wall"

post-7179-0-97792100-1403297684_thumb.jpg

These are the bits that fold up to make the shutter box

post-7179-0-70224800-1403297672.jpg

The box made (sorry about the usual snotty soldering, I'll clean up later!)

post-7179-0-58742100-1403297701_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-87844200-1403297715_thumb.jpg

The shutter has an operating arm to lift it. I blackened the shutters arm and soldered a lace pin through the pivots. The blackening holds the solder away from one half of the assembly meaning I can make a nice tight joint, mostly free of play without worrying that I'm going to solder the lot solid!

post-7179-0-15018700-1403297730_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-82213300-1403297742_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-22753100-1403297755_thumb.jpg

The shutter box was soldered to a short brass post that slots into a slightly larger square tube on the structure. Here it is installed on the bracket, temporarily held in with a small peg. This allows me to trial fit the operating arm too.

post-7179-0-21832000-1403297774_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-57410400-1403297787_thumb.jpg

The arm for the shutter also has to operate the signal arm so a bell crank/bearing was prepared and soldered on the bracket under where the doll will fit.

post-7179-0-26021700-1403297792.jpg

post-7179-0-33319700-1403298490_thumb.jpg

The doll is a wooden type so an old firework stick was planed up and sanded ready to be cut (nearly) to length

post-7179-0-49552300-1403298509_thumb.jpg

This also fits in a bit of square tube within the bracket structure.

post-7179-0-08340500-1403298522_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-11980100-1403298534_thumb.jpg

The arm is a 3ft steel later type with a ring. The arm is soldered to the spec plate but the ring will be left off until the final painting stage.

post-7179-0-13873600-1403298551_thumb.jpg

The arm is just held on with a peg at the moment to check sizes and alignment. As you can see the doll will be shortened at the top by about 8mm.

post-7179-0-32312200-1403298562_thumb.jpg

It's all just a lash up at the moment but it's starting to look like the real thing (a bit)

More soon

JF

  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

Starting to "fit out" the bracket now. The doll for the signal arm now has all it's bits on.

The battery box for the repeater and lamp indicator was made from a piece of square tube with a lid and base from scrap etch

The little piece of wood on the back of the top of the doll represents the contact box for the repeater. As I'm no Peter Squibb it won't be a working version!!

post-7179-0-19203600-1403382635_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-78118200-1403382645_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-10250300-1403382656_thumb.jpg

With all the main bits now added including ironwork for the staging and handrails the job of working out the stroke need from the operating arm to the signal arm is next

post-7179-0-14165800-1403382669_thumb.jpg

post-7179-0-31246900-1403382683_thumb.jpg

Oops...just noticed from the pics I haven't done the lamp for the shutter box yet! Never mind, it's beer O clock now :drink_mini: 

More soon

JF

Edited by Jon Fitness
  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

Just about finished  the bracket signal now. A few blobs of paint here and there and it should be done.

post-7179-0-60718000-1403560794.jpgpost-7179-0-24074100-1403560803.jpgpost-7179-0-67754300-1403560811.jpgpost-7179-0-60014300-1403560819.jpgpost-7179-0-93918800-1403560824.jpgpost-7179-0-39856800-1403560834.jpgpost-7179-0-79302200-1403560841.jpg

I'm reliably informed the Up E&C was known as the Up "Egg&Chips"! :nyam: 

On to the straight post one next....

More soon JF

  • Like 13
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Jon,

 

I'm sure it should be the the B&E (bl00dy eck) that was quick. A nice looking job.

Well done.

 

OzzyO.

Aye, so quick I forgot to fit the small ladder from the staging up the doll! Done now, pic later when I get home from work!! :fool:

JF

Link to post
Share on other sites

I do believe the back of the 'Goods Line & Siding' ring should be white Jon - it is definitely white on all the prototype pics I can find  (mind you that particular one was probably quite dirty).

Ok...I'll sort that. I should learn to see as well as look! Does the lettering on the shutter look OK? It's "Agency FB" font.

 

On a slightly different subject "UK Numberplate" font is pretty good for making your own BR(W) reporting number boards.

JF

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Ok...I'll sort that. I should learn to see as well as look! Does the lettering on the shutter look OK? It's "Agency FB" font.

 

On a slightly different subject "UK Numberplate" font is pretty good for making your own BR(W) reporting number boards.

JF

I was immediately impressed by the lettering in the route indicator Jon.  I did wonder if it's quite right as the letters look a tiny bit too tall to me but that could be down to the angle from which you took your pic or even the white background but the overall impression is so good it wouldn't be worth messing about with it in my view.

 

A smashing job all round I think and if you happen to have had any idea at all about the original it's immediately recognisable (sadly I only really knew it after the colour light head had been substituted).   I can't wait to see it in place on the wall on Steve's ppp (posh photo plank).

 

PS thanks for the tip on the other font.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for that!

I can tweek the size of the stencil lettering. It was done in MS Publisher (the only program I can get me head round for that sort of thing) using the "word art" function. That way I can adjust the size shape spacing and weight more easily than typing in a text box with different font sizes.

More soon

JF

Link to post
Share on other sites

Some more progress on the straight post signal. The route indicator on the real signal has 3, maybe 4 shutters but only one is required on the model. As the mechanics are quite prominent on the real thing I have included 4 weight bars and the representation of multiple linkages but as you can see there will only be one operative. It's all a bit rough and ready at the moment but it works and will be tidied in due course...

post-7179-0-91592800-1403731261.jpgpost-7179-0-35930900-1403731269.jpgpost-7179-0-78601900-1403731277.jpgpost-7179-0-86807500-1403731284.jpg

More soon

JF

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

What you need next Jon is Steve to go for the piece of railway between his two set pieces and then you could make a GWR 3 aspect colour light signal on a timber post complete with cast iron finial, cast iron vertical number plate, and a illuminated stencil style Calling On indicator; that would definitely be something different!

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

What you need next Jon is Steve to go for the piece of railway between his two set pieces and then you could make a GWR 3 aspect colour light signal on a timber post complete with cast iron finial, cast iron vertical number plate, and a illuminated stencil style Calling On indicator; that would definitely be something different!

What I really need is retirement from my signalling job and someone to invent a 36 hour day so I can build models, do a bit of bus restoration and still have a chunk of the day to have a beer and watch a bit of telly without feeling like a lazy sod!!

(and of course browse RMWeb :angel: )

JF

Edited by Jon Fitness
  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

Ok, the straight post signal is now 99% complete needing only some small weights on the weight bars. By the time you see this, the signal will have been stripped down, all the scabby soldering cleaned up and coats of primer applied. Grey this time as the signal post will be WR silver rather than white :sungum: .

post-7179-0-72409700-1404165699.jpgpost-7179-0-92698400-1404165707.jpgpost-7179-0-02368200-1404165716.jpg

I'll fit the weights on the bars now as once it was together for testing there was no point in pulling it apart then fitting it all back together again just for some pics. Remember those little wire puzzles that usually appeared in xmas crackers? The had to be held in a specific way to fit them together or pull them apart or they would just remain tangled...well that's how the linkages fit together!

More soon

JF

Edited by Jon Fitness
  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...