An LNWR Type 4 size J all wooden Signal Cabin

[SHMD]

Any thought to using steel rather than brass? Would be a good deal cheaper.  

 

In my experience lasercutters can adjust the kerf to be almost 0 by tracing around the part rather than on the line.  Thats how I always draw the parts at least.  Do your companies not do the same?

 

Thanks Spitfire, I ow you a pint or two!

 

I wanted Brass as I was going to soft solder two of the parts together, but with a price difference, (between steel and brass), of 4:1 - I've ordered steel.

I knew there were common choices of steel, aluminium, brass copper but I thought the biggest cost was the LASER. Nope, it's the material cost.

 

 

Kev.

[Spitfire2865]

Thanks Spitfire, I ow you a pint or two!

 

I wanted Brass as I was going to soft solder two of the parts together, but with a price difference, (between steel and brass), of 4:1 - I've ordered steel.

I knew there were common choices of steel, aluminium, brass copper but I thought the biggest cost was the LASER. Nope, it's the material cost.

 

 

Kev.

And you can still soft solder steel, just takes a bit more heat.  

[SHMD]

Some more mad thinking (Thinking outside the box!) has given me the solution to glazing the Cabin - Microscope Slides.

 

The "face" of an LNWR Signal Cabin (to me) has always been its windows. Try and get them right and you are half way there.

 

So I cadged a box of microscope slides, from one of the many labs I visit, to see if they would be suitable (Quote - "You get nowt in this world unless you ask". Me mam, 1976.)

Guess what, they are 2mm too small – Doh! But they do do wider slides of 76mm x 39mm but these I would have to cut down. So this morning I nipped out to the local tool emporium and bought a glass cutter for the princely sum of £3.50p.

 

It turns out that cutting slides is a piece of cake so this is how I am going to proceed.

I never have liked plastic as glazing as it bends and the reflections are all wrong!

 

Kev.

Here's to "pie in the sky thinking"!

 

(Translation into management bo110x speak - "Blue sky thinking"!)

 

[Tricky]

How will you fix the glazing bars?

[Penlan]

For cutting slide covers I use a diamond tipped marker, available from the internet and friendly Vets.

I think Vet's use them for writing info on the cover slips.
I've used the cover slips for glazing in my (4mm) coaches for some 45 years. And in a signalbox.

[SHMD]

How will you fix the glazing bars?

 

I'm thinking of havening a groove in the wood of the window. Standard LNWR windows a based on combinations of 4 panes of glass.

I think I will knock one up this weekend.

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

I think I may have misunderstood.

 

If you mean the single bar  (for fixed windows) or the double bars (for opening windows) then I was/am going to use thick copper wire with the ends hammered flat and a hole drilled in so the I can use a PECO track pin (modified) to fix it to the cabin woodwork.

I think I will mock up one of these too!.

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

This morning I had a go at making the first prototype window bar.

 

I used "twin and earth" mains cable for the source material.

 

..but this is always bent or curvy, so I always "roll" the wire under a ruler and after a few seconds it is straight.

 

Next I used a ballpane hammer (not the ball end!) to flatten the ends on a bench vice.

The result is crude so for the production bars I will dig out a punch (flat) for this job.

 

Trim, drill and fettle each end.

 

Then attach it in position using PECO track pins - which resemble coach bolts in this scale.

 

The finished result:-

 

Conclustion:

Easy, cheap and good enough - and I'm pretty sure that's how the real ones are made.

 

..but paint it before fitting!

 

 

Kev.

 

[SHMD]

Now for the prototype "slide" glazing...

 

Glass cut and wood prepared for the upstairs door into the signal box.

 

...lashings of glue!

(A bit wonky though!)

 

The finished result.

(A may have another go at this but applying what I have learned today.)

 

Reflections!

 

 

Kev.

 

[Grasshopper John]

Following with interest Kev, Keep updates coming.

[SHMD]

..waiting for parts. Quite a few are due this week but I'm working away!

 

Here the drawing for the top Handles for the Levers.

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

Brace yourselves!

 

OoooOOOooooo….

 

Enough bits for a 12 lever frame, with options, and spares.

 

One of each component...

 

Options..

 

More options...

 

 

Kev.

 

[SHMD]

More...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kev.

 

[SHMD]

Finally...

 

 

A Webb Tumbler Frame has to have a "Tumbler"!

 

Sadly, the Tumbler is just cosmetic on this Frame

 

My work bench...

...and that's just a quarter of the frame I need to build!

 

 

Seriously, I am so pleased with the Laser Cutting of my parts. So accurate, so precise.

...but this is the prototype and I might change the dimension of one hole but on the whole this is a lot - a while lot - better than I was expecting.

 

 

When I picked up the parts, today, I had a chat about the next two items I wanted and things were positive...

 

 

Kev,

 

[Tricky]

Mmm ....Milky Bar. My favourite.

Nice etchings too....

[Spitfire2865]

I know the feeling of having a mystery mess of parts dumped out of the package. But it does slowly and satisfyingly go together after a bit of knolling.

[SHMD]

Mechatronics!

 

Some of the Frames parts on the CAD drawing produced from the Freeware LibreCAD. I thoroughly recommend it. (Especially for the price!)

 

I also thoroughly recommend Laser cutting. So precise.

Here are the 8 built up levers. I have made a selection of different "Tails" just to check that it all fits.

 

The Levers were then fitted to the Toggle Switches on my Toggle-Lever-Board and held in place by a grub screw (which should be lock-nutted in place but this seems a bit (read very) fiddly!

The three wires, connected the PCB, are for the 10-turn POT (shown in the bottom left of this picture) and is for the Level Crossing Wheel - yes, turning the wheel will operate the gates on a one-to-one basis. ie. if you stop turning the gates half way the they will also stop in that position on my layout.

 

..more views

 

A close-up showing the clearances.

(Phew! - That was a close one!)

 

..I wonder where I got the inspiration to take the above pictures?

(Thanks Beast.)

 

It's hard to get a photo that sums up the term "Mechatronics" more than this one!

The all-important barrel-connectors can be seen here - one (brass one) per Lever.

 

 

The important thing, that is not obvious in these photos, is that there was no measurements or alignments needed to assemble these Levers.

Very little "finishing" was required too but I will be altering the drawing for the final production run, so that assembly will be even easier whilst reducing the number of "options" on tails to be produced.

The hardest job was "tapping" the 7 off M2.0 screw holes - per Lever!

 

 

I is dead chuffed.

(But tons of work still ahead of me.)

 

 

Kev.

 

[SHMD]

A few weeks have gone by with (apparantly) no progress. The truth is it was/is all behind the scenes!

 

Counting out (and inspecting) 44 sets of Lever components...

I only need 40 sets but I prudently ordered %10 extra plus some options.

(It all weighed in at 2.6kg of parts!)

 

..a batch program of production (of 5 or 10) then commenced where each component was deburred, drilled, tapped..

 

..and then finally assembled.

 

Forty Levers anyone?

(It only took two and a half days!)

 

I'm particularly pleased with the "Loop Handles".

 

So, yesterday I spent most of the day trying to Drill and Tap this one Loop Handle!

 

..I'm pleased with the result though, and it operates beautifully.

 

This is just a mock-up, (with the wrong style Handle), showing the full length of the Lever.

 

This shows how the Lever will fit in the Frame with the Quadrant Plate.

 

 

Today? I will be re-commissioning my Milling machine (stored in my garage out of use for many years) as I need it to accurately drill the 80 holes in 40 Loop Handles! (..and it's freezing outside!!)

 

 

Kev.

 

[Tricky]

That all looks very impressive.

How is the main building coming along?

[SHMD]

....hmmmm! I knew there was something I had forgoten.

 

 

Seriously, not very fast as I need the "Frame" to build around it.

I am using up this years holidays to try and catch up.

 

 

Kev.

[Spitfire2865]

Those look fantastic.

[SHMD]

More parts have arrived...

 

Cover Plates!

Most of these will go in between the Levers but the wider ones are for the ends and for the two frame supports in the middle of the Frame.

I added "laser stitching" where the bends are to be. I used copper because it is strong (1mm thick) and malleable (formable in my fingers).

 

I guess that this whole project started with can Ring-Pulls!

I wanted to use them as the Loop Handles but I'm glad I opted for the laser cut versions instead.

 

This is the layout of the plates

The Frame will be made up of 3 sub-Frames of 16+8+16 Levers, making 40. Webb's Frame would have been 15+10+15 Levers but he didn't have to work with binary's 8-bit notation. ...but I am sure he would have approved of the standardisation!

 

These next three shots are just a bit of a mock up of the Frame construction...

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the Lever top Handles will not arrive until next year and I still have to fabricate 40 Catch Blocks and Linkages.

However, this will not stop me building the Frame which will allow the rest of the Signal Cabin to be built around it.

 

I think that will be as far I will be able to get before the deadline ends.

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

More Frame build tests/prooving with the prototype Frame..

 

These two Phots are the drilling of the Loop Handles.

I changed the dimension, between the two screw holes on the Loop Handle, to a/ allow more throw and b/ to allow room for the Catch Rod.

The Lathe is precise enough but I just clamped the work pieces in position by eye!

 

 

The Lathe - with Mill/Drill attachment - is a cheap one from MachineMart, a Clark Metal Worker. It's ok on little jobs that you don't mind taking a lot of time over!

To do this job I had to re-commission this Lathe but the Mill/Drill attachment lost a "Key" in the spindle and I had to make a new one. 5 x 5 x 120mm - how did I lose that?!!

(I used a Dremel type high speed cutting disc to deburr the Loop Handles.)

 

The next three shots show the prototype Frame with 6 Levers (without the Top Handles).

 

..it's quite "rickety" as quite a few brackets are not in place yet!

 

The Cover Plates were bent, in a vice, by "eye" with "fingers and thumbs" only.

I made a long jig with M1.6 holes every 12.7mm. this jig was long enough for the whole frame but an error crept in 3/4 the way along. This error was shown up in this prototype Frame and the offending holes in the jig have been marked "out of Use".

 

I'm quite pleased with the Loop Handles (a signature part of a Webb Tumbler or Tapper  lever Frame).

The far end "Loop Handle" uses the old dimension but the rest of the "loops" all look the same and I am very pleased with the result.

 

..a view from the Locking Room.

 

 

I'm still waiting for the Top Handles and I need to order some springs.

I will also have to order loads more M2x3mm screws as I'm using loads of them.

 

How hard can it be to order the right quantity of screws before hand?

Each Levers uses a zillion screws. Times this by 40 Levers = I need 40 zillion screws - Simples!

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

Plenty of work done over the Christmas period...

 

The Toggle Lever Boards (Switch sensing and optional electrical interlocking) were mounted on the Frame's Base.

80off M1.6 holes were marked out, a jig made (and tested), drilled and tapped on the 2off 22" frame angle 10mm x 10mm x 1mm Brass "irons" for the Cover Plates.

 

 

37off Cover Plates were formed, by hand, using a bench vice and eye.

(The other 3 Cover Plates, to make up the total of 40 Levers, are of the double width type where a gap is left for the Fame's End Frames.)

 

I Formed Cover Plates in batches to help prevent me going mad!

Here the Cover Plates are "bent" to match the curve of the Quadrants.

 

..taking shape.

 

 

 

..some shots of it all beginning to come together.

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year everyone!

 

 

Kev.

 

[SHMD]

The work continues...

(We've still got another year right?!!!)

 

To fit the Quadrants, three Cover Plates have to be removed to allow the Quadrant to be "slotted" onto the front and back angle frames. The Quadrants are not held on by any other means.

 

I started at Lever #1 and worked my way along.

First the Cover Plate was "fettled" to make it fit and then the Quadrant was de-burred, checked for flatness, and then fettled into position.

 

This took most of New Year's Eve!

 

..but I am please with the result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kev.