Jump to content
 

A simple scratchbuilt 00 motorised turntable


 Share

Recommended Posts

Seeing as how I had need of a 50ft turntable but didn't fancy paying £70 or so for the SE Finecast offering, I set about seeing what I could knock up myself.  I've just today got the thing working satisfactorily, so in case it's of any use to somebody else contemplating having a go, here's what I did.  Note that this incarnation is the result of what amounted to a design-it-as-you-go experiment to see if I could do it with just hand tools.  After thorough testing, the bridge unit will be replaced in due course by something more prototypical. 

 

Starting point was a 10" Victoria sandwich tin with loose bottom, this being the way round the problem of how to make a well that's truly cylindrical.  Depth of well was adjusted by packing the base of the tin up from the base flange.

 

tt01-1574x1050.jpg

 

The 2 rpm motor/gearbox unit is this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reversible-Torque-Motor-Turbo-Geared-JGY370-DC-12V-0-6-120rpm/273179216836?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D55148%26meid%3D58bda8173b924dea88495c9477414a2a%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D273179216836&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

 

tt03-1574x1050.jpg

 

Feed wires to bridge track pass down the pivot tube, and connect to the lashup pickup arrangement shown.  The normal track feed from my DC controller now goes to a DPDT switch so as to power either track or turntable, and this works perfectly well, with alignment of bridge rails to fixed track being by eyeball

 

tt02-1574x1050.jpg

 

The bridge is plastic card, glued to a plastic gearwheel with brass boss, which is secured to the top of the 4mm brass tube pivot.  Pivot bearings are a pair of miniature flanged ball bearings, and there is a smaller flanged ball bearing mounted under each end of the bridge which bears lightly on the well base.

 

tt04-1574x1050.jpg

 

The motor's powered from the track feed from my controller via a DPDT switch so I'm controlling either loco speed and direction or turntable ditto, with track alignment by eyeball.  And to my surprise, it all actually seems to work OK.

 

PS The hardest part of the job was cutting out that plasticard flange and getting it securely epoxied to the top of the tin without getting any on the embossed plasticard well wall ...

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Respect. The only possible weakness is the spring strips soldered to the pcb I think I would have drilled through and fitted a nut and bolt for reinforcement.   How will you arrange the indexing?

I see the WSR chaps stop the table and shift it back then forward a couple of times before they get the locking bar in, might be worth modelling?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I see the WSR chaps stop the table and shift it back then forward a couple of times before they get the locking bar in, might be worth modelling?

Have turned a loco on there a few times now. It doesn’t half get going once you manage to get it going! Stopping it in the right place really is an art, you and the guy on the opposite side trying to do the same thing at the same time but not seeing each other.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

... How will you arrange the indexing? ...

 

I won't: the turntable's in clear sight of and under 3ft away from my operating chair, plus I can slow down rotation to a creep, so Mk1 eyeball works for me.

 

As I said, this was essentially an experiment to see if I could actually cobble one up design and build one on the cheap with just hand tools (plus arthritis and iffy eyesight), and it seems to have worked.  If it keeps working satisfactorily, I'll probably just replace the bridge with a more authentic-looking one, but if track alignment proves to be a propblem, MkII will probably have a stepper motor.

 

It'll still have the sandwich tin well though :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Genius! Well done.

 

Genius my ...

 

You should have seen the head-scratching that went on!  There was even a major brainfart over the contact arrangement for the bridge track feed.  I was completely stumped with that until Grovenor sorted me out on here by kindly stating the obvious ... :rolleyes_mini:

Edited by spikey
Link to post
Share on other sites

Credit where it's due! A really inspiring build.

What would you say the overall budget was?

 

Replacement 10" sandwich tin for Mrs Spikey £11.20 (delivered, ex EBay and very good quality too)

Motor/gearbox unit £7.97 

Pivot bearings £3.50

Bridge end bearings ("wheels") £1.60

Gears £6.10

 

Plus plasticard, bit of 4mm brass tube, offcut of copperclad fibreglass, phosphor bronze pickups salvaged from dead printer, offcuts of 6mm ply etc

  • Like 1
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...